This week, I’m expanding my stable of apparatus to include a dance lyra (it’s flat on top) and an aerial frame (it’s like a stacked single trapeze, but a metal rectangle) in addition to the two lyra, Spanish web, still rings, net and fabric I’ve got.

For the past couple months, I’ve been experimenting with an unwrapped versus wrapped bar on the two lyra. Wrapping aids grip and softens the blow from the metal, and it protects the apparatus from wear. It also requires upkeep, can sometimes stick to clothing and makes the bar significantly wider (which affects the grip).

As an aside: also while playing with the wrapped/unwrapped equipment, I’ve been trying to eschew grip aids. The thinking with this being that there won’t always be access to chalk or rosin, so it’s better to generally go without. This has been working out but I have noticed myself shying from some of the more grip-tricky moves/poses in which I may be a little less trustful of my ol’ sweaty hands. So, yeah, I’m making chalk, rosin and silica grip aid available to my students again in all classes, and when performing I’ll use rosin or chalk if I’m feeling a little psyched out by humidity or whatever.

I’ve found the padding/tape combo that works best for me, which is cork or gel bicycle handlebar grip tape underneath cheap cloth gaffer’s tape. Sport tape, which I know many folks use on trapeze, was disastrously over-sticky. I’ve got the technique down… but I’m not convinced if there’s a right or wrong or standard when it comes to wrapping. My students seem to be fairly split in their preference, possibly skewing toward unwrapped. I’m not sure which I actually prefer. It may, actually, depend on how strong/bruised/confident I’m feeling on any given day.

In researching, it does seem that most lyras are indeed wrapped. I’m probably going to continue with one wrapped lyra in the stable, with the others likely remaining unwrapped. From what I can tell in watching videos and searching photos, the aerial frame usually isn’t wrapped. Thus, I’m going to start with it unwrapped. Mine is aluminum, so I’m curious to see how it feels compared to the steel of my lyras.

The point, here, I suppose: I’m eager to learn other aerialists’ preferences and experiences in relation to wrapping (and grip aids).