I would watch in amazement at what “those people” could do. I have always been enthralled with acro, dance, and the various combinations of the two; it always leaves me in awe. I secretly admired those who dared to take the leap into this enchanting world. Little did I know that one day, I would find myself entangled in silks, defying gravity, and doing the things too. As surprising, if not more, is I publicly, and proudly talk about being an aerialist. About being a pole dancer. As my journey continued in aerial, so did my perception, confidence, and the way I framed conversations about this adventure.
When I first began my journey at Aerial Dance, I was hesitant to share it with others. There was a strong fear of judgment and a lack of confidence which held me back. All of the “what if’s” ran through my head. The doubts and concern lingered for a while. They lingered long enough for me to fall in love with defying gravity and doing really cool stuff with my body. My need to share my journey and passion, my need to share the transformation I was physically experiencing as well as emotionally and mentally became overpowering.
***Authors note: I can name two transformational moments in my journey that helped my confidence substantially. Although, when I started this paragraph there was only one “transformational” moment I was going to name and now there are quite a few I could. I will stick to two.
The 1st moment- my first show. Hands down this event changed my perception of my ability as well as grew my confidence. I stood in front of 100’s of people and danced. With very little clothes on. And I did it really well. And I loved it. And the crowd loved it.
The 2nd moment- my first After Hours workshop. Sexy wasn’t something I thought I was capable of or felt at all comfortable trying to be. And then I took at After Hours. Do it. Get to know your body and how your body can move. And thank your instructors later. ***
As my confidence grew, the way I framed the conversation about aerial changed and grew. Rather than just talking about the “tricks” and “cool things”, I started discussing how I took a chance and discovered the incredible capabilities of the human body. I started talking about how I have never been stronger, physically, mentally, or emotionally. How it was something I never would have predicted doing but now cannot imagine where I would be without it.
Aerial Dance has grown who I am as a person, but it has also shifted my perspective on dance, on our bodies, on movement, and on how we talk about all of those things with others. While there have definitely been judgemental people along the way, and people who questioned what “exactly” I do, and even people who treated me differently after finding out, when I started reframing the way I presented it, I presented the sport from a different perspective, allowing for a completely different initial perception. Frame your experience the way you want others to see it.