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  • 5 months ago
Allison Hagendorf trains with a Cirque du Soleil instruction to learn about the intricacies of aerial arts. Here on Be A Badass, she takes on using alternative body parts to support her own weight while suspended from the ceiling. Press play on Be A Badass to see how these performers tap into a particular kind of strength!

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Be A Badass, hosted by Allison Hagendorf, is a series focused on destroying preconceived notions on female athletes. In each episode, she takes on a physical challenge to push her own limits and make a point. Her goal is the shake up the idea of what women can and cannot do in sports today.

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Brawlers is celebrating women in sports and delivering a fresh look at some of the most accomplished female athletes in the world who are eliminating the distinction between strength and beauty.

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Transcript
00:02While the pros make aerial arts look elegant and effortless, it requires an
00:06enormous amount of strength, coordination, and skill. I'm going to learn to fly with
00:11Aloysia Gavre, a veteran Cirque du Soleil performer. Let's see what it takes to be
00:16a badass in the air.
00:22I am so excited to be here. I am excited slash nervous. What kind of aerial arts are
00:28going to be going down here? So we teach a sampling of all the aerial arts, but the
00:33core elements are trapeze and aerial fabric or tissue of silk. So what if
00:37someone has a fear of heights? I love students who have fear because it is
00:41intense that we're doing. Are you kidding? You're going to hang by your knees or your
00:45ankles or your toes? I want you to have fear. Fear is what keeps us safe. Awesome.
00:49I'm pumped. I'm ready to go. So now we're ready to get you up in the air. Now I'm
00:55going to help you wrap this nice and high. Yes. Okay. I'm going to stand and this
01:01foot's going to stay flexed the whole time. Okay. Hands are going to go high.
01:06Stand up off of this foot and put your left foot right where I just told you to go.
01:09On top of the other foot? Perfect. Squeeze your inner thighs. Good. You're floating by
01:15yourself. Excellent. Okay. Hands slide up nice and high. Do nothing with your arms but pull
01:20your knees into your chest. Step up. Brilliant. And again, repeat. Well there you go badass. One more.
01:27So would you say that strength is essential, technique is essential, mindset is essential,
01:32they all play equal parts in this? How can they not? Right. If you're not strong enough to get your
01:37feet up to the bar and your hands are losing grip, then what's the point? If you don't believe in
01:42yourself, then what's the point? So now we're going to start your trapeze trick training.
01:50You're going to release this hand and roll this hip up to the sky and reach this hand out towards
01:55your
01:55public and rotate. Beautiful. This leg goes up to the sky. Good. It goes down through the rope,
02:02down to the floor and arch mermaid angel. So beautiful. Gorgeous. So the next thing we're going to do is
02:10we're
02:10going to do a little dance together in the air, okay? The most important thing for you to think
02:14about is shoulders have to be engaged and down. You are not going to fall out. You're going to be
02:18okay if you keep this body position. Got it. Okay. Am I staying just in this position? No. Okay. Just
02:23follow me.
02:24Okay. Walk. One. Two. Release your legs. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.
02:49This is not just about strength. This is about mental strength. Your inclination is to tense up and to
02:56stress, but really you need to just relax. You're using every single bit of your body,
03:01and that requires every single bit of your focus. It was awesome. I love this.
03:10taking my mind.
03:10So, I've moved to our side.
03:10So stay with me.
03:10So go for yourself.
03:10So try to take your mind.
03:11You
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