Where can I buy my own silk?
While every mother bird likes to see her little ones take flight and leave the nest, Mama Silk has some important information for her fledgeling silkies:
The answer to this question is, ‘You only get the answer to this question when you are ready.’ Why? As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben and others have said, “With great knowledge, comes great responsibility.” If Mama Bird pushes the babies out of the nest before their wings are fully developed THEY LAND ON THEIR HEADS AND DIE. This is the general consensus among NYC aerial teachers who ROCK and put YOUR safety first.
Aerial arts are incredibly beautiful and strength building. And, aerial can be dangerous.
-Check with your instructor to see if they think you are ready to train with a buddy in addition to your ongoing training with a qualified instructor (who should be the same person – don’t go cherry picking people to get the answer you want if you think your usual instructor will respond ‘DENIED!’)
-If your instructor doesn’t think you’re ready, ask why, and keep taking class until you get the thumbs up
-Never do aerial on your own (see reference to the ‘buddy’ above. PS: your roomie who can’t see you and has their headphones on in another room doesn’t count)
-Never attempt new skills without a qualified instructor present
-Always use appropriate mats
-Check, double check and triple check your rigging
-Examine your equipment and hardware before each use
-Take a rigging lesson that covers the particular set up for where you will be rigging
-If you don’t know how to safely rig your own silk, you are not ready to train on your own
-Just because ‘someone else has rigged here before’ doesn’t mean it’s safe. If you don’t know the person who installed the rigging or had it inspected, do your own due diligence.
-Don’t buy aerial yoga stands off the internet unless Mama Silk gives you the OK (there are lots of crappy set ups commerically available – don’t get me started)
-Well designed portable aerial rigs are available. Just ask.
-If you want to rig in your living room/apartment/patio, hire a qualified rigger to do the job right. We can recommend excellent people.
-If you aren’t ready to shell out money for equipment, rigging, and lessons, you aren’t ready to train on your own
-There are Open Workouts available at several locations in the NYC area. Ask Mama Silk which ones are insured.
Aerial is fun, and it can be dangerous, deadly dangerous. Know your limits, know what you don’t know.
Mama Silk wants you all safe.
Yours in love and aerial flight,
Heather, aka Mama Silk
The Show Must Go On…Or Not!
There’s something romantic and glamorous about that ‘the show must go on!’ mentality. And, many times, we’ve pulled out all the last-minute stops to make that happen.
We recall dancing for Noemie Lafrance 70 feet up on a Frank Gehry building in 2008 in Rapture. When one of the performers pulled a muscle in his back, the choreographer re-jigged the remaining dancers. After teaching another talented dancer my role, I spent the afternoon learning the injured dancer’s role on a roof with a much different incline and a much different rigging system. We had to make some last-minute modifications given that the rigging system was designed for a 175 lb man and I’m a 112 lb woman…And, we pulled it off, thanks in part to the injured dancer calling me cues from the rigging station behind my spot during the 50 min show!
But what about those times when, well, the show really can’t go on? Sometimes, it just needs to be postponed. For those rare times, you’ll be glad that Heliummm Aerial Dance & Entertainment is on your team.
Last December brought the East Coast a record snow storm that paralyzed NYC and its environs for days. This threw a wrench into the Demetro family wedding, given that the guests, the caterer, myself, and the bride and groom couldn’t make it to the venue on the wedding day. So, the wedding (and performance) was postponed till January 10th, when the streets were clear and everyone could get there safely. We were happy to accommodate this client on another date.
This holiday season has brought another unexpected event delay. Lexi’s Sweet 16 was supposed to be tonight, but alas, she is quite sick. The event planner and venue owner luckily has a couple of free dates in January. So we’re wishing Lexi a prompt recovery and we’ll be whooping it up for her and her friends later next month.
The message? Heliummm Aerial Dance & Entertainment delivers. Rain or sleet or snow or shine. Exceptional performers you can trust.
Heliummm Gets Stellar Review from Fit Engine.com
What better Christmas present than to be called:
…”one of the most unique, well-taught, and well-constructed classes I have taken.” by Fit Engine reporter Djuna Passman!
If you’re looking for aerial classes, here’s proof that ours are the ones you’ll want to sign up for.
What more can we say? Except, Thanks, Fit Engine! Click here to sign up now.
And here’s the review of a Manhattan class by Sharon Osborne of Fit Engine.
For the budding aerialists in your family, get HELIUM AERIAL DANCE gift certificates in our ONLINE STORE.
See full article here
And see YOU in class!
Heliummm Aerial Dance Rigs It Up!
Luxury Tribeca jewelry boutique owner Kristin Hanson told us she wanted aerialists in her new raw event space for Carbon NYC’s exclusive men’s networking club party. Heliummm Aerial Dance made it happen, efficiently, on time and on budget.
Heliummm’s rigger extraordinaire, Aaron Verdery, who holds an MFA in Technical Design and Production from Yale University’s School of Drama, expertly assessed the venue at our site inspection visit. He and Heliummm’s Artistic Director, Heather Hammond, recommended the best options to make the client’s vision a reality, taking into account the uniqueness of the space’s architecture.
A few days later, Aaron arrived with all the gear and gack necessary to flawlessly install the rigging points. He drilled through the wooden support beam, ran rebar through, and finished it off with discreet rigging plates. And, always the gentleman, he swept up and left the space clean. Don’t you wish all your vendors did that?
A few more reasons to hire the seasoned professionals of Heliummm Aerial Dance & Entertainment.
Stay tuned for performance photos from this fabulous event!
Heliummm Flying High at NYC Aerial Dance Festival
Wheeeeee!! I’m flying!!!
Heliummm Aerial Dance’s Heather Hammond teamed up with Sarah Wollschlager of Surface to Air Dance to perform a quirky bungee duet to Tom Waits music, A Window In, at this year’s NYC Aerial Dance Festival.
This rehearsal photo gives you an idea of how high we can fly on the bungee – we like to think of it as a jolly jumper for adults.
If you’re looking for a super fun, unusual, upbeat act to add to your party – this is it! We can even put your guests, children to adults, in the bungee for a bounce or two.
Thanks to Cherie Carson for the photo.
“Prisoner Position”
Here is Brianna in what she calls “Prisoner Position”.
I call it “Assisted Pull Up” position, but let’s face it: if that had been the title, you might not have read the post!
Pull ups are a necessary evil for all aerialists and other hard core athletes. They are the ultimate test of strength-to-weight ratio. Nothing else develops your back, shoulders, forearms and grip strength like this exercise.
Assisted pull-ups involve supporting some of your body weight with your feet until you are strong enough to take all the weight in your arms. Try a few at the end of your next class. A good attitude and consistency will help you get results. In between classes, push ups and chest presses will help you build strength.
Consider installing a chin-up bar in your house or apartment.
Develop this important skill to make your inversions easier and your endurance soar!
Oh, and don’t forget to come to class for lots of practice and live techincal support!
Heliummm Student Showcase – Nov 5, 2011
We are SO proud of our aerialists. In front of a full house of family and friends, our gals rocked it big! All that hard work and patient persistence definitely paid off.
Click on an image to enlarge.
Starring (in order of appearance):
Sila Saylak
Heather & Cody
Kealani Tosh
Aerial Sheldon
Bernadette Cutrone Dankenbrink & Elyse Madsen Curro
Amanda Silaksi
Brianna Hansen
Lauren Clifford
Special Guest: Edith Piaf
Karina Casiano
There was lots of love and glitter in the air, laughter and applause. Several audience members were inspired to get their act ready for the Spring Showcase.
See you in class, see you in the air and see you in the Spring!
And thanks to my silkies for the flowers and my new nickname ‘Mama Silk’.
Love,
Heather
aka ‘Mama Silk’
Heliummm’s Artists Think Fast on Their Feet…and Their Hands!
Heliummm’s incredible hand balancer/contortionist, Adam, did a great job at last night’s What’s Next Conference sponsored by Yahoo! and delectably crafted by Pink Pizza Events.
We quickly and expertly re-staged the act when we discovered the stage was smaller and lower than anticipated. We elevated certain moves from the floor onto the canes to afford the best sight lines for the guests in the back of the room. All accomplished while the client was busy doing more important things. With a few adjustments to tighten up his movement path with the swirling fabric, Adam wowed the guests. And they loved posing for pictures with him in twisty bendy poses.
Just one reason to hire the seasoned professionals of Heliummm Aerial Dance and Entertainment. We think fast – on our feet and our hands!
Aerial Conditioning
Heather interviewed about aerial conditioning in an article about aerial yoga.
Link to full article here.
Note: for really great aerial yoga in NYC, check out Unnata Aerial yoga @ http://www.aerialyoga.com.
Helium Aerial Dance headlines at Mountain State Forest Festival
Helium Aerial Dance headlining at the 75th Anniversary of the Mountain State Forest Festival!
Full article here.
