Secrets of Smooth Stunting

 

There are 3 main people in creating the stunt: The bases, the spotter(s), and the flyer. No part is more important than the other. Making the stunt happen takes communication and trust.

Bases: Bases need to be strong and have good arm power. You are in charge of holding the flyer up. Once the flyer is in the air, NEVER take your eyes off of her. Once she is ready to come down, (for example, using the cradle) keep your attention on the other base. You also need to know where the spotter ism and how the flyer is doing. Both bases can try counting together quietly while locking eyes to insure communication. Bases should crouch a little and then throw her to further her height in the air. Both bases need to work together to get the flyer down safely. If there is a poor connection between the two bases, the flyer will not come down evenly or gently. Communication is the key. During practices and before the dismount, yell "ready" and wait for the flyer to respond back with "ready." During performances, you may want to yell "ready"; however, the flyers do not need to respond. There can simply be a 2 second wait. Here's a tip that we used to safely dismount:
"Ready? 1, 2 down up."
The "1,2" is the 2-second wait.

Spotter: Here are some tips from a #1 spotter: "It is very IMPORTANT to always keep your eyes open when spotting. Never take your eyes away from the flyer. Make sure you have a good grasp on them...grab whatever feels comfortable for them. I usually grabbed the butt to get her up and then hold on to her ankles. Don't be afraid when cradling, sure every once in a while a flyer will come down wrong and kick you in the face, but that doesn't normally happen. I recommend watching the her butt when she is in the air...this is because where ever the butt goes...the head will soon follow. And most of all...

NEVER LET THE FLYER DROP!"

Here's a great way to remember the spotter's job:

SPOT:    Save Person On Top

Flyer: The flyer needs to have good leg strength. You should tighten all your muscles and keep your balance. Flyers need to have absolute trust in the bases and spotters. But don't rely on them for everything: when it comes time to end the stunt, you should propel yourself into the air WITH their assistance. You can't expect the bases and spotters to do everything for you!! Always remember to trust them. When dismounting:  One the 1,2 down up count, think of it in a different way:

1,2 them me  "Them" is for the bases to throw the flyer in the air; "me" is for the flyer to act - snap your legs up so you're in cradle position.

Moving on

A new stunt sequence is never as easy as it seems. As you begin to make inquiries regarding the proper technique, you start to feel as if there are more questions than answers. This can be frustrating. Fortunately, if you follow a few basic rules you'll better understand the physical attributes behind stunting and have greater success in your routines. Although all the questions can't be answered to every question that you may have, these few tips  will enable your stunting to go new heights.

Back to Basics
To eliminate unnecessary frustration, master the technique used in lower-level stunts. To master an extension, you must first master an elevator to shoulders. The same technique will be used for both of the stunts. This is called a progression.

In general, good body awareness will increase your understanding of stunting and enable you to expand your level of difficulty.

"I'm a base..."
For bases, the very first aspect of body awareness is figuring out where your power is coming from. Most all-girl bases will tell you that their power stems from their legs. This is correct. A base should always begin with legs approximately shoulder-width apart. The power there will create an upward snowball effect. It should explode from the legs first, through the shoulders and eventually up through the arms, which should lock out.

To tell if your bases are using this technique, see how controlled the stunts are. Stunts should look solid and clean instead of rushed or challenged.

The bases should feel no weight in the transition until it has already made it to the top. If the stunt is not reaching the top, there is a break somewhere in the continual chain of power between the legs and arms. Any motion that simulates the curling of biceps can help to identify this break in the chain. Arms should be kept at a comfortable level, somewhere close to the navel and should resist the weight of the flier.

Momentum should be carried from the legs, through the shoulders and eventually erupt out through the arms. Make sure that at the top of the stunt, the bases' arms are completely locked out. (If one base is shorter than the other, she should bend at the legs and not at the arms.) Bases that stress safety should hold the stunt directly over their noses and look up at the stunt at all times.

"I'm a back-spot..."
The back-spotters are the glue that holds the stunt together. A good back-spotter will secure a stunt that may be going in the wrong direction. Since the center of gravity for a female flyer is the hips, this is what the back spot will look at while the stunt is happening. She can determine the stability of the stunt by watching the flyer's hips. (If she follows the hips with her eyes, a back spot can tell where the rest of the body will follow.) The back spot must make sure that those hips are centered between the shoulders and ankles.

To perform this job well, a back spot must have quick reflexes. The back spot makes the majority of saves in a stunt. They can also help to lead the timing in the transition. In dismounts, the back spot is responsible for the safety of the head, neck and shoulders. This is often one of the most important aspects of transitional stunting. If the movement of the back spot is fluid, the stunt can look much better.

"I'm a top person..."
The last individual in this stunt team is the top person. This can be a hard position to master. Body awareness is the first key to being a successful top. When loading into the stunt, the top must be aware of the initial weight distribution. While loading into an elevator, for example, the top must take a good hop off the ground, place all of her weight into a set of locked-out arms and follow the momentum to the top of the stunt.

This weight transfer can be difficult to comprehend at first. The alignment of the ankles, hips and shoulders can also play an important role. In any two-footed stunt, the top person needs to keep her legs approximately shoulder-width apart. In a single leg stunt, the top person needs to form a column with her body.

The next step is to teach the top to climb lightly. If she understands weight distribution, the flyer can learn to better follow the momentum of the stunt. This will make the stunt lighter and more fluid, by beginning with the initial body positioning and continuing through to how the body is held while in the stunt. A top person with more weight but great technique is often easier to stunt with than a lighter person with poor technique.

Follow these simple guidelines and your stunting can improve drastically. And relax -- choreography and transition stunting will soon take on an easier role with this type of knowledge.