Into the Night
On May 23, the Aerial Dance Performance Team had the amazing opportunity to perform at Oshkosh’s Into the Night. This festival was very similar to Bazaar After Dark that Aerial Dance has been showcased at. Our team was located almost in the center of the all the vendors/activities. We were blessed with a gorgeous evening and a very welcoming crowd! The performance team ladies were on point to say the least! I actually saw jaws dropping in sheer amazement! It was really neat to see aerial from a newcomers perspective. They are blown away by solo dancers and even more so by doubles! I was lucky enough to have my doubles hoop partner along for the ride last night! Thank you Steve!
As students taking aerial classes, we can appreciate the strength and stamina that goes with our sports! Last night, one of the hardest things while performing for newcomers was to slow everything WAY down. You need to hold each move longer so the mere mortals of the non-aerial world can begin to grasp what it is we are actually doing. It is a lot harder than you think. It is also a lot more work!
Head Rush
The first time Steve and I ran through our sequence I felt great! Hearing the “Oos” and “Ahs” of the crowd always makes a person feel on top of the world. Our routine went smoothly without any hiccups! I still get goose bumps after performing no matter the location!
For our next run, things did not goes as planned. We started like we always do: baseball chopper, single hook same, to star. During our double, star I noticed that something within me was a little off. Spinning was hitting me a lot harder than it usually did. I began to feel dizzy, but the feeling passed quickly and we continued on. As we reached a part in our sequence called the Teeter Totter everything changed.
In this move Steve is up right in the hoop and I am in a knee hang at the bottom. Steve then intertwines his legs with mine, lays back, and then I am pushed up. While transitioning from knee hang to upright, I felt a huge head rush like when you stand up too fast. Except this time I couldn’t shake the woozy feeling. I toe squated (world still spinning) turned around, inverted around the span set to get ready for our final pose.
That is when it hit me. I was not safe. I did not have a clear mind, nor could I get hold of my bearings. Steve was all set to push my shoulders out and away when I asked him to come down. He got out of the hoop so I could dismount. On the ground I was still really shaky still not recovered from whatever caused my spinny uneasiness.
As the night went on, whenever I inverted or spun that slightly uneasy feeling came back. I made the decision that I needed to stop for the night. I am not sure why my body was not agreeing with inverting or spinning, but I knew my safety was more important.
You Are More Important Than Tricks or Performing!
This was the first time that I had ever encountered feeling like I was going to faint/black out. I can tell you it was really hard to make the decision to stop and not push myself to work through whatever was going on. This was my first time performing with Aerial Dance Performance Team and I wanted to shine.
At the end of the day, I understood that my health and safety were more important than performing. I am no good to myself or the team if I end up getting hurt. Knowing my bodies limits and knowing when to stop does not mean defeat. Respecting my body’s boundaries will help me to grow to become a better athlete in the long run. It was a scary feeling, but I am happy to know I made the right choice. Trust your body and the messages it sends you whether you like them or not. It knows better than you do!
