The last few weeks have been a little stressful for me. I could dwell on the things going wrong, or I could be grateful for the things that make me happy. Guess which one I pick;)
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.
If you're living in Chicago, you prpbably have heard that Cirque du Soleil is premiering their new show here this month. Not in New York, not in Toronto, but here, right on State Street, at the Chicago Theatre. Needless to say, I have been excited/chagrined, because I love that they're doing it here, but there's no way I can afford tickets right now. So imagine my delight when I found out they were giving out free passes to the dress rehearsal on the 18th! Free! Tickets! Cirque du Soleil! I am so there.
There was a general air of excitement, of coure, and lots of swag. WTMX was there handing out free yellow clown noses. Um, yes please! It doesn't take much to get me into a clown nose. It may take a lot to get me out of it, however; I'm tempted to wear this thing the rest of the day;)
There was quite a line, of course. The giveaway started at 11:30, but I was there at 10:30, and was already 80 people from the front. By the time 11:30 rolled around, the line went down the alley and curved onto itself twice! All you had to bring was, you guessed it: a banana. The guy at the box office claimed they would use them all to make banana cream pies for the show.
WTMX wasn't the only one there; Wow Bao was there handing out banana cream dumplings, gooey and steaming hot, and Eli's was there handing out chocolate covered cheesecake:
Special Edition Banana Chocolate-covered Cheesecake, of course. Catching a theme here?
They were handing out free bananas too. Since I had to hand mine over for the tickets, I grabbed one;) November 18th, Chicago Theatre, Banana Shpeel. Squeeee!!!!
I'm an actress, classically trained singer and historical costumer, but I love writing, sketching and painting, cooking, doll-making, and about a hundred other things I try to squeeze into every minute of free time. I live in Southern California with my rabbit, Viola—but, in my heart, I truly reside in Victorian England.
