Lyra Hoop Workshop at Barre Fly -- Canton, OH



You might remember my post about Barre Fly Studio from a few weeks ago, aside from offering an awesome mix of barre and aerial classes, the studio also offers Lyra Hoop Workshops a couple times a month hosted by Barre Fly teacher Laura Grey. I met Laura during my very first class at Barre Fly, she's energetic and welcoming.  All of Barre Fly's lyra hoop workshops are taught by Laura and capped at six people due to the studio only having the space for three hoops. Once the Cleveland Barre Fly location opens the new space will have more room for hoops and the chance to host bigger classes.

The lyra hoop (or aerial hoop) is a circular steel apparatus used by performance artists to demonstrate different acrobatic tricks. The hoop is suspended from the ceiling and spins as tricks are performed creating a 360° view for observers.


On the day Dave and I signed up for the class there were only three attendees which gave all of us the opportunity to use our own lyra hoop -- otherwise we would have needed to split our time on the hoops.

To start the class we learned about the performance art of using the lyra hoops, because this really is a performance art more than an exercise. Everything you do needs to be as graceful as possible, including entering the hoop. From there, we learned how to do various poses, as well as back and leg hangs. 

         

   

During the class there is plenty of time to learn and pose for photo ops. This would be a great class to take with a group of girlfriends, you could take the lyra hoop workshop and then go out for drinks...in that order not the other way around.

Using the lyra hoop doesn't require too much upper body strength, because for the most part you're using your legs or back to keep yourself on the hoop. This does require some amount of balance though, 

   
    
     
(Wo)Man in the Moon. 
  
    
           

  

Due to Dave and I being in the class, we were also able to experiment with some doubles tricks. These involve some amount of communication to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable, so I can see why most people don't want to do this with a stranger during their very first lyra hoop class.

  

  

Some videos so you can see how the lyra hoop moves (we didn't manage to get any individual videos): 

  


Things to Know:
-This is no crash pad underneath of you for the Workshop, but you are very safe and none of us fell out of the hoop.
-The hoop is made out of steel and you will have bruises the next day at all of your contact points, most noticeable were the bruises on my legs and across my back from back hangs.
-You don't need any experience whatsoever, Dave and I had limited experience with aerial yoga, but none with hoops at all.
-Once you've taken lyra hoop workshop, you can participate in once a month lyra hoop jams at Barre Fly. The jams are $8 and come complete with crash pads underneath the lyras to encourage more daring tricks.



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