Words by Bolly Golightly| Photography by Katia Schwartz
Taking up aerials and burlesque is challenging, but the benefits are incredible. You gain increased strength, balance, flexibility and fluidity of movement. Confidence increases as you set goals, then smash them (although some goals take a little longer to achieve than others). You develop style, sass and performativity, and of course the insta feeds have never looked better!
These skills have flow on effects to broader life skills. I’ve always said that being brave at Sky Sirens has given more courage to fly in other areas of my life. Besides looking like a superhero to family and friends, we’ve all learned to sashay away with precision.
Here’s a list of ways you can apply your Sky Sirens skills to real life. Some serious. Some seriously silly. All offered with love.
Get a grip
Whether acquired from sling, pole, lyra or fans, our grip strength knows few bounds. Tightly lidded jars quiver on our approach. Door handles fall at the mere sight of us. Colleagues make a mental note never to shake our hand, which is good because Gary from accounts was getting a little familiar.
When in doubt, bodyroll
You might be doing a presentation at work, public speaking, chairing a meeting or singing in a choir….and you lose your place. True Sirens never panic. We revert to a sudden bodyroll and we’re back in control. Head rolls and hair flicks also fill a gap to make it look like we know exactly what comes next. Touching yourself...not recommended.
Expand your reach
Pruning a tree? Putting up party lights? Can’t reach that top shelf? Who needs a ladder when you have Pleasers?! Gain up to 9 inches instantly and tower above everybody else, adding to your mystique. Friends and acquaintances whisper ‘How tall are they…really?’
Hit the fan
Summertime and it’s hot AF. People around you drip into a complaining mass of perspiration unable to move from a heap on the floor. You become an instant superstar with your DIY fan, cooling the place down with a fan dance, a series of fan kicks or a continuous twirl of your nipple tassels. The complaining subsides and you are declared the greatest and most useful of all beings in the vicinity.
Cruising not bruising
We are all experts home remedies for on bruising, sling burn, blisters, callous splits and a whole host of other Siren related minor irritations. Our battle scars are often a proud testament to a newly mastered skill or a hard training session. We should all have shares in Arnica plantations.
Face value
Looking sexy while hanging upside down, removing a complex item of clothing or holding our entire weight in one limb means that we’ve mastered the art of giving good face. Now, for every selfie or group photo, we’re READY! Our friends marvel at this seemingly innate talent asking “how do you always look so….”
Siren Support
We all have good days at Sky Sirens, occasionally bad ones too. Some days that invert just won’t stick, those fans won’t twirl, that bra won’t come off…but we know that progress is not linear and we’re always our own harshest critic. Inside the supportive community of Sky Sirens we know that learning something new can be tough, but also admirable. Each of us develop more empathy with other people learning something new, be it a language, learning to drive, cook or meditate. And we find that we’re not alone on our journey. There’s literally someone behind us, be it a fellow Siren student or a Siren instructor, cheering us on, spotting tough moves and inspiring us to keep growing. This is the best and most transferable Siren skill. To inspire, to love and support…
…And to bodyroll through it all
Gem expert
Despite having no training in gemmology, you now know which gemstones are harder and more valuable than others. Well, we think each and every Siren, be they a Babydoll, Diamond or anything in between, is uniquely sparkly. But for those who didn’t know, Sky Sirens levels are based on the Mohs Scale of gemstone quality with the harder rocks equating to the harder levels.
Suit yourself
Before I started at Sky Sirens I didn’t own a single bodysuit. Now I have to trawl through a drawer full when looking for socks. I also now choose underwear based on how it can be worn as outerwear. Sirens collectively own the largest collection of bodysuits in the southern hemisphere. The leopard collection alone out ranks the number of actual leopards in the world.
Cover story
Has your musical knowledge of creative and fascinating cover versions expanded tenfold in your time at Sky Sirens? The Siren instructors’ penchant for a good cover song has meant that we’re all able to smugly say something like “oh sure, Oasis are ok. But have you heard Cat Power’s cover of Wonderwall? Amazing!”
