Rigging & Aerial Safety

We are so happy you have chosen The Rising as your circus hub!  Circus is a beautiful and challenging performing art and is growing in popularity.  Circus used to be on the fringes and was not accessible as a recreational activity or something you did to get in shape.  If you said you did "circus" then you were an actual performing flying trapeze artist, clown, or the like.  We are honoured you have chosen The Rising as your training ground, regardless of whether or not you ever step onto the performance stage.  The circus is a special place and there is a niche for everyone here!

Due to the rise in circus aerial arts as a recreational activity there have been some questionable and dangerous practices that have developed.  The Rising seeks to keep high professional standards when it comes to aerial safety.  Serious accidents can occur from falls as little as a few feet off the ground, and silk tangles have even resulted in deaths when the student was not able to get themselves out and no one was providing safety supervision.  Students/parents must appreciate and understand these risks.  With the rise of social media, you can now view recreational students  (including children)  train on at home rigs.  Most often without consulting a professional aerial rigger and/or structural engineer. We often see them training without adequate supervision or crash mats, on unrated equipment bought cheaply off the internet or home reno stores, and the list goes on. Just google “aerial falls or bloopers”  to get an idea of how easily things can go wrong.  In the professional circus world (of which we are a part) this is very worrisome. It is our experience that it takes years of solid training with a coach, and also a certain maturity before one understands Aerial Theory,  technique and how to know your limits and train safely.  Our coaches routinely "rescue" students from silk tangles during class either physically or verbally with instructions on how to get out of the knot the student has created.  

 Setting up an aerial point in your home can negate your home owners insurance.  You would need to look into getting additional insurance, as you would if you had a pool or trampoline.  Typical 2 x4 home construction is not designed to withstand the repetitive forces of dynamic live loading. Typically an aerial rigging point and all gear used should be rated for 10 x max static load or 6 x max dynamic load, whichever is greater.  Other terms important to understand when setting up an aerial rigging point are Safe Working Load, Working Load Limit, Minimum Breaking Strength, and Design Factor.  If you don't know how to apply these terms you're not ready to install an aerial point.  It's also important to have someone who has been taught how to inspect aerial rigging gear and is able to routinely check all equipment used for signs of wear. 

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The Rising does not sell circus equipment or advise students on how to set up an aerial point in their house.  Quality Aerial Circus equipment is costly and should be bought from actual circus equipment suppliers and not off amazon, alibaba, and pop up suppliers, etc.  There's no such thing as setting up an aerial point on a budget.  These items often have not been break tested, do not have markings for load limits, are cheaply made or knock offs of name brands.  There have been many examples of equipment failure resulting in minor to severe injury.

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We know this may sound discouraging but most people don't know the scope of safety protocols that aerial arts require. It‘s important to keep a robust respect for the dangers of aerial arts. This is all too often lacking, especially in the online world. In the professional circus arts world most of us choose not to have home set ups or backyard rigs because of safety issues, cost, quality of training, and practicality.  Very frequently the money is better spent on more classes and open training drop ins. That being said, if students are looking for extra practice to become stronger aerialists we recommend: 

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• Open Training Drop In or Strength & Flexibility classes for teens and adults

• register for more than one class/week ( discounts of 10% )

• practice your sit ups, leg lifts and chin ups at home

• purchase a chin up bar for home use

• work on your flexibility several times/week at home

• take yoga, dance, gymnastics, pilates classes, weight training to cross train

• work hard, consistently and have patience.  Becoming an aerialist does not happen overnight. 

Have fun and train aerial smart!