Join the circus . . .

Here's something very few people know about me: I have secretly always wanted to run away and join the circus. I used to love going to Ringling Bros. as a child, and as an adult I have fallen for Cirque du Soleil. The beauty, grace and strength their performers have is something I have always aspired to; I mean, who doesn't want to know how to fly?

So, after my experience this summer with Faire, I decided to finally sign up for an Aerial Arts class at the wonderful Actor's Gymnasium in Evanston, IL. We tackled trapeze, spanish web, lyra, and silk in this class, and it was the hardest eight weeks I can remember in a long time. I was generally pretty unimpressive, but I tried hard:



This is me doing a bird's nest (for the first time!) on the trapeze. This trapeze is obviously very low to the ground, but it is still a little scary to look down at the carpet from an upside down position.



Here I am doing a gazelle in silk knot, and then attempting a hip key. I was a little fatigued by then, so I didn't have the arm strength to pull up and flip over, so I gave up and came back down, going into a double stag and then coming out.

This class was pretty difficult for me; it highlighted all the issues I still have with my body, and my hang-ups about not being strong or coordinated enough. I have always felt weak physically, and in this class I came face-to-face with that demon in that I was never strong enough to do 70% of the things we were learning. I had some crying, some fear, and some shaky muscles from this, but I'm not a quitter and I'm enrolled in another class for the next term. I believe in conquering every hang-up, and this is no different; by the end of next year, I want to have some video I'm proud to show you all.