In the Moment with Instax: Duo Tenacity

In the Moment with Instax: Duo Tenacity

In the Moment with Instax: Duo Tenacity

Suspended in mid-air with only a hoop between you and the ground won’t sound like fun for most people, but for Alana Jackson and Cheree Simpson, known as Duo Tenacity, this is as close to heaven as possible. Recently returning from the World Pole and Aerial Championships that was held in Poland, Instax wanted to find out more about aerial hoop.

Please tell us more about this incredible sport!

Aerial hoop, the category we compete in as Duo Tenacity, is done via a big metal hoop that hangs on a sling/spanset, rigged safely to a solid beam or structure. It certainly makes us feel like superheroes – flying through the air and doing tricks.

There is a sport and an artistic competition for aerial hoop. We compete on the artistic side, allowing us the opportunity to creatively tell a story in and out of the hoop, and to find special ways to transition to and from tricks. As a duo we are both in the one hoop and perform tricks where we support/ hold/lift each other.

How did you get started?

I (Alana) started pole fitness in 2013 and included aerial hoop from 2015. Cheree is a professional dancer and completed an aerial yoga instructor course in 2019 while dabbling in pole thereafter. I was teaching an aerial class and Cheree attended. After the class I asked if she would like to try these cool double tricks I saw on Instagram, and she immediately said yes. Lockdown came and went, and once in-person competitions started we decided to enter as Duo Tenacity and won our section.

We then decided to enter the 2022 National Federation competition, which took us to the World Championships in Switzerland where we won two beautiful gold medals!

You need extreme concentration while in the air – how do you manage to get in the moment?

After spending so much time together and on training, everything just syncs. Of course during training, we still have our laughs, falls and our bloopers, but there is enough of that beforehand so that when we get to performing/competition we know how to do everything right. Also, it’s very important to keep breathing and to have the right connection with your partner.

Recently you travelled to the IPSF World Pole and Aerial Championships that was held in Poland. How did this go?

Yes! We had such a blast. Worlds is a five-day event where you get to meet some of your pole/aerial icons and realise that you are actually also there with them to compete. We have an amazing South African team every year that just brings the “gees” – it’s incredible.

Cheree competed in the Senior Artistic Hoop 18+ Women section on the first day of the competition with a beautiful art piece about letting go of things that hold you back. On day three we got to compete in the Artistic Hoop Doubles 18+ Mixed section (males and females). This section has tripled in size since 2022 and it’s been amazing to see it grow!

We had a good performance and were awarded 4th place with a score of 58.8.

Which Instax cameras did you take on your trip? What did you use them most for?

Cheree owns the Instax square SQ20 hybrid instant camera, while Instax South Africa ever so kindly provided an Instax mini 11 for the trip! We also received some cool Instax prints with various patterns on them! We took a few photos at the competition of ourselves and the SA team, and we also used the cameras during our travels to the Czech Republic afterwards. The SQ20 is a great camera for saving images and printing them later.

What do you love most about Instax?

Alana: People rarely print photos anymore, but Instax provides a quick print that you can share immediately. And did we mention the pretty film frames?!

Cheree: I think in a world where everything is digital it’s always nice to have something tangible as a memory but with the same kind of instant gratification as a digital picture. The best thing about my SQ20 camera is that you have the benefit of both – I get to choose the memories that I literally want to hold in my hand as prints, or those that get to be stored digitally. Prints are somehow far more satisfying than just flicking through pictures on your phone.

Favourite song at the moment?

A: Sunroof by Nicky Youre and dazy, a cheer-up feel-good song in a not so always lekker world.

C: I feel like that is highly dependent on the mood of the day so it’s hard to pick one. I can tell you though that my favourite band is Greta Van Fleet.

Favourite movie at the moment?

A: Where the Crawdads Sing.

C: Thats a tough one, I don’t watch movies often, but I have two types that I go for. I’m all for the cheesy romance or movies that make you question the world around you, like Interstellar or Inception.

What would you rather be doing at the moment?

A: Currently sitting in the office at work, I would rather be training and performing around the world.

C: I can honestly say I’m exactly where I want to be right now. Performing on stage is my favourite place to be and I’m currently in rehearsal for a show.

What’s next on your schedule – any further events?

We’re taking on corporate gigs and performances since the Silly Season is upon us. After that working on more acts and actually producing Duo Tenacity merchandise. Also, Cheree is performing with The Cirk at “Afrikaans is Groot!”, so catch her there!

Find more of Duo Tenacity here:

https://www.instagram.com/duotenacity/

https://www.facebook.com/duotenacity