Every person who walks through the doors of an aerial arts studio brings something invisible with them: their reason. Their why. And while the apparatus, the music, and the chalk or grip spray on their hands may all look the same from the outside, what is driving each student to show up, grip the silk, and try again is often something deeply personal — and beautifully different.

By Peggy Ployhar | Eternal Aerial Arts

I'm Peggy Ployhar, owner of Eternal Aerial Arts, and I'm about to share something deeply personal that I've only recently begun to understand about my own body. While I've never been formally diagnosed, I strongly suspect I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)—the hereditary connective tissue disorder that two of my adult children have been diagnosed with. The puzzle pieces have always been there: POTS symptoms since my 20s, hypermobility that I thought was just being "flexible," chronic joint pain, and now, watching my children navigate their diagnoses, I see my own struggles reflected back at me.

Every week in the studio, I see students of all ages and backgrounds take to the air—each with their own unique strengths, stories, and bodies. As teachers, we want nothing more than for every student to feel good in their own skin, to see themselves as beautiful, strong, and capable. But here's the honest truth: while we can offer encouragement and support, true confidence is something each aerialist must develop from within. Our role is to help you discover it—and to give you the tools to keep growing, both in skill and self-acceptance.

The countdown is on—our showcase is this weekend! While you're perfecting your sequences and finalizing your costume, there's one crucial element that deserves just as much attention: your hairstyle.

Recently, one of our new instructors came to me with something many of us in the aerial community experience: she was struggling to maintain her own training now that she'd transitioned from student to teacher. The time she once devoted to taking challenging classes was now filled with teaching—and while teaching absolutely refines our basics and builds conditioning, it's not quite the same as being pushed to your personal edge in a class that challenges your current level.

Have you ever paused as you packed your bag for aerial class and wondered, “What should I actually wear to feel comfortable—and safe—on the silks, Lyra, or bungee?” As summer slowly winds into fall, it’s the perfect time to refresh your aerial wardrobe and talk about why what we wear matters for confidence, comfort, and performance.

If you've ever watched a perfectly executed aerial spin — that moment where a performer seems to become a seamless, silent top, spinning with uncanny speed and grace — you've witnessed physics at its most beautiful. And if you've ever tried to execute one yourself, you know that the gap between watching and doing is vast, humbling, and endlessly fascinating.

"I love coming to class because it keeps my mind sharp," one of my students continues to tell me every time she comes to class. She's in her 60s, has been doing aerial for over two years, and makes it to class multiple times every single week without fail. "I occasionally still go to the gym," she tells me, "but it is always so boring. Counting reps, doing the same exercises over and over. Here, every class is a puzzle. I have to think about where my body goes, which hand to hold, how to get into and out of wraps. My brain gets a workout along with my muscles—and I love it."

Spring break is around the corner, and summer vacation season is fast approaching. For many of us at Eternal Aerial Arts, that means exciting travel plans—beach getaways, family reunions, cross-country road trips, maybe even some international adventures. But if you're like most dedicated aerialists, there's a nagging voice in the back of your mind asking: "What's going to happen to my progress while I'm away from the studio?"

Starting last month, I embarked on what would become a marathon project at Eternal Aerial Arts: retaping all nine studio lyras. Night after night, I'd dedicate about three hours to painstakingly removing old grip tape from one hoop and applying fresh tape. The repetitive pulling, gripping, and finger work—multiplied across nine apparatuses after teaching all day at the studio—left my hands screaming. By the third or fourth lyra, the knuckle joint on my middle left finger was sore and angry. By the sixth, I it was starting to dislocate at times. I knew immediately what I needed: my trusty roll of kinesiology tape.

As December unfolds and you start thinking about New Year's resolutions, the same internal dialogue probably starts. "This is the year I'll get back in shape." "This is the year I'll finally do something about my balance...memory...flexibility." "This is the year I'll prioritize my health."

As aerial athletes, we demand extraordinary things from our bodies. Every climb, every skill, every hold requires not just technique and courage, but also incredible grip strength and muscular endurance. Yet many aerialists unknowingly sabotage their performance with choices made in the kitchen, not the studio.

We're thrilled to announce that Eternal Aerial Arts has officially become an affiliate of the United States Aerial Arts Organization (USAAO)! This is a monumental step for our studio and our athletes. The USAAO will be hosting a competition right here in Houston this June for the USA team, with the incredible goal of training athletes for a national team and working toward making Aerial Arts an official Olympic sport.

Let me show you something real. 

As we move into the final months of 2025, it's the perfect time to reflect on your aerial journey and set meaningful goals to finish the year strong. Whether you're a seasoned aerialist or someone who's been curious about trying aerial arts for the first time, now is an ideal moment to take that next step toward your aerial dreams.

At Eternal Aerial Arts, safety isn't just a rule we enforce—it's a skill we teach. When you walk into our studio, you'll notice our instructors doing something that might seem to slow down the pace of class: they ask questions. They wait for answers. They guide students through checks that, over time, become second nature. Whether you're a parent watching your child learn to climb silks for the first time, an adult student wondering why we pause before every drop, or an aerial instructor looking to strengthen your own teaching practices, understanding the "why" behind these safety checks reveals something powerful about how we approach this beautiful, challenging art form.

As aerial instructors, we all feel the pull. A student is struggling to invert. They're frustrated, maybe even close to tears. We watch them try again and again, their grip slipping, their core shaking. The solution seems obvious: tie a knot in the fabric. Give them that boost. Let them experience what it feels like to be upside down, wrapped in the silks, finally succeeding.

Welcome to the final article in my teaching series on different learning styles in aerial arts! We've explored verbal learners who need detailed linguistic instruction and visual learners who need to see demonstrations. Today, we're diving into kinesthetic learners—students who learn best through physical movement, hands-on experience, and actually doing the skill.

Welcome back to my teaching series! In my first article, we explored how to teach verbal learners through detailed linguistic instruction. Today, we're diving into visual learners—students who need to see the movement pattern to understand it.

Welcome to the first article in my series on teaching aerial arts to different types of learners! Today, we're diving into how to effectively teach verbal learners—those students who process information best through words, descriptions, and detailed explanations.

There's a moment every aerial teacher knows—that split second when you sense something is about to happen before it does. A student shifts just slightly wrong in a wrap. A hand grip loosens imperceptibly. A child's focus drifts toward a risky impulse. You move, you adjust, you prevent the problem before anyone else even notices there was one.

If you've ever experienced an injury in your aerial practice—whether it's a tweaked shoulder, strained wrist, or persistent discomfort—I want you to consider this: that injury wasn't just bad luck. It was a message. A wake-up call from your body telling you that something in your training approach needs to change.

As autumn settles in and our studio buzzes with dedicated aerialists perfecting their craft, we need to address a growing concern in our community: the dangerous trend of learning aerial arts outside of professional studio settings.

Dear Eternal Aerial Arts Community,