Safety Mat Policy

The safety and the welfare of our students is our highest priority. Part of keeping everyone safe is appropriate use of mats in aerial arts. Even professional athletes who are highly confident in their abilities make mistakes. The risk of serious injury when falling from even a small height can lead to much worse than a broken bone, such as head or spinal injuries. 

We want our students to feel empowered in our studio, and we love that at TCA we celebrate more than only tricks when it comes to aerials. It is fantastic to see our Chromies embrace the performance side of aerial arts. We know that this can sometimes look like; prioritising floor work & heel work, which can complicate the use of mats.

We encourage everyone to use a safety mat when possible, and only to consider performing or practising without a mat when:

a) The use of the mat will get in the way of your ability to do floor work or wear heels 

and
b) The skills you are doing are safe to do without a mat (specifics below)

Having a mat underneath you looks professional and keeps you safe. It's a myth that you look more advanced or professional without one. Audiences much prefer watching a performance with this level of safety.  It is also easy to have a stage kitten pull a mat in during a performance if you are transitioning from floor to air, and this can be made to add to your performance. 

Aerial Hoop

No mat required when:

> The bottom bar of the hoop is chest height or lower

and
> Moves are kept to Foundations level or lower + you are confident in all moves
or
> You are doing Pre Inter 1/2 moves (that you are confident in) where:

  • Moves are kept to upright, non-inverted moves
    or

  • Additional grip points can be used to re-grip incase your main grip point fails

Mat required in any of the following situations:

  • The bottom bar of the hoop is above chest height

  • You are doing inverted Pre Inter 1/2 moves that do not have an additional grip point in the case of a slip

  • Moves that are performed above the top bar

  • NO catch and release drops or drops where the student falls head first to the ground 

  • Rolls if a failed or incomplete roll ends in a position where you have less than 2 grip points on the hoop

  • All Inter 1+ moves

  • Duo routines. Even if you are below the bar the chances of falling are higher. 

Aerial Hammock

No mat required when:

> Moves are kept to Foundations level or lower (that you are confident in)
or
> moves are kept upright & non-inverted (besides a straddle invert with the hammock loop in your waist)
and
> For inverted moves, additional grip points can be used to re-grip incase your main grip point fails (such as having both hands on the hammock, the hammock looped around your waist, knee hooks etc)

Mat required in any of the following situations:

  • When performing drops 

  • When aerial inverting, without the hammock looped underneath your armpits or around your waist

  • When the bottom of the hammock is rigged to be above your waist height when standing next to it on the floor

  • When doing moves that require climbing into multiple wraps that increase your height.

  • You are doing inverted Pre Inter 1/2+ moves that do not have an additional grip point in the case of a slip 

  • Duo routines. Even if you are below the bar the chances of falling are higher. 

If you have any queries about whether a move requires a mat, we suggest airing on the side of caution. You are welcome to email us at info@thechromeacademy.co.nz for guidance.