Aerial Silk - Fabrics

Fabrics

The fabrics used as silks are very strong with some give and flexibility. The fabric is 2-way stretch polyester lycra. The width varies depending on the routine and the acrobat. The fabric is usually quite long, as it is doubled for rigging, giving the acrobat two strips of fabric to work with as he or she performs.

• Stretch
  • Low stretch fabrics. Low stretch fabrics are primarily used by beginners who have not yet developed proper climbing technique.
  • Medium stretch fabrics. Medium stretch fabrics are the principle choice of professional aerialists and graduates of professional training programs such as École nationale de cirque.

• Width. Fabric width is mostly a personal choice. The thickness of the fabric when gathered is also influenced by the "denier", or technical thickness of the fabrics weave. 40 denier is a common choice. The following applies to 40 denier nylon fabric:
  • 60" - Narrow when open, thin when gathered. Fairly common simply because the fabric is widely available.
  • 72-84” - Average for adult performers
  • 96" - Wide when open, thick when gathered. Best for adults with large hands.
  • 108” - Very wide and thick. For adults with very large hands, or specialty acts.

• Length
  • Length is a function of the height of the space available.
  • For beginners, it is beneficial if the fabric comes down past the ground, allowing them to practice wraps at a lower level where they can be spotted.
  • For intermediate users and above, it is sufficient if the fabrics to come down to the ground.
  • For all users, the space required is usually between 20 and 30 ft. There are a great many tricks that can be done on a 12-to-15-foot (3.7 to 4.6 m) aerial fabric and a few drops require more than 30 feet, but for the most part 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m) is best.