Hi there! Welcome back to our blog series on aerial hoops. It’s Steph here taking you through the pleasures of choosing your above-the-lyra accessory. So far in our series we have covered lyra specifications, measuring yourself for your lyra, and whether to go tabbed or tabless, solid or hollow. The one thing we haven’t covered is lyra accessories, specifically lyra straps. These are a must have accessory for your apparatus as they not only look nice but increase the number of skills you can perform. Here at Trix Circus we sell many types of lyra straps from entry level to premium. I hope this article can help guide you in the selection of your perfect accessory.
The first accessory we will discuss is the traditional rigging sling. We have two brands available for your purchase: the Auslift round rigging sling and the Spanset round rigging sling. The Auslift rigging sling is our cheapest option. If budget is your concern, these slings will do the job. The Auslift sling is soft but made of polyester and nylon, which means they may be slightly slippery to grip. They are also designed so the certification tag will always hang out, which may interfere with performing on your apparatus or be uncomfortable and unsightly. The tag cannot be removed as the sling will then be invalid. They only come in one colour: very dark grey and they come in 0.5m, 1m, 1.5m and 2m lengths.
Our Spanset round rigging sling is also a budget friendly option. It is about twice the price of the Auslift sling. They are lightweight, soft, and made of polyester and nylon, so they have a similar feel to the Auslift sling. However the certification tag remains hidden when in use so it provides a more professional look to the sling. The Spanset sling that we stock also only comes in one colour: black. This is a true theatre black, whereas the Auslift sling is more a very dark grey. These slings are made to order in Australia and come in 0.5m, 1m, 1.5m and 2m lengths.
Our cotton-dyneema lyra rope is a longstanding favourite that provides a timeless elegance to your apparatus. This lyra extension is ideal for beginner to intermediate moves. A single rope above the lyra allows mostly for static posing, as well as some basic straddle moves. It is an uncomplicated and simple accessory for your lyra.
The accessory is made from soft cotton rope for easy grip and has incredibly strong dyneema as the inner core. This piece is suitable for solo and duo work. It provides classic lines while ensuring your comfort and safety. This lyra rope comes in 1m, 1.5m, and 2m lengths (custom lengths are available upon request*). Available in cream or black (colour customization is NOT available on this type of rope). It is only suitable for tabbed lyras, as the connection cannot be wrapped around the ring itself. Instead it is fixed with a steel connector into the tab of the lyra.
This option is very similar to the cotton/dyneema rope as it is still a single rope above the lyra. It is ideal for beginner to advanced level movements. This accessory allows for a wider range of above lyra skills; from simple static poses to more dynamic wraps and drops.
This rope is made from the same material as a full length corde lisse; featuring soft cotton tubular casing on the outside, reinforced with nylon rope and polyester fabric packing on the inside. It is flexible and soft, yet grippy and strong. This accessory adds a little softness to the lyra apparatus when performing dynamic movements. Available in 1m, 1.5m and 2m lengths (custom length available on request*) Standard colours are black, cream, and red (custom colours available on request*) and can be used for both solo and duo acts. This accessory is most suitable for tabless lyra as it has a soft sling as the bottom attachment. Using it on a tabbed lyra will greatly reduce the lifespan of the connecting sling.
This lyra accessory is basically a 5 star version of your spanset sling. We mentioned earlier that holding onto the spanset sling is uncomfortable? This lyra extension was designed to solve this problem and be aesthetically pleasing at the same time. It works in the exact same manner as a rigging sling, but has the amazingly soft, yet grippy cotton casing on the outside. The strap gets choked (wrapped) directly on the lyra, and you end up with two ‘strands’ going to a single point. This makes it ideal for intermediate – advanced students/performers. You can really unleash your creativity with this incredible accessory – use it as a single rope, split the two strands and wrap between them, flip the ring upside down, spin and drop – the options are endless!
This sling is made similarly to our aerial straps but we pad the interior so it feels softer and easier to squeeze in your hand. This piece is most suitable for tabless lyra as the soft material gets wrapped directly onto the bar. Tabbed lyra will greatly reduce the lifespan of the accessory (the tab on the top will rub on the soft material and damage it). Available in 1m, 1.5m, and 2m lengths in cream, red or black (custom colour and lengths available on request*).
This is something new and exciting! Not for the faint hearted, the sliding lyra strap is definitely only suitable for advanced students and performers. So how does it work? It is choked around the lyra in the same way as your standard lyra strap, but the top attachment is not secured with stitching. So by putting weight into the strap or pulling on one of the ‘strands’, it will lower or raise the hoop – essentially making the lyra slide up and down (hence the name – sliding lyra strap!).
This gives you even more freedom to create endless shapes – in all dimensions (not just above or below the ring, but also on the side of it!). Not to mention the exciting drops you can come up with! So why do we only recommend it for advanced level users? Because as exciting as it is, it is very unpredictable – if you let go at the wrong time, you could end up hurting yourself.
This strap is made similarly to the lyra strap but without the inner padding. It is flatter, to allow for it to slide through its top attachment, which makes it harder to hold. This means it requires more grip strength. Both of the lyra straps are suitable for single as well as duo work. The sliding lyra strap comes in standard colours of black, cream, and red with custom colours available on request.* This accessory is again, more suitable to tabless lyra as the tabbed lyra will reduce the lifespan of the strap. It is only available in longer variations with a minimum of 1.5m or 2m lengths (as ahe length is necessary to be able to use it as intended). Custom lengths (2m+) are available on request.*
Our silky ring rope is revolutionary amongst lyra straps and accessories. If you love silks and love aerial hoop then you’ve just hit the jackpot! It combines both the disciplines of silks and lyra to give your apparatus comfort and style. Suitable for beginner to advanced students and performers. It again works similarly to the spanset sling or lyra strap – it is choked around the bar with two strands going up to a single rigging point. This gives you freedom in choreography above the ring. You can wrap in similar ways to what you would on aerial silks, splitting the two strands to sit in between them, straddle up, roll or drop down. You can make your moves as basic or as complicated as you wish.
It is made from our tricot fabric and comes in many beautiful colours! Its softness adds extra padding to your apparatus, making many of the tricks less painful and softening dynamic drops. It is most suitable for tabless lyra. Using it on tabbed lyras will decrease the lifespan of the accessory as it subjects the fabric to more wear and tear. It comes in 1m, 1.5m, and 2m lengths with custom lengths available on request.*
Now that you have more knowledge on our range of lyra accessories, I’m hoping that choosing one for your apparatus is less daunting. And as always, if you have more questions, anyone in the Trix Circus team will be happy to answer them.
*Length and colour customization is at extra cost, may be limited to stock availability, and will increase manufacturing time. Contact us directly for details.
