Foot lock
From Silkworms
foot lock:
this is one of the most basic, essential building blocks of aerial silks performance: a way of tying the fabric around one foot so that it can support your weight standing on it. i've seen at least 3 different foot locks, and as soon as i can get a corde lisse person to refresh my memory of the third one i'll probably move "foot lock" to the "mini glossary" section as a general term for a class of moves, and give each individual tie its own page. but for now i can only remember how to tie two of them, and one is the obverse of the other, so i'll put them both here.
the standard foot lock starts with the fabric wrapped around a leg as for basic stand. then you need to somehow get a loop of slack in the fabric above where it's wrapped around your leg, lift your wrapped leg higher than the loop, and step the wrapped leg's foot forward into the loop. we first learned a very formal way of tying it where you start from a basic stand, keep your legs straight and drop your butt down 'till you're piked, so you're hanging from the fabric in a "triangle position," with your body making two legs of the triangle. then take the free foot and press the hypotenuse of fabric out a little bit-- you can also slide the wrapped foot down slightly while you do this-- to get some slack. this is the "loop" that you're going to step into, although from this position it feels not so much like stepping as like wrapping your foot once en dehors. then come back up to standing.
the backward foot lock (or "aerial dance wrap footlock") starts with an extra wrap around the leg; then get a loop of fabric above and step back into it.
links:- http://www.feuershow.de/shop/workindex.html?2365 and http://www.feuershow.de/shop/workindex.html?2366 show tying the regular footlock while lying on the ground; http://www.feuershow.de/shop/workindex.html?2367 shows tying it in the air.
- http://www.byz.org/cgi-bin/SeattleCircusWiki?FootLock gives another description of tying the regular footlock, with photos
