Aerial Silks Tutorial: Star Drop

This is an excellent drop for the beginner aerialist who can invert in the air. Make sure you feel really comfortable inverting with enough height, and have your catcher's wrap down confidently. (Check out my channel if you still need to learn it!)
Star drops are the pre-requisite to double and triple stars, salto stars, back dive stars, and j-rolls (check tutorial list for J-roll!)
Focus on building core strength and air confidence to keep the star shape strong through the entire drop. It is a must for when you start adding on rotations. Floppy stars don't look good, and they can also lead to injury. Train strong, train smart and stay safe!

[@aerialesteem]

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[@LFOMMandie]

I called this the thigh guillotine. The key ending might be the trick I need if I get back into it!

[@aerialesteem]

Haha! Seriously! It’s suuuper painful when all the body weight is held up by the cinching on the thigh. You have a very accurate nickname! And yes, if you use that momentum to key over it saves considerable agony! It feels more like the discomfort of a thigh hitch; not quite as comfortable as a hip key

[@mielasaiarra]

Tysm for posting, This is one of the last skills I need to make the advanced aerial team

[@aerialesteem]

Oh that’s awesome!! Good luck! 💪

[@annelieseb7521]

Wait but a star drop in a beginner drop... if you don't have your star drop yet then you should not be on an advanced aerial team.

[@mielasaiarra]

@@annelieseb7521 no at my studio this is on the advanced skill list

[@annelieseb7521]

@@mielasaiarra uh may I ask what studio that is? All I know is that you should have at least a double star drop to be on an advanced team. I just needed a star drop to get to intermediate...

[@mielasaiarra]

@@annelieseb7521 at the time I posted this I was doing a virtual clas now I don’t know where I should go

[@arielsilkswithme6146]

I really love your videos I just got my Ariel silk si this helps so much

[@aerialesteem]

Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! There is a lot of content on here to work through!

[@avakurzweil786]

Omg thank you so much I’ve been struggling with my star drop but this is the only tutorial that made sense thank you!

[@aerialesteem]

That’s my favorite thing to hear! I’m so glad it has helped you! I appreciate your comment and let me know if I can be of any more assistance. If you like this drop, but sure to check out J-Roll!

[@avakurzweil786]

I am trying to do a double star but I can’t get when you pike down then re-wrap

[@avakurzweil786]

I also have a 10 foot stand so it makes it kinda hard to do big drops but I’m still so glad to have it

[@aerialesteem]

There are several entries to double star which don’t require that pike down move, however that entry is my favorite. I can’t advocate doing doubles are most slack drops on such a short stand, especially depending on your personal size. A child will have a much shorter drop compared to a full grown adult, as the size of the drop is the equivalent of the size of you waist as you wrap the silk around it. To do the pike, engage the core, but don’t let your hips fall toward the ground. Simply key over and drop the leg open so the tail falls into place and then reinvent. It shouldn’t feel like you have to work too hard if you are in the correct position. The other entry you can try is to switch which leg is hooked, and then bring the tail around over your thigh to your belly and rehook your initial invert leg. Try to find a video of someone doing multiple entries and I will consider making a video for that very thing! Look up S-wrap tutorials. 💖

[@avakurzweil786]

Thank you so much that will help me a ton cannot wait to see which one fits me best! You always answer my questions and that’s why I love your tutorials the best! I usually fall towards the ground when I do it but I am 11 and I just started In April and I watch most of your tutorials to learn and try to progress on! Thank you for all of the help and pointers

[@60secofcreativity18]

Thanks to you I learned the star drop tysm!

[@aerialesteem]

Oh yay!! Thanks absolutely wonder. I'm so glad it was helpful for you!

[@martanilsen8446]

Thanks this helped me so much!!!

[@aerialesteem]

Oh that’s so great to hear! Have you been working on star drop recently?

[@martanilsen8446]

@@aerialesteem yes I wanted to put it in my next routine and was looking at tutorials on it and this one helped me. Thanks!

[@aerialesteem]

Oh excellent! Good luck on your routine!

[@martanilsen8446]

@@aerialesteem thank you so much!

[@merlinthelemurian3197]

Very cool!! Now I just need hanging silks 😂

[@aerialesteem]

Hey! Thanks so much for checking out my page. ☺️

[@olivia.grant1121]

Great video tysm

[@aerialesteem]

Awesome I’m so glad!!

[@unluck-ehgamer1578]

Love this drop, so pretty. Would a 10ft silk be high enough for this drop?

[@aerialesteem]

That would more than likely be pushing it. The distance of the drop is in direct relations to the circumference of the waist/hips that the tail is wrapped around. With a proper crash mat, that adds 6-8in underneath and especially when initially learning, it’s common for there to be alot of force at the bottom which causes the head and body to kind of flop backwards- which is why I like the intentional key-over at the end- but there needs to be room accounted for for that as well. The ceilings at my gym are low- but I’d say they are about 14.5 feet. I do have enough room there, but I think the shortest I would do it on is 12 feet.

[@thatgroovygirl]

I would love to work in that studioooo❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@aerialesteem]

It’s beautiful isn’t it? Alas it is no more 😢

[@thatgroovygirl]

@@aerialesteem noooooo😭

[@jemmaj2919]

The hardest bit about this is not the drop, it's the level of fitness you need to be to flip yourself upside down like that (first move) 😭😭. Lovely tutorial though

[@aerialesteem]

Very insightful indeed! Keep working your inverts in the knot, and do your home core exercises, plus leg lift compression exercises (ballet class is great for this) and you’ll be there faster than you might expect!

[@Katherines_journey]

Thank you❤but I do have one question how many climbers to I climb up to do it

[@aerialesteem]

Go for three. Depending on how big your climbs are you could get away with two. If you have a small waist/hip you will need less height than someone with wider hips as that is the length of your drop.

[@nostalgicmusic915]

awesome vid! I call this the mini star. I'm kinda working on it I just need help when I start doing the drop. It's too quick, floppy, messy and the silks are moving way too much. How should I improve it more to make the drop smoother?

[@aerialesteem]

It sounds like doing some ground work to improve your body positioning is what will help make the drop smoother. It’s important to hold that Star shape. So work on your core- practice hollow body holds - practice Star shaped holds (arms and legs out at 30% angles elevated off the floor with low back pressing firmly into the ground - core tight and quivering as you build up strength) and make sure when you drop that your head isn’t dipping at the ground too much. Keep the entire body engaged. Arms, legs, core! You will def see improvement

[@nostalgicmusic915]

@@aerialesteem Thank you!

[@elizabethfoster8169]

I keep trying to do this one, but I always hurt the inside of my leg when I do it! I’m wearing leggings but it’s not working

[@aerialesteem]

I totally know that feeling! Does it hurt when you hit the bottom or setting up for it? The landing is pretty rough; a very common complaint. In the beginning you are likely to discover bruising after trying it. That is why I like to do the key over at the end. It is less painful on the inner thigh.

[@elizabethfoster8169]

@@aerialesteem I only hurts at the end, after I do the drop. I have followed many tutorials but it never changes :(

[@aerialesteem]

@@elizabethfoster8169 You are not alone. It hurts everyone in the beginning! Eventually your leg won't notice it anymore. It just takes time to build up the resistance to it. Some people avoid star drops because they don't like the way it feels, but I'm more in favor of getting used to it. Circus hurts! No way around it, but it hurts less the more you keep at it and learn the little tricks that make it more bearable by learning how to use your weight and momentum properly, like the key over at the end that I demonstrate. Just keep at it!

[@elizabethfoster8169]

@@aerialesteem Yes! Thank you, I’m still working on it and wear leggings while I’m doing it so it will hurt less!!

[@cele_defa2012]

Esa es la mariposa papa🇦🇷

[@aerialesteem]

oh lo llamas por un nombre diferente?

[@cele_defa2012]

@@aerialesteem sip

[@sewerrat7005]

is there a way to add a rotation?

[@aerialesteem]

That would be a double star, and the second half of the wrap is the same, but the first part of the wrap requires getting a stomach wrap first. There are great tutorials on youtube for Double Star. I do not have one. However, keep in mind that the size of your drops is the circumference of your waist/hips, so you need a good amount of height to do them.

[@monstermonster3273]

👏👏🍓😍😍😘😘i like this video

[@aerialesteem]

💪🔥🤩

[@monstermonster3273]

My aerial silk hanged in 9ft height i will do triple star drop, double star star drop and who is your favorite aerial artist my favorite aerial artist is kriztina vellai she from Hungary 🇭🇺🇭🇺

[@aerialesteem]

9 ft for triple star! I need a minimum of 16 ft for that myself, but did you know that the width of your hips or waist, depending on where you wrap it, determines how big your drop will be? I will have to look up who you mentioned. I follow a lot of amazing aerialists on IG, I couldn’t begin to choose a favorite! So many different styles and strengths, so I like different things about each artist. Some have the most unique combinations that they have created while some have jaw dropping charisma and stage presence, some are true risk takers who blow me away with their ultra ambitious open drops! I like to take little bits of everything into my own practice. ☺️

[@improbablytired7414]

👍👍👍👍

[@aerialesteem]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@aerialesteem]

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[@jadarteyfjfutihrtifityvanr6955]

This does not work even for a bit i almost got injured because she doesent say it right.

[@aerialesteem]

I’d love to know what part of the tutorial you are referencing. Is it possible you missed part of the wrap? Please make sure you are always training under the guidance of a professional, especially if you are just starting out. Students that have done star drop a handful of times can still wrap incorrectly if it isn’t in their body memory yet. It’s important to have a spot while learning drops. Safe training!

[@Gcor239]

I honestly disagree that this is a good beginner drop. It takes more body control than you think. I didn't have a solid star for a few years. I was too floppy for a long time!

[@aerialesteem]

I can totally see your perspective on this! I think it depends on the way one views levels. I wouldn’t call this an “intro” level but if beginners are working on all the fundamentals of proper form and body control by doing conditioning along with skill learning, then as far as drops go, this is beginner star drop. It was the first drop I learned, however it’s not the first one I teach. I start with knot drop walk downs, then move into Salto styles (like 360 and Elsie drop) and have started teaching J-roll before doing this star drop to really learn all the angles. You are correct that without the proper form, it can be quite floppy and hard to control. Thanks for your input! I’m sure it will be beneficial to others who anticipate this being “easy” and discover that it’s not! Just because we can execute a wrap doesn’t mean we own the move. Control is so much! 🙏💓💪

[@Gcor239]

@@aerialesteem very true, and it wasn't the first I learned either. Not having a background and trying silks randomly in my mid twenties there was a lot to get used to

[@aerialesteem]

So true! Learning body awareness is key. It’s challenging enough standing out our two feet and then throwing the element of literally falling through the air and it can be a major learning curve! It’s great though that you are aware and aren’t willing to be a floppy dropper! 👏💪

[@Gcor239]

@@aerialesteem yes ma'am!! Took three years but I'm learning to hold my shape. I'm totally in love with this sport and working hard to get better every day!

[@aerialesteem]

That’s wonderful! Do you have a rig at home or are your studios open where you are again?

[@montodi]

Please improve the sound

[@aerialesteem]

Thank you for your feedback! The sound quality varies from video to video, and I know it’s a little echoing in some! For the 52 tutorial card deck I recently made called The Flight Deck, I opted for voice overs to make the audio instructions very clear and easy to hear!

[@caramel-cutie4955]

This is helpful but not at the same time lol

[@aerialesteem]

Haha, what do you mean? That it is tricky to learn from video?