The One About Splits...kind of

I have neglected my blogging duties but I assure you it is not due to any inactivity. I have been trying to navigate a number of new opportunities this year and I am not entirely sure yet what my take away has been. I feel like I have yet to synthesis some useful bit of information I might impart. So instead of some technique or theory I have been pondering I want to take a second to remind people to celebrate accomplishment no matter how small and love the process.

My example came yesterday while practicing a new aerial dance when one of my instructors mentioned that my splits are improving. Because historically splits are my worst skill I was confident that she was just be being polite. For the last year I have spent my time with dancers who have had effortless perfect splits and over splits. During the first few months I lived in abject shame when it came time to stretch. All the girls would fan out their legs perfectly and I would be sitting on the floor with my legs at an acute angle. To an outsider it probably looked like I was militantly resisting the exercise when in reality I was trying my damnedest and failing spectacularly. I have continued to work in tiny increments towards being more flexible but I have accepted that a full split is not something I am likely to achieve. Despite a pessimistic outlook, my curiosity was piqued by the comment so I decided to compare my splits from last night to where I was last year. To my surprise, while I am still a few inches shy of flat splits, my best effort has significantly improved.

This isolated example reminds me that during all the time we spend training it is easy to focus on what we can do today and want to achieve tomorrow. Sometimes it is easy to forget where we started and what we should be proud of.

Have you ever focused on a goal so much that you missed the other accomplishments along the way? What are you proud of today? Leave me a comment below.

The One On The Flying Trapeze

Last week I found myself standing on the Santa Monica Pier in LA staring up at people flying through the air 30 feet above the boardwalk. Upon spying the trapeze one of my friends jokingly suggested that is what I should be doing on my vacation. After a few slack jawed moments of sheer wonder and excitement I got my wits about me enough to locate the office and sign up for my first class in flying trapeze.

Trapeze School New York has several facilities across the country, Santa Monica Pier being their newest, which specialize in flying trapeze. Their trapeze class is taught as a 2 hour session in groups of 10 students or less. The classes are priced between $50-60 a lesson which is a bit expensive but in a discipline where safety and equipment is a priority you may need to be prepared to pay a little more to ensure the quality of your instructor and the maintenance of the equipment.

I arrived the next morning bright eyed and bushy tailed for my first class. I had been advised the day before on best choices for clothing which was the usual leggings and tank top. Lucky for me I was traveling with silks attire in anticipation of attending a work shop at a local circus school later in the week. I was surprised that they did not recommend leg warmers which are usually quite useful for apparatus where there are hoops or bars. In retrospect compared to lyra or static trapeze my shins and calves did not come into much contact with the bar. Leg warmers would have done little to protect the back of my knees and that is where I took a majority of the strain from the class.

After I quickly signed a waiver they took me and all the other first time flyers to receive a quick briefing on what to expect on the platform and what we would be trying to accomplish as we hurtled through the air. We were taught how to stand on the platform, prepare and when the order was given to jump. The instructor also covered the first trick we would be attempting to learn. We would be jumping from the platform and attempting to negotiate a basic knee hang and if we were lucky a catch at the end of class.

We were also fitted with nylon waist belt cinched down as tight as humanly possible. These belts represented our link to safety. If you are going up the ladder to the platform you are clipped to a safety pulley, once on the platform you transfer to another safety clip, and when it comes time to jump yet another series of clips are attached to your belt so they can control your descent should you lose your grip on the trapeze. At this point they also informed us that in order to reach the trapeze bar we would need to lean out over the platform and trust all of our weight to the assistant on the platform who would be holding us by the back of our belts.

After we had practiced all of the actions as much as possible from the ground it was now time to get in the air. My time with silks has definitely brought me more comfort with being in the air but had not completely prepared me for my first climb and jump from the platform. The trapeze rig is tall…very tall. As I made my first assent I looked out over the beach and tried not to think about how high I was going. As I transferred my safety clip to what had once appeared to be a generously sized platform and now seemed barely adequate for my and the instructor I could barely keep all the instructions in my head.

My first attempt was far from steller. When it came time for me to trust my instructor and lean out over the edge it was a struggle. I tucked my hips and did everything in my power to remain under my own control rather than relaxing into the correct position. Once the command to jump came I did not hesitate but then had a moment of complete terror where I was swinging out toward nothingness. I had this moment or realization that I had just jumped off a platform 30 feet in the air and had no way of getting back and nothing to save me except this puny little bar overhead and I was not even sure how I was going to get down. As I started to swing back I hear my instructor shouting “KNEES UP” which was the command to go into the knee hang.

The major difference between flying trapeze and all of the other disciplines I have been learning thus far is flying trapeze is all about timing. If you execute your actions during the right moment of each swing they are relatively effortless. I will not say there is no effort but in comparison to trying to lift your knees above your head on a static apparatus it is much easier provided you do it in the right moment. In the case of my first attempt I completely missed the right moment and was left struggling against gravity. Once I actually had my knees over the bar I was able to lean on my lyra experience and tried to bring my heels to my thighs and relax into a back arch.

The last part of my first swing was the dismount. My only experience with landing on something from the air has been the trampolines we use at the gym for conditioning. I was very hesitant about landing on the net because I was expecting it to be much firmer. It makes sense though that it is softer because a trampoline is trying to spring you back in the air vs the netting being there to slow and then stop you descent. You are also connected to guide wires that should you begin to fall improperly an instructor will manually slow your fall. With all of these things working for you I was pleasantly surprised that the dismount was not as bone jarring as expected.

After each attempt you will receive some coaching on what to work on during your next turn on the platform. Over the course of about 3-4 attempts depending on the number of students you will hopefully start to understand the trick and solidify your timing. If you are able to successfully complete your trick solo you will be allowed to attempt a catch. A catch means that you will have a partner on a trapeze across from you and you will attempt to make a transfer from hanging on your trapeze to your partner. Remember the trick is all about timing and in this case it is the timing for two.This time instead of being prompted from the ground you partner is giving you instructions and the success of your catch is based on executing those instructions without hesitation or error.

After 4 attempts on the platform with the solo trick some of the initial butterflies in my stomach had subsided and I was completing the knee hang reliably but I did not expect to make my first catch. On the platform I watched as my partner started his swing and waited for the command to ready and then jump. Once I left the platform I tried to forget about the impending catch because if I did everything properly it should come naturally. I completed my knee hang and when I came up from the third swing and looked out there was my partner ready to grab my hands. I immediately released the hanging grip I had on my own bar and found myself being suspended from another person high above the ground. Flying through the air I thought to myself "This was the stuff dreams are made of." I was practically giddy when moments later I landed on the net below.

After finishing the class I would highly recommend the experience to anyone who ever thought they might be interested in circus arts or had any passing fancy with the flying trapeze. The way they have structured the class and from what I saw of the other students I believe you can have a successful first lesson even if you have no prior experience with the aerial arts. If you are aerial experienced the flying is a fun departure from the static apparatuses most of us use. The Trapeze School New York was a pleasurable experience I hope to repeat on future visits to California or any other states where they have facilities. 

 

The One About Being A Twisty Bobcat Pretzel

Last month I learned that the creators of The Devil’s Carnival would be taking the film on another tour along with their first film Repo! The Genetic Opera. As a longtime fan and perpetual advocate for both movies that meant a break from blogging while I tried to get the word on street any way possible. 

Quite literally taking it to the streets in some cases

The Devil's Carnival has been a huge contributor to my interest in circus so while this was a detour to my current pursuits it was an enjoyable one. With all the twists life throws at us remaining flexible in both body and mind can save us from snapping or breaking. The path to the solution may not always be the most direct but if we allow ourselves the opportunity to follow the twists and turns we can achieve our goals.

One of my favorites stretches right now is fun to navigate and leaves you feeling amazing

1. From a deep lunge set your knee on the floor. Tuck your hips under your spine and face squarely forward. Your posture should be impecible at this point. 

2. Bring both hand to the inside of your elevated knee and bend forward at the waist. Keeping your back as flat as possible bring your hands and elbows to the floor

3. Bring your arm closest to your leg under your knee and fingers pointing forward. Your second arm will turn to point at your toes and support your torso.

4. Now for the final twist. Turn your hips and torso to face your elevated leg. Bring your hips as close to the floor as is comfortable

5. Take a deep breath and enjoy your twisty bobcat pretzel stretch

Taking some time to explore your physical flexibility can leave your mind free to wander and come to solutions for other barriers we may be experiencing in our lives.

The One About Learning To Hoop

Hooping to discover

Since picking up the hoop a year ago I have been on a process of self-guided study. I have learned a lot about personal discipline and responsibility in this process. In life there are no formal class rooms so drifting from path to path is easy. You will meet many teachers but you are responsible to accept teaching from them. Just like the Kung-fu students of cinematic legend you must seek the masters of your discipline and understand their lessons.

Solitary practice can yield many results if you are diligent

Fortunately with modern technology you will not have to make an arduous trek up fog covered mountains to find your master…unless of course, you want to. Most hooping can begin through solitary learning with a quick search on the internet or youtube for tutorials. Watch lots of tutorials on waist hooping, core hooping, basic lifts. Try watching multiple tutorials for the same trick since it may take a couple different instructors to find the one who explains in a way that is just right for you. I am a big advocate for free youtube instruction because it is readily accessible and the content that exists for basic moves is fairly complete and will get you ready to engage in more complex discovery when meeting with other hoopers.  There is also a number or really great paid online tutorial series that offer more detailed content than the free tutorials. Paid tutorials often cover things that are talked about less directly in free tutorials like flowing and considering the performance aspect of your dance.

 Here are some of my favorite youtube instructors

SaFire

Babz Robinson

Katie Emmitt

Playtime with Hannah Havok and Mia Moore

When you begin to advance you may want to actively participate with other hoopers in informal settings. Group learning often help solidfy your skills when you share them with others. There is a lot to be gained from other peers who may be sharing some of the same frustrations as you. It is encouraging and helps you stay on your path when you meet other on the same journey as they may have wisdom to share about what is beyond the next turn in the road. Personally, I started a small private group with friends where we talk almost daily about our favorite tutorials, current frustrations and break throughs.

Here are some great communities you can explore as you start down your path

Hoop City

Hooping

Learning about blindfold hooping at Ann Humphreys workshop

 As you travel you may reach what appears to be plateau or an insurmountable crevasse. Some of these may be momentary before you see the next logical route but sometimes you may not yet have the tools to continue on. In cases like these is may be necessary to try something completely new. This month was my one year hoop-iversary and I was happy to be marking it at my first instructor led hoop workshop with Ann Humphreys. I had reached a point with my hoop where I was working on improving my tricks each session but not making measurable progress. This was the first time I had focused instruction on technique and I will say that it fundamentally changed my approach to the hoop. Having a master level instructor helped me refine my actions and made many things I had previously failed at not only achievable but also repeatable. I left the workshop with some new tools that will hopefully allow me to continue growing as a hooper in ways I had not previously known about or even had the language to express. If you feel like you are ready to take the next step I suggest searching for a hooping retreat or workshop being led in your city.

Here are some popular hooping organizations that frequently schedule instructor led workshops

Hoop Path

Sacred Circularities

I feel like I have only just begun to brush the surface of how to enter the vibrant world that is the hooping community but I hope this will help some of you as you take your first spin.



Ann Humphreys' workshop

The One About Being Terrible At Something

Jake the Dog speaks the truth

Most, if not everything we do we once sucked at. Even the most basic skills like tying your shoes were once monumental tasks only performed by the most skilled people…aka your mom. Hopefully, through persistence and practice you at some point mastered tying your shoes and went on to tackle new and even more difficult tasks.

While it is easy to become discourage because we are comparing our fumbling attempts to polished routines performed under the big top it is important to remember the circus arts are no different from shoe laces. Each performance starts with simple skills building on one another and small victories.

When I started hooping I was constantly inundated with videos of the very best in the discipline spinning hoops at high speeds and constantly pushing the bounds of their tools. At 5 weeks of daily practice I was barely able to maintain the hoop at my waist. So often we feel like we need to immeditaly be masters at our craft when we should allow ourselves to be students first.

A skill means you had to learn how to do it

Here are the top 5 things I try to remember when working towards my goal

1. Practice - You do not have to put restrictions on your practice just spend time each day making your passion a part of your life. That can be as simple as researching new moves, taping your hoop or just working for 5 minutes on stretches. Make your hobby a habit
2. Give yourself permission to fail – If you are not failing you are not pushing your limits. Try for that hoop trick you saw on youtube or try that silk trick you could not quite complete last week. If you are only doing things you know you can do it will look great but you will not continue to grow in your discipline.
3. Don’t measure yourself against others – Mentors and goals are a great part of any discipline but do not let comparison discourage you. The only person you should compare yourself against is the performer you were yesterday and the performer you are today.
4. Circus hurts – This sounds kind of terrible but it is true. You are going to bruise, burn and bend yourself to discomfort but stick with it. Those pains will go away to be replaced by new ones but that means you are learning.  Practice within reason but do not be afraid to push your limits
5. Love the process –Even if you are trying to learn a new and impressive trick do not let it own you. Celebrate successes…even the tiny ones. Even if you only held the handstand for a second or you had to help the hoop around with your hand it counts. You are learning and that means not doing it perfect every time. You did it once now you can do it better in the future. Enjoy your practice. Do not lose sight of why you are doing this. Have fun!

Safire created a great video on this topic. It has been an inspiration to me on my journey.

Love the Process!

The One About Globe Trotting

I travel a fair amount for both business and pleasure. Last year alone I trekked across much of the US, Canada and Mexico. Keeping up with your current hobbies can be difficult when you are on the road but with a little careful planning it is not impossible. Last week I spent a week in Berlin for work which meant long days in the office without much time for clowning around. On top of the limited free time a fellow international air travel passenger decided to gift me with the plague before arriving at my final destination. Despite these hardships I was determined to make the most of my time in another country. I had come armed with my travel hoop, leggings and a camera so I was ready for all opportunities.

Poster for a silent circus film displayed at the Berlin Film Museum

During February Berlin is chilly at all hours and has limited amount of daylight. By the middle of the week I considered a forecast of 4 C positively balmy. Since there was really no light to film after work and I was recouping from a cold I spent the first couple of evenings indoors. My room had a rooftop view of a building in the process of being renovated so on a snowy evening I decided to do some moonlit tumbling inside the hotel.

Hotel room tumbling

Probably my favorite part of the trip was the amazing playground equipment. There was a huge rope tower on the way to work that just needed to be climbed. I could only imagine how delightful this structure must be for the local children during the summer months. It definitely brought back fond memories of my youthful summers in Brussles Belgium where the playgrounds elicited squeals of pure joy as we clung to, scrambled over and scaled potentially dangerous equipment. With some of my new found comfort in heights I scaled the tower as well as inverted from some of the interior cross sections.

Enjoying the local attractions

I was completely taken with the graffiti that covers much of the city and decided to capture some of the more eye catching pieces in my immediate neighborhood. Much of the city center is under construction leaving many older buildings abandoned awaiting repair like beautiful mossy industrial playgrounds. On the first walk to the office I started scouting potential locations for the end of the week. I only had a few hours of day light on the last day for a hooping session so I tried to quickly film in a few spots that were representative of where I had spent my week.

For those who have not traveled with hoops before it’s actually quite easy and I highly encourage it. You never know when you are going to find a scenic location. At the very least it provides a chance to de-stress and get some physical activity outside of hauling your carcass to the office each morning and then back to the hotel. There are 3 standard styles of travel hoop you can invest in

Left to Right Segmented, Infinity Fold, Coil Down

1. Segmented – This hoop travels quite well inside luggage or a backpack and usually come in about 7 crescent pieces that can be snapped together. Since there are several connections the tubing is quite heavy to provide durability. Many users report some give at the joints and a creaking sound while hooping. Due to the weight this may be a great option for beginners but not my preferred travel hoop.
2. Infinity Fold – This hoop does not come apart but rather has two pivoting joints that the user twists in order to fold the hoop down. The hoop is twisted to look life a figure 8 and then folded in half. The risk of kinking your tubing is low because bend pressure is always equally distributed. You can also order many sizes and weights of tubing in this style. It takes a little practice to learn how to fold the hoop with confidence but is a very popular option. This design will server you very well until you make the jump to polypro and the weight of the connections become a concern.
3. Coil Down – This hoop has one snap connection and the traveler coils the hoop on itself at least twice  and reinserts the connection ends into each other. This effectively halves the size of the hoop for travel. Users should take their time when coiling down the hoop to ensure strain is evenly distributed. It is very easy to kink and ruin your tubing using this technique The connections used for coil down are the lightest and most often used for fast performance hoops and Poly Pro.

All types of travel hoops are well suited for the different modes of transportation. They take up very little space in a car and can easily be strapped to a backpack for walking or bicycling. The mode of travel that probably gets the most concern from hoopers is air because of the ever changing restrictions. I am happy to report I have traveled with my hoops both domestically and internationally without even a raised eyebrow at security. Many travel hoops will fit inside your checked luggage but you can also strap it on your carry on and it will generally fit in the overhead compartments. I have occasionally stored some of the smaller hoops under the seat and in a really desperate situation the stewardess can be asked for extra room in the coat closet.

Your next trip does not have to bring a halt to your practice. You might even be able to expand your hobby in new and unanticipated ways if you keep an open mind. After all this is about loving the process and enjoying the journey. Happy travels!