I want to run away with Cirque du Soilel

When I was in high school, our French teacher would show us videos of Cirque du Soilel performances whenever she wasn't in the mood to teach, and my favorite part was the aerial silks performance.

Here's a video in case you have no idea what I'm talking about:




So last Monday, I ventured to my first silks class with two of my good friends, Jenni and Lisa. 

To be honest, we didn't know this is what we had signed up for...we THOUGHT we were getting a Groupon for 3 aerial yoga classes (which I still want to try); instead we showed up to a small studio where our fabulous teacher was hanging the red silks. 

My first thought was "oh shit".  I can't do this.  I can't do a single pull up, much less hold myself up on two lengths of fabric while I do fancy tricks. 

The class started, yes started, with 150 crunches.

We did some yoga stretches; then we approached the silks.

After some basic training, we started doing some exercises using the silks.  We learned how to hold the silks and do the foot binding so we could climb them gracefully.  Last but not least, they taught us a full "routine". 

They tied a giant knot in the bottom of the fabric so we would have something to stand on, then we went through a series of poses.

Because we were beginners to the max, we only managed to really get the first three:  Teardrop, Wings Engaged, and Gazelle.

Here are a few photos of me (in the black and coral), Jenni (that curly brunette), and Lisa (the tiny blond) doing the poses:


Teardrop

Wings Engaged

And, finally, Gazelle

 Three days later, my abs and arms are STILL sore, but I'm already signed up for next week.  Truth is, it is SO much harder than it looks, but I really think I can do some of this stuff with enough practice...and upper body workouts at the gym.  I put 100% of my arms and shoulders in last night, so I hope I'll see some improvement next week!