Soaring to New Heights

Pink stayed true to her song “Glitter in the Air” when she performed at Sunday’s Grammy Awards by dangling from ribbon above the audience in only a nude and glitter body suit.

This previous two-time Grammy Award winner was met with a standing ovation from her peers and fans as she swung, spun and sang in a death-defying acrobatic aerial routine.

The famous rocker first emerged on stage in a white robe and walked towards three dancers suspended above. She then sunk into a white sheet and was lifted high into the air spinning in circles as she continued to sing. The audience was on their feet, staring up in amazement after she was plunged into water and swung with only one leg.

To put it simply, it was breathtaking – I’d never seen a performance like that before. The rest of the night was mediocre and the artists that performed afterwards seemed like amateurs in comparison.  It will definitely be the most searched for on YouTube in the coming week by those who saw it and want to see it again and those who missed it and overheard friends, co-workers or dozens of websites rave about it.

After watching Pink, I couldn’t help but feel a slight urge to try it. If a singer who probably doesn’t have that much aerobics training could do it, why can’t I?

The type of aerobics Pink did is known as aerial dance and you will most likely see it in shows like Cirque Du Soleil. However, like any other type of dance there are lessons you can take and you don’t need to be a dancer or athlete to participate.

Aerial dance fitness incorporates dance and fitness elements both on the ground and on aerial levels. It teaches you how to work with your own body height, shape and weight by using different materials like silk/tissu, hoop/lyra, hammock and a trapeze apparatus. 

You don’t only learn dance movements but also posture and strength. Aerial dance focuses on improving skills like balance, coordination and flexibility through the legs and back. 

Beyond that, it’s proven to be an effective weight loss program because an average student can burn up to 800 calories per session. It also tones up, sculpts and forms the bum (gluteus maximus), abdominals, back and arms. 

Check your local dance academies and studios for aerial dance fitness programs.

— Sarah DiVito