Technique Tip: Dive Roll
- Aerial Physique
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
When I first started aerial in 2007 in New York City, I remember feeling like a bit of a floppy noodle trying to navigate new skills. My dance background gave me flexibility, but strength and stability were a whole different story.
One of the very first flips I learned in the air was a Dive Roll, also known as a Front Salto. It felt both exciting and terrifying at the time, and it was a big moment in my training. I really wish I had videos to share from that time, but this was before our phones became instant cameras, back when I had a Blackberry! 😅
There are quite a few ways to enter a Dive Roll, but today I wanted to take you back and share the very first pathway I learned.
What makes this Beg/Int skill so enjoyable is that it doesn’t require a lot of height, and once it starts to feel more natural, it can be woven into sequences in a way that adds movement, direction and a bit of playfulness to your aerial practice!
That said, there are a couple of key elements that make all the difference between a Dive Roll feeling smooth, or struggling to complete the rotation. In the video below, I break these down so you can understand what needs to happen and how to apply it in your own practice.
The Set-Up
Start in a Hip Key. From a keyed-over position, your top arm swims the tail behind your back. Both hands grab the pole as you sit up. Turn slightly away from the pole to scoop up the tail between your legs and key back over.
Pass the tail behind your bum to your top shoulder using your bottom hand. Your top arm scoops it at the wrist and extends to help it slide into place behind your neck and over the shoulder, not in front.
Sit up and begin to pass your shoulders to the front. I prefer to grab with the thumb pointing down here, as it tends to feel more secure.
The Roll
Remove the tail from your shoulder and grab it at about a 45-degree angle from your hip, with at least a forearm’s length of slack. Release your top hand to initiate the dive forward.
Keep your body flat as you move through the rotation.
Allow your heels to drive downward to support the rotation and help you return to an upright position, then grab the pole with your free hand. Make sure you have enough slack in the fabric, your hand should not be right next to your hip.
The Exit
Option one, pass the tail from between your legs to the side you were holding. Invert into a straddle, hook the knee opposite to the tail side, release one hand at a time, and arrive in an opposite knee hook. From here, you can climb above or straddle out.
Option two, after you release the tail, guide it to your opposite side by scooping your leg around. Invert, hook the opposite knee, and arrive in a Z wrap, also known as a U lock.
From here, you can windmill down. To exit, take the wrap off your back leg from front to back, switch knees, and unwrap the other leg from back to front. You also have the option to place the tail in your armpit, climb up, and key over back to where you began in hip key.
Common Mistakes
❌ Not staying keyed over
When passing the tail behind your body, it can feel a bit daunting. Keep your head lower than your hips during the pass and stay keyed over. Sitting up too early, or letting your top hip lose contact with the pole, can open the body too much and increase the risk of a fall.It sounds silly, but the silk should pass behind your bum like a “thong.”
❌ Tail in front
Make sure the tail stays over your top shoulder and behind your neck. It shouldn’t be in front of you.
❌ Not enough slack
Lack of slack in the fabric can stop the rotation and make it difficult to sit up out of the roll. Give yourself enough space to move, your arm should be at about a 45-degree angle from your hip with at least a forearm’s length of fabric.
❌ Piking during the rotation
Avoid folding at the hips as you rotate. Piking will interrupt the pathway and cause you to stop mid-way. Instead, keep the body more extended and allow the movement to travel through. Think about staying flat, keeping the core connected and driving the heels down.
An important note: This entry can feel uncomfortable through the groin for some bodies. Adjust the fabric placement, wear supportive clothing and guide the wrap slightly off-center to reduce pressure. If it's not for you that's ok - which is why there are multiple pathways to get you to the same place!
If you’d like to explore more Dive Roll entries and continue building on this skill, you’ll find a wide range of variations and progressions inside Aerial Physique TV ✨
You can preview each tutorial here, so you can get a feel for the teaching style and level before diving in 👀
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