Click2Daily: High-flying aerial workout class in the Heights

HOUSTON – It's a high-flying workout.

Wednesday we spent time at the Hunter Dance Center learning the ropes, or silk, of aerial dance. 

More and more people are trying the beautiful art that involves long pieces of silk hanging from the ceiling on North Shepherd in the Heights. Dancers artistically suspend themselves high above the floor. 

PHOTOS: High-flying workout class

“One of the goals of a level one is to eventually invert. Same thing. You're going to pull up,” said Instructor Lori Rutledge.

She teaches the class.

It is a “silks” or aerial acrobatic class at Hunter Dance on North Shepherd.

Students learn to fly.

“When people ask me what do I do. Well, I'm an aerial acrobatic. I get this crazy look like what is that? The moment I say like those long, curtain looking fabrics, you might see in Cirque de Soleil, and they're like oh, OK!” Rutledge said.

She said some of her students even had a fear of heights.

That's understandable.

The silks are tied up, way up, in the rafters.

Rutledge reminds students, if you climb up there, you also have to safely come down.

“I like to get stronger and I'm trying to get more upper body strength because I'm a dancer, a dance teacher. And (I) feel like cross-training is important. And I feel like dancing helps with silks and silks helps with dancing,” said Student Elizabeth Collier. “It's a little scary at first. Especially when you get the strength to climb higher and higher and higher. Then it's kind of a freeing feeling knowing that you're completely in control. And you're the one that knows if you're gonna stay on the silks.”

The class lasts 90 minutes. The first 30 minutes concentrated on stretching. The last 60 minutes focused on flying.

Rutledge said, if it seems intimidating, “I would tell them to come on it. Try it.”

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