The One-Foot Hang on Aerial Hoop: A Practical Safety Framework for High-Level Aerial Performance

My name is Yelyzaveta Krutikova. I’m a professional aerial gymnast with 12 years of high-level performance experience, and I want to share a practical safety framework for one of the rarest and most unforgiving skills in aerial work: the one-foot hang on aerial hoop (lyra).

I started experimenting with this element around age 10 in a small town without real aerial specialization or safety culture—performing it incorrectly and unknowingly increasing the risk dramatically. Later, I performed the one-foot hang without a safety line at approximately 7–20 meters in professional shows and TV projects, including events for the Princess of Monaco.

This article explains why the one-foot hang can fail so suddenly, why it is uniquely dangerous (and often substituted by other skills), and how coaches, performers, and production teams can structure progressions, “stop rules,” and environment control to reduce injuries and prevent catastrophic slips.

This is not a tutorial; it’s a practitioner-informed risk-management framework intended for trained professionals, coaches, and production teams.

1. Why This Skill Is Different

A lot of aerial skills are hard.
This one is unforgiving.

The one-foot hang can fail fast—not because you “didn’t try hard enough,” but because the hold itself has very little margin for error.

With a hand grip, you can often “close” your fingers and buy time to correct. With a one-foot hang, you’re relying on skin folds and soft-tissue pressure where the foot meets the lower leg, formed under pressure against the apparatus, plus friction. If that connection starts to slide, it can happen so quickly that you don’t get a second chance to catch yourself.

That’s one reason the skill is rare on professional stages. Many performers choose alternatives where hands are naturally nearby as a backup.

2. Why I’m Sharing This

I started experimenting with this element around age 10 in a small town with very limited aerial coaching resources and almost no safety culture. I was doing it incorrectly and didn’t understand how much I was increasing the risk.

Later, in my professional career (12 years), I performed this element without a safety line at approximately 7–20 meter in shows and TV projects, including events for the Princess of Monaco, Ukrainian Got Talent, the Italian TV show Tú Sí Que Vales, and productions across multiple venues and formats.

I’m not sharing this to glorify risk. I’m sharing it because if we don’t talk openly about high-consequence skills, people end up learning by trial and error—and with this one, the “error” can be catastrophic.

Also: the risk depends on conditions—height, rigging setup, humidity, the surface/cleanliness of the apparatus, and how much the hoop swings or bounces in a specific venue.

3. Why This Matters: Accidents Happen Every Year

There isn’t a single global registry that tracks “falls per year” across all aerial disciplines and venues. But injury research in circus training and professional performance consistently shows that accidents and injuries are an annual reality in our field.

For example, one study of student circus artists reported an average of 10 work accidents per year. Another prospective cohort study in circus students found a high injury burden, reporting around 3.3 injuries per 1,000 hours. At the professional show level, published injury surveillance in a major circus company reported an overall injury rate of 9.7 injuries per 1,000 artist-exposures.

For example, according to my statistics, one of my professional acquaintances, or a couple, breaks up at least once a year. It’s not always fatal, but it causes very deep trauma, after which some people can’t even walk.

And while “catastrophic” events are rarer, a review of catastrophic injuries in circus documented serious incidents over time—one more reason high-consequence skills must be treated with formal stop rules, progression, and environment control.

The takeaway: risk is real, it shows up every year, and it’s driven by conditions and systems—not by bravado.

4. What “One-Foot Hang” Means (Simple Definition)

When I say “one-foot hang,” I mean a suspension most commonly on aerial hoop (lyra) (the idea can appear on other apparatus too).

The foot is held near a 90-degree angle, and skin folds form under pressure against the apparatus. The body is supported by soft-tissue pressure and friction—not a mechanical lock.

One safety habit I use is redundancy: I intentionally create two skin folds—a primary and a secondary “backup.” If I feel the primary starting to slide, I exit immediately while the backup still buys a brief moment.

5. What Usually Causes the Slip

In my experience, three things drive most failures:

1. Skin fold slippage (the main one). Once the fold starts moving, everything changes fast.

2. Friction problems. Sweat, humidity, not enough chalk, residue on the hoop, or damaged skin can all reduce grip more than people expect.

3. Hoop movement (swing/bounce). For this element, swing is not “just aesthetics.” Any oscillation can push the foot angle into a losing position. If the hoop is moving, the risk climbs immediately.

6. Progression: How to Build It Without Rushing

The biggest mistake I see is speed. The element looks “simple,” so people skip steps. Here’s a progression mindset that keeps people alive:

Stage 1 — Two-Foot Mastery (With Safety)

Before one-foot training, the performer should be able to hang on two feet calmly and consistently, control swing, and repeat the setup the same way every time.

They also need a fast, reliable emergency exit. In my view, that exit has two options:

• return to a secure hand support/grip, or

• quickly bring the second foot back into position (back onto a toe/foot hold) to reduce load on the primary foot immediately and stabilize before fully exiting.

Safety systems here are not “cheating.” They’re professionalism. All training stages should use appropriate safety systems and qualified supervision—especially when rebuilding after a break.

Stage 2 — The “50% Check”

Before releasing the second foot, shift only about 50% of your body weight onto the primary foot hold.

Rule: if that partial load feels unstable, slippery, or “wrong,” abort immediately. Return to hands, reset, and try again. Never fully commit when the system is already failing.

Stage 3 — Assisted One-Foot Exposure (Keep the Second Foot Close)

Use safety. Keep the second foot near as a proximity backup. Don’t send the free leg far away early.

Prioritize pelvic control and stillness. If the hoop swings, treat it as a no-go rep and reset for stillness.

Stage 4 — Full One-Foot Hang + Variations

Only after stillness and exits are automatic should you add shapes, holds, or transitions.

Treat every repetition like a checklist—not a stunt.

7. Stop Rules (Non-Negotiable)

One-foot hang training needs clear “not today” rules. Mine are simple:

• the top layer of skin is removed / skin is raw

• blood on the foot

• pelvic pain

• head pain that reduces focus or control

• you can’t form the skin folds securely under pressure against the apparatus that day

Ignoring these signals doesn’t train toughness. It trains denial.

8. The Long-Term Cost: Asymmetry and Load

A hard truth: a rare skill can become an asymmetric skill. If you train it mostly on one side for years, your body can shift in ways you don’t notice until it becomes a real problem.

During performance periods, I trained and performed this element 1–3 times per day. That frequency demands a serious recovery plan.

Today, I prioritize bilateral development (re-learning on the other leg), more two-foot work as a neutral base, and recovery/load management as part of the job—not an afterthought.

9. Closing

The one-foot hang is rare not because it’s “cool,” but because it’s unforgiving.

If we want a safer industry, we have to document what actually works: progressions, stop rules, and the reality that conditions (height, humidity, apparatus cleanliness, swing) change risk.

If you coach, perform, rig, or manage productions and you’ve developed safety protocols for this or similar skills, share them. The community improves when we trade real practices—not myths.

Safety Disclaimer

This article is for professional discussion only and does not replace qualified coaching, risk assessment, proper rigging, or appropriate safety systems. Do not attempt high-risk aerial skills without competent supervision and suitable safety measures.