Sports come in many different forms. You’ve got your standard stuff like basketball, football, soccer, hockey and so on, but there are some other niche sports out there that are actually more popular than you may think.

   With the aid of an apparatus, aerial arts mixes art, dance, circus skills, and technique to produce stunning acrobatic dances in the air (like a hula hoop suspended from the ceiling). On the silks and the lyra, students gain knowledge of knots, flips, hangs, strength postures, maneuvers, and drops.

   Many performers in the aerial arts field are very flexible and oftentimes, that much is required, but it is the only necessary thing to go into the hobby with if you’re at all interested in it. Sophia Parsons, a seventeen-year-old Indiana resident, has six years of experience in aerial arts and considers it an incredible passtime. 

   “I started aerial arts at age 11,” said Parsons. “The story of how I started isn’t all that interesting, as my mom just showed me a flier for it, asking if I would be interested, and I replied with an acquiescent ‘okay’. Ever since that day, I’ve looked forward to every Sunday when I’m able to work on routines as practice for our semi-annual performances.”

   On top of aerial arts being a hobby, it is also a means of performance.

   “People that participate in our aerial gymnastics are also able to pair any combination of routine with a song of their choice,” said Parsons. “A lot of gyms do given choreography, but ours allow people to choose any song to perform to.”

   Hiccups are bound to happen, but with enough practice and mastering, aerial arts could be your next big thing! It’s a great way to let off steam and an amazing upper body workout!

   “With a supportive bunch of people backing me up and the motivation to improve every routine I do, aerial arts is one of my favorite hobbies ever,” said Parsons.