Aerial Journeys: Vivian
Say HELLO to Vivian, another one of Brass Belles’ fabulous Aerial Superstars! Vivian has been on her aerial journey for six months now and she’s been nothing short of an awe-inspiring ambassador who represents the community and perseverance of the studio.
“I feel very inspired,” she said. “I came in and I talked to everyone and I felt tremendous support from day one as a beginner. It’s a vibe, it’s the sisterhood, friends, and support group mentality that’s really great here.”
As a circus lover, Vivian has attended several shows, and seeing such talented artists perform was the driving factor that brought her through Brass Belles’ doors. She was determined to make her own aerial journey happen and now she trains each week on either pole, aerial silks or polesilks. And at her six months mark, Vivian celebrated a huge goal for herself when she climbed up the silks for the first time.
“The key is keeping it up. Sometimes you’re just disappointed because you do the climb over and over again—100 times, 200 times—and you’re not lifting up. You think, ‘How long is it going to take me?’, but you keep at it and one day you just do it. So the failures are actually your steps to progress. If you haven’t failed those 200 times, you won’t be able to climb those two steps.”
Before embarking on her aerial journey, Vivian also trained in yoga and continues to do so on a daily basis. Friends often ask her why she decided on aerial classes at the age of 44, but Vivian wasn’t just looking for another form of exercise, she was looking for a challenge. “I do this honestly for the reason that I simply want to live a life that is fearless of failure and falling. And I think the hobbies and the classes we pursue will reflect [that].”
Since trying aerial classes herself, Vivian has developed a newfound appreciation for circus performers and pole dancers; the dedication it takes to build the skills needed to execute moves they display so effortlessly. She sees aerial fitness as a form of art and hopes that her own journey will help change any preconceptions and challenge any stigmas on pole dancing.
“Don’t think you’re not good enough—you will be good enough at any level. There are people here who will always cheer you on. Positive image and confidence are the other free lessons you will get here.”
