Sitting at SHINE next to someone who keeps saying “oh that is a gorgeous Ayesha”? Here is the translation.
Aerial. Any move done without touching the floor. An aerial invert means going upside down from the air rather than pushing off the ground.
Apparatus. The equipment being performed on, so pole, lyra, silks or hammock.
Ayesha. An upside-down hold with the body pushed away from the pole and the legs extended overhead in a straddle position.
Base. The bottom of the pole.
Bracket grip. A two-handed grip with the hands in opposition, used in Ayeshas and handsprings.
Combo. Two or more tricks strung together without touching down.
Conditioning. The strength work that makes everything else possible.
Drop. Descending the pole quickly and deliberately, usually into a caught position. It is meant to sound alarming.
Dynamic. Movement with momentum and speed, as opposed to slow controlled holds.
Elbow grip. Holding the pole in the crook of the elbow. Effective, and briefly character-building.
Floorwork. Choreography performed on the ground, away from the pole. It is scored, not resting.
Flow. Continuous movement between positions with no visible set-up.
Grip aid. Products used on the hands or skin to improve grip.
Handspring. An inverted entry that pushes into a bracket grip.
Heels. The platform heels worn for dance and exotic styles. Harder than they look, which is part of the point.
Invert. Going upside down. The gateway skill for most of the discipline.
Lines. The shapes your body makes, including pointed toes, extended legs and an open chest. This is where technique points live.
Lyra. Aerial hoop. A suspended steel circle, performed both in and on.
Musicality. Moving with the structure and dynamics of the music rather than just alongside it.
Shoulder mount. Inverting by loading the shoulder against the pole and lifting the legs overhead.
Silks. Aerial fabric hung from a single point, climbed and wrapped.
Spin mode and static. A spinning pole rotates on bearings, a static pole does not.
Superman. A horizontal hold facing the floor with the body extended off the pole.
Transition. How you get from one move to the next. Judges score it as content, not as travel.
Twisted grip. A hand position rotated inward for extra leverage in inverted moves. Powerful, and much argued about.
You can now follow every routine at SHINE and sound like a regular by the interval.
SHINE 2026 is on Friday 30 October, 6:00pm, at The Round in Nunawading. Tickets are $50.
