Acrobatics, yoga combine to spark new fitness trend, campus group
If you stroll down the Horseshoe at the right time of week, you might just see a group of students who seem to defy the laws of gravity.
They aren’t using trampolines or hanging from trees. They’re doing AcroYoga, a blend of yoga, acrobatics and healing arts.
This new fitness movement has made its way to USC’s campus this year.
Jana Cartee, a third-year dance education student, is one of the founders of AcroYoga on the Horseshoe.
“The best thing to me [about AcroYoga] is learning that you really can do so much more than you think you can going into it,” Cartee said. “There has been lots of stuff that the first time looking at it, I never thought I’d be able to do but is now second nature to me.”
The group is looking for more people to expand and meets at least once a week.
Cartee was approached with the idea to start an AcroYoga club by second-year English student Raven Shanell Mathews and USC graduate Thomas McDuffie. This fall, the three started practicing AcroYoga and spreading the word about it until they had gathered enough people to start a club.
“I’ve been doing acrobatics for about a year and a half in Atlanta, and Raven had done a few classes and workshops as well,” Cartee said. “We’ve just been telling our friends about it and finding people who want to learn.”
There are no requirements to join AcroYoga; many of the members do not have experience in acrobatics or yoga, but they can still perform stunts.
Cartee said his favorite stunt right now is called the “reverse buzzsaw.”
“The end result kind of looks like the flier is repeatedly doing slow motion backflips in the air,” Cartee said.
The group’s focus has been to have fun, but members have considered bringing in people who are certified in AcroYoga to help teach them more.
“My personal goal right now is to work more with flows and creating flows,” Cartee said. “It’s cool to know different positions with AcroYoga, but it’s more fun when you can string them together to make a continuous flow of motion.”
The group has been getting the word out about the club through its Facebook page and recent organization fairs, but stopping by a practice is a great way to learn more, Cartee said.
“If they see us and want to give it a try, they can just come up and ask,” she said. “We love it when people do that.”