Side Ball on Aerial Hoop doesn’t have a lot of steps, but it can still be challenging for students. Hanging the body on one side of the spanset on a single point lyra is counterintuitive because it seems like we will just slide off. We generate support by pulling the thighs to the chest to create friction and by bracing the bottom arm into the hoop.
We teach two primary entrances to get into a side ball. The entrances are very different and we will cover both of them in this video. The Building Blocks section below includes skills for both entrances.
The biggest challenge for most students is creating enough friction to feel confident to keep leaning to the side. This skill feels very similar to a skill on aerial rope and aerial silks that is often simple called Ball. It is a quick yet exciting shape and there are several fun options to explore from Side Ball.
Become an Aerial Fit Online member to access the video for Side Ball. This in-depth video will explain how to properly train this skill. It also includes cross references to the most important Building Blocks, Common Mistakes, Related Drills, Ground Drills, Variations, Next Steps and Sequences.
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Some of the most important aerial hoop skills, related movements, and prerequisites from our aerial video tutorial library that students should be very comfortable doing to succeed at Side Ball.
These are the most common mistakes we see with students when they are learning how to do the aerial hoop skill Side Ball and detailed directions on how to fix these problems to make the skill look and feel easy.
These similar aerial hoop skills and aerial drills are helpful to troubleshoot and help with problems. Students don't need to have mastered the Side Ball to work on these related skills and drills. These drills may help your students make important connections and answer the question "What am I doing wrong?".
These are some of our favorite ground drills for aerialists for Side Ball. They can be used as part of the ground warm up or as part of the aerial class teaching progression.
These are different variations of Side Ball. Students should be very comfortable with the current skill before working on these different or more advanced variations. They can be used for further exploration, managing students with different levels and adding variety to aerial hoop choreography.
These are the next steps we teach to our aerial hoop students after they’re comfortable with Side Ball. The next steps can be started right away and they lead toward specific future goals which are often the most advanced aerial hoop skills.
These are some of the more advanced hoop skills that build on the strength and control taught in Side Ball. They are not the next immediate steps, but rather long term planning goals.
These are aerial hoop sequences, transitions, and combinations that include the aerial skill Side Ball. They are fun, creative, and challenging sequences from our aerial video tutorial library.
