This is an update long overdue about the flying, activities & lives of the flying trapeze students, instructors & friends on a little rig in Brooklyn...
This Saturday was a nice & very easy day, not just weather-wise but flying-wise as well!
The young & all-around-highly-capable Leah B. dropped us a note from her summer camp where she's doing lots of trapeze & some lyra! Here's a picture of a gag someone pulled of a bike hung from the catch crane:
In the 1st class of the day, relative newcomer, Karen, worked on her Splits & Straddle Whip while being a good ambassador to very fresh newcomers: friend Janet & Virginian couple Jim & Jamie.
Jennifer celebrated her 30th birthday party at our little rig in Brooklyn w/friends Jennifer, Jennifer (yes, another 2 of them!), Johanna, Cory & Stan! The birthday girl even got to make her 1st catch ever on the flying trapeze! I think we'll be seeing some of them from this group again...!
The lovely Nicole A. got a private flying lesson w/myself, our Rachel M. & Jeff S.! She warmed up out of lines, honed her Uprise Fwd Overs, remounted the board a few times & even started learning to handle her B/E Splits out of lines (sans release for now)!
Here's Nicole's practice at an Uprise Forward Over:
And, our Rachel M. got some flying in as well. Here she is practicing her Cut Away:
"Be careful for what you wish. I wished for a job where beautiful women threw themselves at me. Then, I became a catcher on the flying trapeze..." - Dino Ramos-Stephens
I had the pleasure of working w/our crazily agile, powerful & warm Christine C. as well as our fearless leader, Bobby H. We had our fun w/the birthday party for little Gemma. Her little friend, Helena, stayed on the rig w/Gemma longer than the rest of their friends could bear. Parents, Dorothy & Stanton, tried out flying, too, before watching both Gemma & Helena accomplish some legs catches w/our Bobby!
The European exploring Leslie F. flew at a resort in Kamarina on Sicily! She caught her B/E Splits & Uprise Shoot w/the team of Denis, Jay & Melinda! Great work, Leslie! Our flying family is far & wide but always close at heart...!
"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
This Thursday's Catch & Return Program showed some good flying but was a little short on the returns. No worries, flyers; some of you have made returns before & you can do it again!
The feisty Galit E. warmed up out of lines, worked on recreating her Mod catch/return & made some B/E catches. Type A Elena G. worked towards feeling what it was like to have her B/E Splits w/very loose lines in hopes of someday having it out of lines. French, tres beau Emmanuelle C. honed her Turn Around & learned to plant her feet on the pedestal to eventually remount the board!
Here's Emmanuelle's Turn Around:
The strong Doug F. took his last flying class for a while. He swung into his B/E Planche & did some pretty nice cradles in the trampoline!
Here's Doug on the trampoline:
The lithe & worldly Emma S. once again tried to conquer her Turn Around before making some nice B/E catches.
Pictures of Emma:
The tense-muscled Lex R. also tried out his Turn Around before throwing some Hox Off catches at our Jeff L.; if only he'd keep his head up! The elegant & determined Maryam W. made some progress again w/her Turn Around & went for some more B/E Splits catches, but the returns eluded her this night. The powerful & very adept Allegra G. bettered her B/E Straddle Whip catches after doing some nice flips on the trampoline! The wayward Maggie F. returned to the air to work her swing w/a great force out! We hope to see her more often. And, one of the biggest victories in recent memories happened: Jen R. has conquered her Turn Around!! She worked for it & wanted it for so long w/inconsistent results until tonight! Congratulations, Jen!
"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things..." - Antoine de St-Exupery
Wednesday night's flying turned out to be a fun staff training/fly...!
Our amazing Christine C. w/her great smile was on a mission to snag her Straddle Cut/Catch. She not only got it (twice!) but also tacked on her 1st Reverse Suicides (twice!) on the fly! Wish we got video of that! The strong Shem & mighty Cassandra J. were eating up their F/E positions like cookies, so they progressed onto the Pull Over Shoot which finally slowed them down! After crashing down on the bar a few (painful) times, they both learned that the Pull Over is more finesse than power. Shem bruised himself a little too much but got pretty much perfect Shoots! Cassandra finessed the Pull Over to make some rather decent Shoots. (You still have to catch most of these positions before really moving on...!!)
Amy G/W got back on the saddle by really going for her signature move, the Straddle Cut/Catch. She then had some fun w/a Double Cut Away!
Lizzy H. attempted her 1st Cut Aways ever & they were pretty much catchable right from the start! "Ace" (yes, Ace) showed us he can really keep his legs straight w/his swing if he really wants to. He dusted off his Uprise Shoot w/nary a sweat. And, YK H. not only practiced her Set Planche & honed her Pull Over Shoot to a catchable status but also started to feel & find the tempo of her swing! Great work, team!
"We must all hang together, or assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Benjamin Franklin
This Tuesday's Skills Program class was a little tougher than usual. It was hot outside & pretty warm inside, too. But, everyone stuck w/it, warmed up quickly & tried to push their flying a little more...!
The Powerfully Adept Allegra G. threw a couple of F/E Uprises into Back Hip Circles ending w/Shoots before working on her 360 bar-to-bar trick. She's making it all the way around, but she's gonna have to rotate faster to make this happen. Allegra was doing some nice flips on the trampoline, too! And, just before she ended her flying for the night, Allegra did her 1st Reverse Suicide!
Here's Allegra at various stages of the night:
The Feisty Galit E. worked on her Straddle Cut/Catch (hold the Straddle) & her Whip "w/a twist". She's gotten her Reverse Suicide to a comfortable level; if we can just get her to keep her form!
Here's Galit w/her various tricks & on the trampoline:
Type A (yes, type A, Elena!) Elena G. popped out a few Splits out of lines but w/o releases to get the feeling of how high she's gonna be out of lines. She also got a perfect Straddle Cut/Catch w/Reverse Back Flip dismount, but we weren't filming it! Each time we did film, she didn't quite get it the same. Before teaching the trampoline that night, our Christine C. took the opportunity to fly a little, practicing her swing & turn around w/face off dismounts.
Here's Christine on the trampoline:
The elegant & determined Maryam W. is really there w/her Turn Around if she would just believe in her capabilities a little more & commit to the movements! And, I see her B/E Uprise happening soon! The lithe & worldly Emma S.'s swing had a good pop to it at the beginning of the night! She's come a long way towards developing her power & staying tight. Keith (subbing in for Julien B.) worked on his Turn Around & Reverse Back Flip for his very 1st times w/great initial results! He's gonna be one of those strong flyers once he learns & feels the tempo of the swing & doesn't over-think it all.
Here's one of Keith's 1st turns of the night:
And, the focused but nice Janelle H. is another one who's gonna be a powerhouse once her body & mind acclimate to everything she's learning. She tried climbing into her B/E Uprise a few times (a la Denise M.) before we tried getting her to do a Reverse Suicide for her 1st time.
"If riding in an airplane is flying, then riding in a boat is swimming. If you want to experience the element, then get out of the vehicle." — Anonymous
"I now know the color of fear... It's brown." — Anonymous skydiver
It's been quite a wkend of flying, eating, fun & friends...!
I had the pleasure of working on the flying trapeze w/our Denise M., Jeff S., Amy G/W & the wonderful Susie W. For the 1st time in a while, I threw my Mod a few times, trying to get it to a catchable status. My family from Canada came into the city to take advantage of the 3 day wkend for Quebec Day!
So, on top of all the flying & instructing, we ate fine French food (among other things), danced some, drank just enough, laughed a lot & talked much.
Here I am w/my beautiful, wonderful wife, Catherine at a club in midtown Manhattan this past wkend:
I thank my friends who ate & drank & kept me w/good company as I welcomed my next trip around the Sun. Thank you, Luis, Emma S., Erik T., Olga, Jenn F., Thing 1, Thing 2 and...
This Sunday, the eve of my birthday, was a nice, easy, relaxing day w/a few good surprises...!
In the 1st class, it was a pleasant surprise that I had the young, beautiful & very talented Maya F. (accompanied by mother, Nina) flying w/us. Normally, I'd know well in advance of Maya's participation. She hasn't flown in a couple of wks, but she's still a potentially powerful & skilled flyer. Maya worked on her swing for virtually the whole class, honing it & recapturing it after 3 wks off from the rig. The always-welcome pair of Heather & Dana worked on their swings as well w/nice developments at unexpected moments!
Sisters Sarita & Kathryn were on an adventure/sport wkend starting w/the flying trapeze for their 1st times & then some planned kayaking. They started off by saying, "I can't do this/that..." separately at various stages. I promptly proved them to be blatant liars. Not only did they get their Knee Hangs, they kept going & going & going! It was only when Sarita got a nice, deep rip in her hand that they stopped. Kayaking w/all that paddling in the Hudson waters was suddenly not a very appealing next step. But, they said they'd be back...!
"The reason birds can fly & we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings." - Sir James Matthew Barrie
This was a nice Saturday filled w/familiar faces, some 1st times & pretty nice flying...!
The 1st class of the day was almost like a private class: 3 students, 3 instructors. I called the talented, straight-A student, deceptively young & all around awesome teen-ager Leah B. as MY student for the class. After warming up out of lines, Leah made her 1st remount (off her Turn Around) to the pedestal ever! Then, she promptly ripped her hands past the point of flying any further. (Sorry for suggesting that Uprise, Leah...) The wonderfully single Marisa B. shared her coffee & took a few swings but had to end class early. Then, there was one... The lovely Nicole A. also made her 1st ever remount to the pedestal board! She went for the deluxe package where you get to punch Dino in the head b/c she didn't reach ACROSS her body! Still love ya, Nic. After practicing her Uprise Fwd Overs, she rose to the occasions (as always) when it came time to catch! Nicole got 2 Splits catches & an Uprise Shoot catch w/Jeff S.!
Here's Nicole's 1st B/E Splits catch of the day:
Here's Nicole's 2nd B/E Splits catch of the day:
And, here's Nicole's Uprise Shoot catch:
The 2nd class was just as fun! The extremely personable Tina moved onto her full swing (sans force out for now) w/some promising 1st practices! She went on to catch 1 Set Straddle Whip & elude me for 2 more...!? Adorable Lauri W. toyed w/the tempo of her swing before ripping a few shreds from her hands. Stick w/it, Lauri! Newcomer Katherine from Argentina claimed she was scared out of her mind, all the while smiling from ear to ear. We'll see her again soon... Allison M. (sans her puppies) recovered from her wounded hands to fly again. She honed her swing before making a few B/E Straddle Whip catches w/me & working the apron! Allison's friend, Sarah, really stuck w/it & threw some nice Knee Hangs before fatigue set in.
My dear & feisty Galit E. warmed up out of lines, faked us out w/some Straddle Cut/Catches (hold the Straddle) & practiced her somewhat twisted B/E Whip before leaving us for some static lessons. (BOOOO!) We instructors couldn't stop laughing at how fast the mighty Cassandra J. learned & threw her Set positions virtually perfectly w/little instruction & virtually no practice on the low bar! But, alas, we found something that slowed her down! The Pull Over Shoot! And, our YK H. honed her Set Planche before being introduced to the B/E of the swing. ("YK, meet Frustration...") YK also learned the woes of the Pull Over Shoot. I'm sure both Cassandra & YK will conquer that tough POS soon enough...!
Remember: Pop off the board on your take-off. Don't knock that 2x4 over... (stand) Feel the tempo of your swing. (walk) Sweep like you mean it! (run) A Force Out is really more of a "Force Up". (climb) Eventually, learn to play on the bar... (dance)
"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand & walk & run & climb & dance; one cannot fly into flying." - Friedrich Nietzsche
I had the pleasure of teaching the Friday evening class w/our Susie W. & Hal A.!
Our Christine C. had some fun, flying in the class & throwing a wide variety of positions including her Splits, Layout, Cut Away Half & Shooting Star before making her 1st Uprise Fwd Over Catch ever! Here's a glimpse of her Cut Away Half:
As our Susie pointed out, I gave some tough love to the focused Keith as he developed his swing & Straddle Whip. We had a good group of newcomers! Christine's friend, Sarah, was a natural & even got to learn her F/E Splits! The couple of Rob & Lacey were also 1st timers who flew in the beginners' class to round out a total of 3 hrs flying! And, Sarah, Rob & Lacey all made their 1st Knee Hang catches ever tonight!
"To put your life in danger from time to time... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities." - Nevil Shute, 'Slide Rule'.
This Thursday's Catch & Return class dusted off a few good tricks & pushed our limits a little further...
Talk about dusting off! The long missed, powerfully agile (and still newlywed!) Samantha W. returned to the air w/o missing much of her step & w/her toes still perpetually pointed! She got back into her swing, threw a couple of nice B/E Splits & even got a return, all on her 1st night back in almost a year! Welcome back, Sam.
The elegant & quiet Maryam W. is still fighting the good fight to perfect that Turn Around. She also got to make a few catch & returns off of her B/E Splits! After throwing a couple of nice Uprise Fwd Overs, the unbelievingly adept Allegra G. said, "I've gotten round trips off my Uprise Shoot, but I never got a full round trip off my B/E Splits." So, she proceeded to get not one but TWO full round trips w/her B/E Splits! Allegra celebrated w/victory Layouts! As tough on herself as ever, nurse Leslie W. practiced her swing a little more before making a few catches (and working her returns) w/her Set Split. Also hard on herself, the adorable Lauri W. honed her swing. Now, she understands the frustrations the rest of us feel in pursuit of the perfect swing!
The feisty Galit E. warmed up out of lines, took her 1st steps towards a "Whip w/a twist" & practiced her really nice Mod before dusting off her Flexus catches w/our Manny. The flyer formerly known as Amy W. warmed up out of lines, too, as well as practiced her Layout. She then made a nice catch & return w/her Uprise Fwd Over w/our Manny, too! French, amiable Emmanuelle C. is understanding her flying & turn arounds even more. She got to improve her returns off her B/E Straddle Whip, too, & is ready to broaden her tricks! The serious & determined Sharron is ready to branch out her flying w/different positions as she bettered her Turn Around & threw a couple of B/E Straddle Whips for catches.
"It's not so much that we're afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it's that place in between that we fear... It's like being between [trapeze bars]... There's nothing to hold on to." - Marilyn Ferguson
Wednesday night's last session of the latest Crunch, Bounce & Fly was one of those nights I didn't want to end...! It was full of fun, agile students who unexpectedly packed the class to it's brim!
The newest addition to staff, YK, flew w/us for her 1st time, dusting off her Set Planche & Set Whip before trying out the Set Straddle Whip for her 1st time! Our Manny had a strange time trying to catch her as she repeatedly swatted his hands away at catch-point! The very agile & energetic newcomer, "Shem" (Yushemepree (sp?)), learned that flying trapeze isn't at 1st about the power but the timing & finesse as he made his 1st catches ever! The powerful, promising & agile Cassandra not only dusted off her Knee Hang catches but also learned AND caught her Set Splits w/barely any instruction & virtually no practice! She also has a beautiful, natural force out in the apron once in Manny's hands! Like Christine C., I can hardly wait to see what she's capable of!
The determined & fun Alex K. got her back to the net/mat w/her B/E positions & half turns down by applying some kindly violence! Type A Elena G. ripped her hand on her 1st swing of the night, so spent some time honing her static locks & playing on the single trap. Young & explosive "Ace" has more than enough power as he slowly smooths it all out. He made a few B/E Planche catches w/our Manny, too! The bubbly & flexible dancer, Beckley, made a few nice Knee Hang catches w/our Manny & tried out her (incredibly flexible) Set Splits for her 1st time.
Newcomer (yet VERY experienced flyer, Lisa, took a few swings & bounced a little on the trampoline. She has flown professionally w/the Caseras (sp?) family! I hope Lisa joins our merry band of instructors as I'm sure she can lend even more expertise w/a different eye to our flyers. And, the ever-smiling & self-proclaimed geek, Rebecca S., had an epiphany last night! She flew better than she ever has before! Rebecca's take-off was smoother & stronger; her swing was better timed; and, she was bringing herself down to the mat flatter than even she thought possible! Great flying, Rebecca!
"Advice from a veteran trapeze performer: Throw your heart over the bars & your body will follow." - unknown
I feel & see in the students that the Tue night Skills Program is rather challenging. But, they're being challenged more & in a different way than ever before. We've honed their catching & returns & tricks for months & years. Our flyers are all good eggs. It's time to learn to play on the bar. It's time to crack a few eggs & make a few omelets...!
The wonderful Marisa B. got her Reverse Suicide!
Feisty Galit E. got her Reverse Suicide, too!
Unbelieving, adept Allegra G. tried to recapture & smooth out her F/E Uprise, Front Hip Circle into a Shoot:
... before finishing off w/a nice B/E Uprise Fwd Over!
Type A Elena G. got her Straddle Cut/Catch but it still eluded her afterwards. Tall flyer Renee F. played around w/her elusive Straddle Cut/Catch (so fast & subtle that it's questionable if it actually happened!?) as well as the "Clap".
After toying w/her 1st attempts at a F/E Uprise, our Denise M. (w/puppy Luciano in tow) laughed all the while w/her Reverse Suicide for her 1st times! She also remounted the board for her 1st time in a long time as well as getting her Back Flip out of lines for her 1st time ever! The strong Julien B. (w/his Kathryn watching) honed his Force Out Turn Around, Salute (w/either hand!) & Clap before getting his Reverse Suicide for his 1st time! Elegant & determined Maryam W. made slight improvements w/her Turn Around & B/E Uprise. The lithe & worldly Emma S. made her 1st attempts at a Reverse Suicide (halfway there!) after tackling her Turn Around once again.
We're starting up a new Catchers' Workshop for all of you that ever wanted to progressively blow out your shoulders & aggressively spread your vertebrae! And, for all of you that do partake in this great program, send me a msg if you gain a newfound respect for us catchers...! lol
"No clever arrangement of bad eggs ever made a good omelet." - C.S. Lewis
Saturdays are always such fun to fly & watch! Nice & quiet Courtney is teaching the mini-Pop Action to the little, CUTE kids. Cheery Michelle was teaching aerial yoga to her group. Our complex Susie W. was teaching a private ropes class to the elegant Maryam W. And, then, there's our flyers...!
The lovely & single Nicole A. is still in pursuit of the perfect B/E Uprise, but still managed to rise to the occasion (no pun intended... maybe) to make a few B/E Uprise Shoot catch & returns! It's time for her to perfect her pedestal re-mount to complete full round trips. The lithe & worldly Emma S. had some more success w/her B/E Whip w/a half turn to the net/mat before joining in on Michelle's aerial yoga class. The wonderful & single Marisa B. bettered her Straddle Cut/Catch before dusting off her Cut Away Half & making a few B/E Splits catches & returns. Our Denise M. is getting closer to recapturing her B/E Straddle Whip w/half turn to the net/mat. She also managed to climb into a few B/E Uprises! Denise is already slated to work more on her flying skills this Tuesday. And, just as his niece returned to the rig to view him, newcomer Kevin w/his brogue caught his 1st Knee Hang catch ever!
Newbies Kim & her friend tried flying for their 1st times! Kim got the position well enough, but it was her elusive hands that foiled her catches w/our Lizzy. The rigid-bodied Fran tweaked her Cut Away & is close to getting it catchable! We discovered the flaw in Fran's swing & can hardly wait to rectify it! In front of her Things 1 & 2, feisty mother, Galit E., learned her inaudible "Clap" to better feel the peak of her swing before trying to get a few Straddle Cut/Catches in & making a few B/E catch & returns! Ever-pleasant Alex K. had a breakthrough today! She applied some violence into her half turn to the net/mat to make it all the way to her back!! Congratulations, Alex!
I had the pleasure of chatting w/Emma S. after class over a few drinks on our super-pleasant day. Tonight, some of us are getting together to celebrate our Jason F.'s next trip around the Sun! And, tomorrow, some of us will be toasting to our Christine C.'s last performance as a Streb cast member. (Then, I expect her butt to be on the rig until she leaves! Can't wait to see what she can do...!)
BE GREAT!
"No need to teach an eagle to fly." - Greek proverb
Our Catch & Return Program was a great success when 1st introduced, but it's still amazing to see the fruit it's bearing even now...!
Adorable Lauri W. found her tempo rather well as she progressed onto her Full Swing! Congratulations, Lauri! I speak for us all when saying, "Welcome to a whole new world of frustration...!" Nurse Leslie W. mentally beat herself up but still made some progress w/her swing before catching a few F/E Splits w/our Manny. Strong Doug F. felt the frustrations of the nuances in catch timing w/his B/E Planche.
The unknowingly-adept Allegra G. powered up her apron work while making a few B/E Splits catches w/our Manny. Elegant Maryam W. took some progressive stabs at her Turn Around, getting all the motions & positions! She's SO close to conquering it once & for all! And, ever-jovial Jen R. (wanting return bars SO badly) made 3 (count 'em!) solid returns off her B/E Splits! Congratulations, Jen! Now, she just needs to conquer that Turn Around to learn how to remount the pedestal for full round trips!
(Jeff L., Dino, Jen R. & Manny)
French Emmanuelle C. honed her Turn Around before making a few B/E Straddle Whip catches & working the apron w/our Jeff L. She's come a long way in less than half a yr! The lithe Emma S. took some shots at her Turn Around as well. She made a few nice B/E Planche catches w/our Jeff L. while perfecting her apron work as well! The sturdy Lex R.'s flying has come a long way as well from his beginnings w/Hox-style Knee Hangs. See Lex's swing here:
The feisty (but NOT at all motherly) Galit E. had a very good night! See Galit here practicing her Turn Around (still a little too piked) & planting her feet to remount the pedestal (which she's already done many times):
And, Galit did something wonderful! She completed a full round trip w/her Mod!!
Afterwards, Emma, Emmanuelle, Lex, Galit & I went for celebratory drinks at Julien B.'s (and now, also his girlfriend's, Kathryn's (sp?)) awesome apartment nearby! They were having a party, and we got to check out the incredible rigging Julien had installed (by Arlie H.) in his living room!
It was a great night overall! There're "drop-in" spots available in both the Tue night Skills Program, Wed night Crunch Bounce Fly & Thu night Catch & Return! Come join in on the fun & flying! And, if you haven't reserved your spot for the upcoming Club Get Away intensive trapeze weekends, there are still a few spots left...!
p.s. - Check out this clip I came across after watching Galit's Mod round trip:
You know what I find most amazing? The stadium is virtually empty. Must've been a practice session!?
We had an easy, calm time during the Crunch Bounce Fly tonight...
The super-toned Ami I. taught the Pilates portion of the night. Our Bobby H. taught on the trampoline. And, Manny M. & I taught on the fly! Manny is throwing his B/E Uprise Shoot (w/half turn down) very well & ready to take it out of lines! (You hear THAT, Silvan?!) Our Susie W. made some great progress w/her Turn Around in pursuit of re-mounting the pedestal. And, I got to prove yet another student (Alex K.) to be a big, fat liar! Alex said she couldn't get into her B/E Splits. She did. A few times, in fact. Then, Alex attacked her B/E Planche a few times & progressed w/her B/E Straddle Whip w/a half turn to the net/mat.
More looking back: A few wks ago, much to my surprise, Alex K. told me that she never caught her B/E Whip (her "go to" position). She ended up catching it w/me a few times that very same day!
If you ever wanna get in a lot of turns, a nice workout, tramp time & very nice company, Wed's night's CBF is the perfect time to do it!
We had another productive Skills Program night...!
Accomplishing her "Clap" helped the wonderful Marisa B. get her elusive Straddle Cut/Catch! The sometimes-nice Galit E. was breaking a few eggs, working on her Straddle bar mount & having fun the whole while. The unknowingly adept Allegra H. honed her F/E Uprise, Back Hip Circle, Shoot before (giving me an incredulous look and) starting on her Pirouette/360. Tall Flyer, Renee F., tried out her Straddle Cut/Catch again before raising her game to remount the pedestal for her 1st times from her Turn Around! And, the flyer formerly known as Amy W. (subbing in for Elena G.) dusted off her Straddle Cut/Catch before trying out & getting her Reverse Suicide for her 1st time!
The strong Julien B. honed his Force Out Turn Around & tried his hand at the Reverse Suicide after honing his non-politically correct "Salute"! The talented Janelle H. repeatedly remounted the pedestal before getting her "Salute" & "Clap"! I feel it's time for Janelle to start on her B/E Uprise. The elegant Maryam W. is getting ever-closer to mounting that elusive B/E Uprise & getting her Turn Around! The lithe Emma S. is slowly making progress w/her Turn Around & Suicide. The highly proficient Lisa B. warmed up out of lines before trying out her Straddle Cut/Catch & F/E Uprise.
Since our Manny M. couldn't teach this night, our Jeff L. took some precious time away from his corp life & loving wife to help teach our Skills Program.
If any of my flyers have any video they want me to include on my updates, let me know. Check out the videos of the Espana/Streb Benefit & other videos I've included on my previous postings! See you again soon! Same fly time, same fly channel...!
With the help of the motherly Galit E., I've finally figured out how to post some video!! These are some videos that were taken a few wks ago.
Here's my B/E Uprise Shoot:
Here's examples of a Back Mount & a F/E Uprise Back Mount to the Board:
And, here's me just playing on the bar (F/E Uprise, Straddle Uprise, Planche Turn Around, Reverse Suicide):
In some of my prior updates, I'm going back & including videos (e.g., the Espana Streb Benefit). So, that gives you more reasons to go back & check out my earlier writings again! If there are any of your own videos that you want me to include on this online update, point them out or send them to me. More to follow soon...!
Have a great day!
Side note: Flyers I miss: Maya F., Suzanne M., Samantha W., Samantha B., Caryn T. & many, many more...
We wish our Jason F. a happy birthday! Too bad he couldn't join us for a little celebration dinner of our own at a little Thai place in midtown NYC. Our newlyweds, Jeff L. & Elena L., officially announced their pregnancy! (I had no idea...!) W/us this night were the wonderful Marisa B., the motherly Galit E., the lithe Emma S., the lovely Nicole A., the irrepressible Oleg R. & my loving & lovable wife, Catherine. Our little flying family is growing...!
Earlier in the day, I got to speak w/young Leah B. about flying, Club Get Away & being a sophomore in high school. It's easy to forget her age b/c she carries herself so well professionally as well as in the air.
This Monday, we wish our Jason F. the happiest of birthdays!
Before she makes her move to Israel, Maria returned (sans her little son, Daniel) w/husband, Asaf, & friends, Ryan & the "Lovely Brenda". Maria tried out her F/E Splits before making a few KH catches. Brenda (photographer for Burning Angel) toughed through her class & captured everyone's experiences. And, Asaf & Ryan made their 1st Knee Hang catches ever!
Newcomers including Eli, Alison & Ari flew for their 1st times. Alison made her 1st catch ever! Fran is still wrestling w/her overall tempo, trying to slow it all down & smooth it all out. And, the lovely Nicole A. rushed into her B/E Uprises in pursuit of developing her Forward Over.
We wish an old friend & flyer, Amy G., congratulations for being a newlywed w/husband, Jordan, & also for her pregnancy w/her future, little flyer!
And, if you haven't already signed up for our first Club Get Away weekend of intense flying, catching & other circus disciplines, there are still a few more spots available! Besides the trapeze, there's also swimming, hiking, tennis, water-skiing, drinks & dancing! Either way, I hope to see you in the air...!
This Saturday's classes were relatively packed w/some good flying plus friends old & new...!
Tina's hands were getting beaten as she practiced the B/E of her swing. The quick & tense-bodied Fran smoothed out her swing a little bit but still rushed on a few moments. Our Denise M. flew w/the students, getting her B/E Straddle Whip & half turn to the mat/net back under her belt. Denise has fallen prey to the "instructors' curse" of never flying once becoming an instructor! And, the long time flyer & friend, Evin L., drifted back onto the flying trapeze after letting her shoulders rest for a few months. Evin hasn't lost a step w/her swing tempo & positions! The yoga & conditioning she's been doing has benefited her very well as she dusted off her solid B/E Splits & Cut Away Half.
Our Alyssa brought in a group of her friends to fly for their 1st times! Mark was very calm & confident through the whole class. Jenny kept asking me for an alcoholic drink to calm her nerves as her cute, 2 1/2 yr old son was cried each time she went up the ladder! Amanda appeared somewhat nervous despite being a professional skier! Wendy was a bit fidgety on the bar & w/her hands but managed to steady herself for her catches. And, Cindy was pretty much a shoe-in w/her focused demeanor & spot-on movements. Each of them made their 1st Knee Hang catches by the end of the class! I hope to see them in our air again sometime soon!
As we finished our classes, we got to see the Streb performers warm up. It's always such a nice thing to feel the growing energy before the shows & watch the attractive bunch of performers gather & stretch.
We started the next series of our Catch & Return Program! For this series, we're asking all the flyers to not only develop their catching to full round trips, but to also raise their games in regards to their positions. Such, flyers as Allegra & Elena G. are to focus on higher end tricks to be brought round trip as well as diversify their flying so they not only have one "go to" trick. Flyers new to round trips are gonna (hopefully) experience something new & grand...!
The strong & adept Doug exhibited a lot of power (as he always does) but w/a little less control & tempo than he normally does. That didn't stop him from making a few nice B/E Planche catches & working the returns. "Type A" Elena G. did double duty as a drop-in working on her swing out of lines, her F/E Uprise (w/growing success), her Layout & her round trips off her B/E Splits. Before & while playing so well on the trampoline, the ever-disbelieving, powerful & stoic Allegra G. worked on her Forward Over w/quickly growing success before catching some solid B/E Splits! (I love trying to make Allegra break out one of those rare smiles.)
The composed & elegant Maryam W. is still in search of a solution to grasp her elusive Turn Around, but she did get to make some good B/E Splits catches & even get back to that return bar for her 2nd time! The intense but ever-pleasant Jen R. also tackled her Turn Around before making some B/E Splits catches. Leslie W. nursed her hands, played on the tramp & tuned her swing all during this 1st session. Laurie started out a little intimidated by the diverse group of flyers of this night, but Jen R. settled her fears & pulled her into our fold. Laurie locked out her arms to smooth out her take-off & developed the B/E of her swing a little more.
Lithe, worldly Emma S. has almost all the components in place to get her Suicide dismount; we just have to ramp up her power! And, French prodigy Emmanuelle C. had a productive night! She not only honed her pesky Turn Around very well but also worked a return so well off our Jeff L. that she could've had it! (We just neglected to send the bar...) I believe that Emmanuelle can adapt her movements very easily as long as we show & tell her exactly she has to do (much like Christine C.'s "photographic reflexes").
Jeff S. made a cameo instructor appearance to help us run the classes. And, the father of all these programs, our Jeff L., took some time from his corporate life & loving wife to teach some trampoline & catch a few flyers. And, it is always my joy to teach w/our Manny M. b/c he FEELS the nuances of each flyer & comfortably conveys his instruction.
See you all again soon; same time, same channel...!
p.s. - If you're reading this on a regular basis, please leave (nice) comments from time to time so I know someone is reading my little postings...
It was a rather relaxed & pleasant night of flying...
We wish our Lizzy a happy birthday! Since it was her b-day, Hal A. (w/his much shorter hairdo!) subbed in for her as the 2nd instructor on the flying trapeze. Alex K. is learning to have patience w/her "hollow" in the B/E of her swing, and she "attacked" a few good Planches! Nice flying, Alex! Christine C. got her bearings w/her Cut Away 540's before throwing her Cut Away Half to our Hal for an attempted 1st time catch. No cigar, but very close! Christine even got a chance to throw her Forward Under for her 1st time. (She got eye-daggers from your's truly b/c she threw it virtually perfectly while I still have a bruised knee from my last go at that trick.) She has what I refer to as "photographic reflexes"; she can see a physical act & recreate it almost perfectly w/o practice. Yes, I know: she's sickeningly good...
Tanya E. once again took up her fight to complete her half turn to the net/mat off her B/E Splits, and she laid back & made some progress! Keith has progressed onto his Full Swing (w/o force out for now) quickly & is showing great promise! And, our Susie W. took up her Turn Around w/growing success!
We were joined by a lovely lady from Chinese TV, Chin (I believe her name is), & her camera crew. She tried out her Knee Hang a few times as well as the trampoline & even a little silks.
Tuesnight was fun & the Skills Program is already starting to bear some nice fruit!
Along w/holding onto her F/E Uprise in the middle of class, Galit E. managed to snag her Straddle Cut/Catch towards the end of her session. Marisa B. decided she's no longer going to concentrate on the F/E Uprise, and she toyed around w/her Straddle Cut/Catch as well. Elena G. also debated the finer points of the Straddle Cut/Catch, taking a break from her bruise-inducing F/E Uprise. Allegra G. was the winner of our most improved in one night! She not only cleaned up her F/E Uprise but also learned her Back Hip Circle & the deceivingly simple 2-handed release/re-grab ("Clap"). She performed the wonderfully combination: F/E Uprise, Back Hip Circle, Shoot! Nice flying, Allegra!
Julien B. came a little late (by a wk & an hr!) & dusted off his flying after his return from working in CA. Janelle H. (almost too easily!) re-mounted the board for her 1st times! Remember, Janelle: patience right after you turn around... Renee F. was very helpful in working the board (learning a little but very useful trick w/the board hook!) as she worked on her Straddle Cut/Catch. Maryam W. easily learned her 1-handed release ("Salute") before getting ever-closer to completing her B/E Uprise! Emma S. also practiced her "Salute" & started work on her Suicide dismount. Thais dropped into class to dust off her Cut Away before cleaning up her B/E Uprise & starting on her Back Hip Circle.
Everyone dabbled w/their Back Flip & Reverse Back Flip dismounts. Slowly but surely, we're making omelets...!
This year so far, we've seen new flyers grow & even some old friends go.
Doug & Emmanuelle joined us w/only distant memories of knee hangs, but both now not only have full (sometimes powerful) swings but also a back end position or two as well as feeling the return bar! I can hardly wait to see what they're capable of in the next few months...
Our old friend, Michelle W., has looked to the shores of Italy for more adventure & life. She left her corporate job & Manhattanite lifestyle for more exotic pursuits. I have memories of flying w/Michelle, catching her Cut Away for her 1st time in Central Park, her detailed dinner parties, her gorgeous sister (Renee) & having really nice (albeit intense) conversations of life, love & adventure.
And, our dear Leslie F. (no relation to Jason F.) also left her high-powered, corporate digs & NYC apartment to travel Europe & see far away friends. I fondly recall our taxi cab conversations, her famous (almost infamous) birthday party last year(!), her cute swing w/legs bending at the most peculiar times, her lovable, down-to-earth attitude, "heading west" in FL & hanging out w/her on her very last night in NYC.
With friendly flyers both here & there, I wish each Full round trips & safe returns...
I had the pleasure of teaching w/our Manny M. & Susie W. Manny's flying has gotten so much cleaner & stronger since the last I've seen him really fly! He showed us what a real upwards force out looks like! It's time to take things to his next level by taking up his uprises, shoots & maybe even his forward over again...! Our Susie worked her return off the catcher out of lines! Also, she practiced being a catcher w/a few, new "timers" (b/e Planche & Full Twisting Straight Jump) w/me!
Alex K. was back for her weekly "semi-private" flying lesson. Her swing tempo & b/e Whip are looking better each wk! She practiced her b/e Planche before making her 1st b/e Whip catches ever! Elena G. honed her swing timing, turn around & board mounts out of lines for most of her class before taking a few b/e Splits catches for near-full round trips! Maria & son, Daniel, from Israel won a raffle for a flying trapeze lesson. Maria made her 1st Knee Hang catches ever! Little Daniel managed to get over his fears & wrap his knees around that bar!
We got to see the Streb performers stretch out before their show. I'm holding Christine C. to her words that she'll get much more flying time w/us after this show's run.
Nice flying everyone! Let's keep the energy up & the flying high!
This is a "section" that I'm gonna be adding to from time to time with our flying since year...
Maya F. came with mom, Nina, to get back into the swing of things. She's been making returns rather easily. Alex K. has been learning at a good pace with her swing as her conditioning gets better.
Christine C. has been amazing all around. Not only is she a dancer in the Streb troupe, but she is an outstanding flyer & one of the two women catchers in the NYC area! It must be her diver/gymnast/dancer background. Or, maybe it's just her smile. I've seen her swing grow better quickly, and I've witnessed her cool "rudy" (1 & 1/2 twisting cut away) or, as like to call it, "the blender"! Can hardly wait to catch it...!
Some of us flew in a show in the Streb spring charity benefit. Jeff L. threw his B/E Flexus/Flexus & Layout w/his Over-the-Bar Half Turn dismount; Hal A. threw his B/E Planche w/his Reverse Back Flip dismount; Lizzy H. threw her B/E Splits w/her 540 Pirouette dismount; and, Ruben A. threw his Uprise Shoot!
Here's Jeff's Layout:
The Espana benefit took place on May 17th, 2007. The Espana bros warmed up w/some swings & a neat little F/E Uprise Back Mount. They threw a clean show w/a Planche & Shoot.
We had a lot of first times this night! It was a really strong finish to our latest Catch & Return Program! Maryam W. made it back to that elusive return bar for her 1st time! Allegra G. managed to get her feet under her to snag her 1st Front End Uprise! (I actually saw her smile...!) Suzanne M. took what may be her last class for a while as she let's her body rest. Nicole A. got her B/E Uprise Shoot back AND she managed to return it! And, Renee F. made her 1st round trip ever!! It was off her B/E Splits.
Doug F. has only been flying for a few months & already has a strong swing! And, for his 1st time ever, he grabbed that return bar! That was off his B/E Planche. Leslie W. rejoined our little fold; feeling out her swing once again & even catching her F/E Splits. The wonderful Marisa B. looked almost too cute as she glowed right after making her round trip off her B/E Splits! And, the diverse Galit E. made a full round trip off her Flexus/Flexus!!
Yes, it was a very good night. If I miss mentioning your flying in any of these postings, please be kind & mention it to me. I don't have the luxury of, say, a massive database, but I do now have the ability to edit my postings (ah, the wonders of blogs...). Feel free to send me pics & I'll do my best to include them on our updates.
We're starting up another Catch & Return Program next Thursday. It's been a very powerful program. In the 1st of these series this year, we saw 60% of our students make full round trips, many for their 1st times! That's something we never hoped for before. Hope to see you with us on our little rig in a space we call "Streb"...!
Today, I instructed with Manny M., Denise M. (no relation) & Luciano (Denise's puppy). The 1st of our classes was small but heartwarming. I saw the return of Alyssa G. & Alison M. after they each took a hiatus from flying! Alyssa was getting the feel for the air once again. Alison hasn't lost her tempo of her swing!
The 2nd class of the day brought Ann W., Emma S., young Bailey, our Suzie W. as well as newcomers Tom, John & young James into our heated space (though, too bad it's summer). Ann fought her battles in her mind to get her B/E Uprise back before catching her Full Twisting Layout w/our Manny! Emma S. dabbled w/a "Salute" (one handed release in the "7") before making some Hox Off catches! Young Bailey worked on taking the travel out of his Full Twisting Straight Jump before making some B/E Straddle Whip catches. Our Suzie warmed up very quickly (for Suzie) & made some nice B/E Splits catches with Manny out of lines (since she's on staff, too). And, John made his 1st Knee Hang catch ever in front of his Tom & James!
Graduated Cherry Hill H.S. West & Rutgers Univ. w/a degree in Economics. Worked at Phila Stock Exchange, Bloomberg LP & Club Med Punta Cana. Found flying trapeze (&, consequently, my wife & life) & never looked back...
