November 2023

Forums Monthly Challenges November 2023

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    • #15563
      Silks Stars Team
      Moderator

        Double Pencil Drop to Split Mermaid Tumble and Needle Spin to Single Star Split Mermaid Tumble (mini rig). Post your questions, comments and work below!

      • #15593
        Jenny
        Participant

          I have been wanting to work the pencil drop into my repertoire for so long now….YIPEE! Look forward to working on it! Question: Can the landing of the pencil drop be sequenced into the BRANDON SCOTT back flip wrap (end of the melty star? ) from his last silks stars combo?

          • #15669
            Silks Stars Team
            Moderator

              Great eye! Yes, the pencil drop and star drop are built on top of the same lock.

          • #15651
            robpippi
            Participant

              I think that this drop Is hard on my hips. How I have to position the body? One straight line, core engaged and super strong legs? To keep ankles crossed during the drop Is realkly difficult for me. If I do only One wrap around the left leg, It would be worst for the pressure on the tight?

              • #15670
                Silks Stars Team
                Moderator

                  Great questions. Rachel can cover these in the Q&A. For your final question, are you putting the lock around the left or right leg in your scenario?

                • #15683
                  robpippi
                  Participant

                    The lock Is around my left leg, After I’ve hooked with right knee. Thanks

                  • #15703
                    Silks Stars Team
                    Moderator

                      Wonderful, thank you!

                  • #15755
                    Cathy
                    Participant

                      So my wrap around my hips kept sliding a little during the pencil drop and I think I finally figured out how to fix that by holding the silk in my hands tighter and starting closer to my body (in front of my face instead of completely overhead) to minimize the amount of slack. But even with that, I still feel a like I’m really close with the height I have to do the full drop…I get closer than I’d like to my mat. Is there a way to take one of the rotations out so I end up higher off the ground at the bottom of the drop? Also any tips on how to stay more horizontal during the drop?

                      • #15756
                        Silks Stars Team
                        Moderator

                          Absolutely! Rachel will cover these in the Q&A.

                      • #15757
                        Danica.Liu
                        Participant

                          Enjoying this one this month, a couple of questions though:

                          1) on the initial s-wrap I find I have a lot of slack on the silk, so lose height. This always has been a problem for me when doing any alternative to a standard s-wrap (e.g. flippy dolphin), I end up with slack on my left so I lose height. I’ve tried to pike over but the initial placement on my left leg is low so when I hip it up, the silk is very loose around my hips. Any tips? Unless my wiggle is considered artistic? 😂

                          2) the kip over to the pike before the drop, I’m finding hard with no hands as the amount of wrapping on my left makes it tricky to get across easily. I can do it usually for a tick tock wrap etc., but with all the silks here I’m “weighed” down. Any advice?

                          • #15758
                            Silks Stars Team
                            Moderator

                              Excellent questions! Rachel can cover these in the Q&A!

                          • #15760
                            Jill.b.lovin.aerial
                            Participant

                              On the mini rig, after I take the arabesque shape and then try to bend the right foot in towards my head to drop the wrap I just slide. I can’t get any slack to pop it off my foot because as I bend I slide down keeping the wrap on my foot tight.

                              I would also like to know if there is a way to start with a single pencil drop. I’m not afraid. I’m asking for a friend 😉

                              • #15765
                                Silks Stars Team
                                Moderator

                                  Great question about that potential slide moment, Rachel makes it seem so smooth! Will add the the Q&A. Also, see answer below for single pencil drop infor. sometimes we can tag, sometimes not?!?!

                                • #15773
                                  HaleneW
                                  Participant

                                    I am having an issue with this, too. I can get to the initial bent-legged wrap, can extend my leg back with the silk on the foot, and can’t for the life of me get that silk off my foot, even with it pointed (unless I want to go the other way and have two wraps on my upper leg). Doesn’t matter how close my foot is bent toward me (and I’m not terribly bendy). I am having to pop it off by hand. I’m noticing I’m sliding down as well unless I hold the wrap on my right leg while trying to take the last wrap off my left foot.

                                • #15762
                                  cjachelski
                                  Participant

                                    Is there another way to do the wrap for the pencil drop? The way in the video looks too advanced for me

                                    • #15763
                                      Silks Stars Team
                                      Moderator

                                        Yes, for the single pencil drop (attn also @jill.b.lovin.aerial and @woccat), check out the single star drop wrap under the foundations tabs>drops>single star. The pencil and the star are the same lock/drop, one is closed and from hipped over and one is open.

                                    • #15769
                                      Robin
                                      Participant

                                        In case I can’t try again, here in my attempt at mini rig challenge. So fun. If I get another chance I will work on spin shape, active splits and some arm/leg movements.https://www.silksstars.com/community/robin/media/4106/

                                      • #15776
                                        Carmen
                                        Participant

                                          Hello to All, is anyone else having trouble accessing the replay from today’s Q&A? I go to the link on the website and I only seem to be able to play the September Q&A. I also tried using the link in the email but hitting replay there wasn’t working for me. I’m not very tech savvy so maybe I’m missing something. I’m hoping someone can help me out. TIA!

                                          • #15778
                                            Silks Stars Team
                                            Moderator

                                              Hi Carmen. The links from the website and the email all go to the November Q&A. Maybe try logging out and logging in just in case?

                                            • #15780
                                              Carmen
                                              Participant

                                                I fumbled around and got it sorted. Thanks!

                                            • #15777
                                              ksamuelscrow
                                              Participant

                                                I am working on the mini rig challenge and having a lot of trouble getting a spin going. I’ve experimented with different shapes for my free leg and really am trying to whip the tail around to get some momentum, but it barely seems like I’m moving. I even started with a spinning climb before I invert and do the split and scorpion shape, but even trying to maintain that spin is a struggle for me. Do you have any tips? (Or maybe I missed the q&a and should look there?). Thanks!

                                                • #15779
                                                  Silks Stars Team
                                                  Moderator

                                                    Great question although we didn’t cover this in the most recent Q&A. Some things that might affect your spin include having a lot of fabric on the ground and the distance between you and the ground. The closer you are and the more fabric that can ball up underneath you, the more quickly the spin will slow down. If you collect the tail before spinning, that will help, and you will only have so long before it slows down if you are low. If you have a bit of space between you and the ground, make sure you are making full circles, or at least a solid oval, with your arm like you are drawing big shape on the floor. Start slow and pick up speed, follow the momentum you create. Sometimes if we just make fast movements with our arms, it takes a lot of effort to get going. Happy training!

                                                • #15785
                                                  SarahK
                                                  Participant

                                                    Hello! After I pop the wrap off my foot and start to bring that free leg around and up to straighten into the pencil spin. I feel my hip is opened to much and I can’t quite get that leg rotated enough to straighten and center into position . Without putting to much pressure on my flexed foot holding silk. So I either get just a figure 4 pose. Or else I lose the grib with my holding leg and slide out into star. What adjustments or tips can I apply to allow that leg to swing around ang freely straighten up the join the other straight leg in that spin?? maybe I’m sliding to far into the fabric around my hips in the transition? Which I am sliding . And it’s making it to tight to rotate the hip back around to center? Thanks!

                                                    • #15787
                                                      Silks Stars Team
                                                      Moderator

                                                        Hi Sarah! Are you comfortable including a video of your question? Were you able to watch the Q&A where Rachel offers a way to keep the slide from happening and how to hold tension in the tail to secure the wrap? I’m not sure I’m understanding the details for your question.

                                                      • #15788
                                                        SarahK
                                                        Participant

                                                          I can’t figure out how to rewatch or access the live Q and A’s.On replay.

                                                        • #15793
                                                          Silks Stars Team
                                                          Moderator

                                                            Try this link: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/41y6hwxboyq
                                                            Password is Pencil and is case sensitive
                                                            The Q&A links that take you to the Nov Q&A are under the Monthly Challenges tab for Nov or in the email reminder. If you click on the Live Q&A tab under Community, it takes you to Sept for some silly reason! Please reach out with any other questions.

                                                        • #15861
                                                          nick
                                                          Keymaster

                                                            Uuuugh I love this but this month’s mini rig challenge…week, it was a true challenge. The positioning of the leg for the spin was tough—I could not straighten my free leg! And the initial crochet took quite awhile to get semi-comfortable with. Finally, getting out posed many challenges lol. Check it out for a laugh. Trying to exit the mini rig challenge!

                                                            • #15877
                                                              Silks Stars Team
                                                              Moderator

                                                                Ah fabulous! Yeah, it’s not called a challenge for nothing! 😉

                                                            • #15701
                                                              Silks Stars Team
                                                              Moderator

                                                                Great questions! Rachel will cover these in the Q&A. Listen to your body as you drill skills, not all drops may be able to be done so many times each training session.

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