The 1st class of the day was a delight to teach! The young, talented & beautiful Maya F. was taking some swings & learning fast on this day before returning to high school. She honed her swing before showing us how easy her 1st B/E Uprise Shoot is for her! Maya then quickly graduated to the Uprise Forward Over before making some Shoot catches w/our Manny.
Maya's Uprise Shoot:
Maya's Uprise Forward Over:
Maya's Uprise Shoot catch:
Little, tense-bodied Paulina was back for more! Her hips hurt too much for her to continue on w/her Pull Over Shoot from Friday, but she learned to relax a little while practicing the B/E of her swing. Paulina then made a F/E Straddle Whip catch w/Manny even as fatigue set in.
The quiet Jen M. progressed w/her F/E Whip & Pull Over Shoot rather well before making some catches w/our Manny.
Jen M.'s Pull Over Shoot:
Jen's F/E Whip:
British Josie N. represented for her & her sister as her sister took ill & couldn't take the class. Josie practiced to perfection & made her 1st Knee Hang catches w/our Susie W. Young, earnest Sophia dusted off her F/E Bird's Nest before practicing her F/E Splits. She then went on to make her 1st ever Birdie catch w/our Susie!
Our Susie's swing has gotten so much more powerful in the past few months. She went from "mule kick" to relaxed swing to her present swing w/real sweeps! Take a look:
"It doesn't work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps." - American proverb
Monday, August 27, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
This Saturday was a relaxing & easy day of flying...
Emma S. had the whole 1st class of the day all to herself! She was getting back into the swing of things after taking some time off for work. She worked her swing well, got reacquainted w/her abdominal muscles & had fun hanging w/us! Welcome back, Emma!
The 2nd class of the day had some newbies & one quickly growing, flying prodigy! It was the 1st time for I-banker Serena & Seattle's Adam. They both did very well & made their 1st catches ever! Super-quick-learner, Rex, not only went from practicing the B/E of his swing but also learned his full swing (sans force out for now) w/a good cadence rather quickly. By the end of class, Rex learned & caught his Pull Over Shoot, B/E Planche AND B/E Straddle Whip for his 1st times! I'm sure we'll see them again soon...!
"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." - Charles DuBois
Emma S. had the whole 1st class of the day all to herself! She was getting back into the swing of things after taking some time off for work. She worked her swing well, got reacquainted w/her abdominal muscles & had fun hanging w/us! Welcome back, Emma!
The 2nd class of the day had some newbies & one quickly growing, flying prodigy! It was the 1st time for I-banker Serena & Seattle's Adam. They both did very well & made their 1st catches ever! Super-quick-learner, Rex, not only went from practicing the B/E of his swing but also learned his full swing (sans force out for now) w/a good cadence rather quickly. By the end of class, Rex learned & caught his Pull Over Shoot, B/E Planche AND B/E Straddle Whip for his 1st times! I'm sure we'll see them again soon...!
"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." - Charles DuBois
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
It was a nice & fun Friday night at our little rig in Brooklyn...
The 5:30pm Beginners' Class included Diana, Maria, David, Megan & Katherine. David's presence reconfirmed the approximate demographics of flying trapeze students in the NYC area: less than 20% of flyers are male. Young Mega is a friend of our Denise D.! Both David & Megan excelled & were pretty much ready for catches. I hope we see them all soon to fulfill those catches!
Little, super-tense Paulina had a virtual private class on Friday evening! She learned & practiced her Pull Over Shoot to the point where she's very close to getting it perfectly! Only one or two more practices should do it, Paulina!
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo
The 5:30pm Beginners' Class included Diana, Maria, David, Megan & Katherine. David's presence reconfirmed the approximate demographics of flying trapeze students in the NYC area: less than 20% of flyers are male. Young Mega is a friend of our Denise D.! Both David & Megan excelled & were pretty much ready for catches. I hope we see them all soon to fulfill those catches!
Little, super-tense Paulina had a virtual private class on Friday evening! She learned & practiced her Pull Over Shoot to the point where she's very close to getting it perfectly! Only one or two more practices should do it, Paulina!
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo
Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
The 1st class of last night was for all intents & purposes a Splits Intensive! Everyone warmed up, many out of lines. When it came to catches, virtually everyone threw B/E Splits! And, I estimate that we had approximately 65% returns! Still coming down from her Israel vacation, the feisty Galit E. was nice enough to throw a B/E Planche. She had Things 1 & 2 in tow. Tense-bodied Fran S. was trying to retain the breakthroughs she attained from her Club Getaway weekends. Susan the clinical psychologist changed it up a little & threw her F/E Splits.
Always safety conscious, Rebecca S. really wanted that return bar as she grabbed at it fervently. The powerful Allegra G. was looking at strong as ever as she ended off her class w/a full round trip! The positive Renee F. made a few returns & just needs to stay tight on the return bar to make round trips a regular thing. And, the ever-jovial Jen R. made another round trip (her 2nd!) w/a cool demeanor. Been there, done that, right, Jen?!
Nurse Leslie W. changed things up as she learned her B/E Straddle Whip rather easily! The even-keeled Sharron C. was back in the air after a few wks off, catching her Hox Off more smoothly than ever & working her return! French Emmanuelle C. tried slowing down the tempo of her "hollow" before making some catches w/our Manny. Fresh from her Club Getaway wkend, the focused Emily S. honed her Hox Saulto w/ever more success! And, less than 24 hrs back from Panama, the lovely Nicole S. fought to fully extend her force out before making B/E Splits & Uprise Shoot catches w/our Manny!
"If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth." - Mitsugi Saotome
Always safety conscious, Rebecca S. really wanted that return bar as she grabbed at it fervently. The powerful Allegra G. was looking at strong as ever as she ended off her class w/a full round trip! The positive Renee F. made a few returns & just needs to stay tight on the return bar to make round trips a regular thing. And, the ever-jovial Jen R. made another round trip (her 2nd!) w/a cool demeanor. Been there, done that, right, Jen?!
Nurse Leslie W. changed things up as she learned her B/E Straddle Whip rather easily! The even-keeled Sharron C. was back in the air after a few wks off, catching her Hox Off more smoothly than ever & working her return! French Emmanuelle C. tried slowing down the tempo of her "hollow" before making some catches w/our Manny. Fresh from her Club Getaway wkend, the focused Emily S. honed her Hox Saulto w/ever more success! And, less than 24 hrs back from Panama, the lovely Nicole S. fought to fully extend her force out before making B/E Splits & Uprise Shoot catches w/our Manny!
"If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth." - Mitsugi Saotome
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
We started off this night w/our weekly staff training. Allyssa M. practiced her safety lines pulling as well as being a guinea pig for others. Tanya E. has gotten her B/E Splits down so well & even commands the descent to the mat/net w/perfect flatness! Newcomer Egon was introduced to the basic technique of catcher's locks before trying his hand at a F/E Straddle Whip. The industrious YK H. is looking smoother than ever w/her board work even as she hones her swing. Denise M. stopped by for a bit to work her swing, help out & go for some catches w/our Manny M.! Ami I. got a crash course in F/E flying trapeze positions before finding the tempo of her swing. And, Eli's catcher's locks were looking so good that he made he caught his 1st flyer ever! Congratulations, Eli!
High-flyer Julian B. brought in his own group of French flyers including Eloise, Simone , Catherine & Anna. I got to practice my French commands w/decent success! They even said I have a slight "Quebec" accent (no doubt from my time at Club Med & from my multilingual wife!). Our Bobby did the catching. Julian practiced his Uprise Shoot before making Splits & Straddle Whip catches! And, young Eloise made here 1st ever Knee Hang catch!
"Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living." - Anais Nin
High-flyer Julian B. brought in his own group of French flyers including Eloise, Simone , Catherine & Anna. I got to practice my French commands w/decent success! They even said I have a slight "Quebec" accent (no doubt from my time at Club Med & from my multilingual wife!). Our Bobby did the catching. Julian practiced his Uprise Shoot before making Splits & Straddle Whip catches! And, young Eloise made here 1st ever Knee Hang catch!
"Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living." - Anais Nin
Monday, August 20, 2007
Friday to Sunday, August 17 to 19, 2007, Kent, CT
I've said it before, but I'll say it again (and, I'm not exaggerating): it was an awesome weekend at Club Getaway in Kent, CT! The flyers had some breakthroughs; we got in a lot of catching; and, we had a lot of fun all the while!
At the beginning of the wkend, Jayne D. came for the day & got her swings in amidst intermittent rain & thunder.
How not to catch a flyer:
Heather W. was beautiful all around! Her Mod (back hip circle release) was looking great! She was making her Layout & Straddle Whip catches easily & beautifully. Heather got a round trip off her Layout. And, well before the weekend was over, she managed to do her 1st full round trip off her Mod!! Great flying, Heather!
The last CG wkend, Fran S. had a nice breakthrough as she learned how to sweep back deeper in her swing. This time, she not only retained that more flexed swing, but Fran had another nice breakthrough w/the timing of her apron work! You're there, Fran!
Rebecca S. was swinging out of lines again & making consistent Layout catches. She worked on her swing so much (making many improvements!) that she actually did a B/E Split sans the Split!
Feisty Galit E. was fresh back from Israel working on her B/E Splits & Mod. Despite what she says, Galit hasn't lost a step when it comes to her flying despite taking off for a month.
The strong & calm Lex R. smoothed out his swing over the course of the wkend & was looking pretty good! He also caught a few Hox Offs & got better at working his return.
The tall & earnest Max R. (son of Lex) threw & caught his Planche & Straddle Whip, 1st time pullover shoot catch!
Relative newcomer, Fran M., dusted off her F/E Whip & Pullover Shoot before being introduced to her swing! She's learning her swing rather quickly, too!
An always welcome addition, Scott S. got back into the air by catching AND returning his Uprise Shoot!
In between mid-air conversations, nurse Leslie W. honed her swing & made a few Splits catches over the weekend.
Young, intelligent, mature, beautiful Alpha girl Willa B. learned some patience w/the hollow of her swing while tuning her straddle whip.
The determined Daniela cleaned up her F/E Whip before learning & wrestling w/her F/E Planche w/growing success.
The talented Emily S. honed her Hox Off, making a few nice catches & getting close to the return bar. She was looking so good w/that trick that she started learning & having fun w/her Hox Saulto! It's looking good & she's hoping to be one of the few to ever catch this trick!
The staff also had fun this wkend! Fearless leader, Beth, made many a nice catches w/her Layout, Straddle Whip & Splits before ending off w/her Seat Roll dismount. Husband Effe's swing & bounce across are getting stronger each time I see him. This married duo performed on the silks each night for the enthralled crowd.
The coordinator of the whole wkend, Jeff L., had some fun flying & catching his Layout, Planche & Flexi before heading back to his wife, Elena, in NYC.
It was my pleasure to meet the awesome & jovial Paul R. for my 1st time. I hope to get to fly & instruct & party w/him again soon!
Canada's Joan worked the safety lines b/t teaching silks to the students. Rounding out the instructor bunch, our Bobby H. & Jason F. added fun, teaching & safety to the wkend.
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." - Annie Dillard
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
This night, a few of us got together to fly before we started the next round of programs classes. It was good to see that many of us haven't lost a beat though we haven't been flying together regularly in a few weeks...!
Effervescent Tina worked on her B/E Straddle Whip w/good, catch-able hands. Her swing is looking better!
Adorable Lauri W. made progress w/her B/E Splits. Closer & closer, bit by bit, Lauri! Positive Renee F. threw a nice Planche Turnaround before making numerous catch & returns w/her B/E Splits. Delightful Debbie D. worked on her B/E Whip. She's learning to overcome fears to fully open up her Whip in pursuit of that half turn to the mat/net.
Even though she hasn't flown in months, the powerful Molly G. hasn't lost a beat as she worked on her Layout before making a B/E Splits catch.
Hardworking Rachel C. worked on her Layout before throwing some half-time Shooting Stars. Her hands ripped past the point of going on, but we'll be seeing her again soon! Here's Rachel's half time Shooting Star:
And, Jen R.'s first round trip ever!!! Her take-off was good; her swing was more powerful than usual; the B/E Splits catch was smooth; her apron work was just right; her return to the fly bar was perfectly distanced. She was tight & swept hard, so her remount of the pedestal was inevitable! Great work, Jen!
Jen practicing her B/E Splits w/Half Turn to the mat/net:
Jen's first B/E Splits round trip!:
The winning team...!
World-traveling Jodi R. stopped by from CA to say, "Hi!" & take a few swings! It's very good to see her again! As always, our Manny M. & Susie W. were invaluable w/their teaching, experience & presence.
In the background, we had aerialists such as Fran S., Arron & Natalie D. practicing silks, lyra & static trapeze.
This weekend, some of us will be at Club Getaway once again, so tune in next time to see how we flew...!
"Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius
Effervescent Tina worked on her B/E Straddle Whip w/good, catch-able hands. Her swing is looking better!
Adorable Lauri W. made progress w/her B/E Splits. Closer & closer, bit by bit, Lauri! Positive Renee F. threw a nice Planche Turnaround before making numerous catch & returns w/her B/E Splits. Delightful Debbie D. worked on her B/E Whip. She's learning to overcome fears to fully open up her Whip in pursuit of that half turn to the mat/net.
Even though she hasn't flown in months, the powerful Molly G. hasn't lost a beat as she worked on her Layout before making a B/E Splits catch.
Hardworking Rachel C. worked on her Layout before throwing some half-time Shooting Stars. Her hands ripped past the point of going on, but we'll be seeing her again soon! Here's Rachel's half time Shooting Star:
And, Jen R.'s first round trip ever!!! Her take-off was good; her swing was more powerful than usual; the B/E Splits catch was smooth; her apron work was just right; her return to the fly bar was perfectly distanced. She was tight & swept hard, so her remount of the pedestal was inevitable! Great work, Jen!
Jen practicing her B/E Splits w/Half Turn to the mat/net:
Jen's first B/E Splits round trip!:
The winning team...!
World-traveling Jodi R. stopped by from CA to say, "Hi!" & take a few swings! It's very good to see her again! As always, our Manny M. & Susie W. were invaluable w/their teaching, experience & presence.
In the background, we had aerialists such as Fran S., Arron & Natalie D. practicing silks, lyra & static trapeze.
This weekend, some of us will be at Club Getaway once again, so tune in next time to see how we flew...!
"Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
This night's Staff Training was a quiet yet fruitful one...!
I had fun giving YK H. some training on how to work the pedestal board. She dealt well with the "worst case" scenarios I dished out! She not only retrieved the fly bar from a dead stand still but also hauled me back onto the board after I jumped off! Yoni worked well on lines for his 1st time on our little, Streb rig. He also got up in the catch trap to snag a few staff members out of the air.
Once he straightens out his "7" a little more, Chem's swing is just about ready to hit the ceiling! Cassandra's swing is also powerful; she just has to get over some basic fears. Cassie conquered her B/E Splits & made her 1st catches w/it all during this session! Congratulations, Cassie!
Tanya worked on her lines pulling & is learning to eventually pull for catches. Though taking it easy in the course of prudence, our Susie still managed to take some swings, do some turn arounds & help out the training! And, our Bobby was pulling some lines before getting up in the catch trap.
We're starting up some of our program classes again including the Catch & Return program on Sunday & Tuesday nights as well as a new, high-energy, high-flying, ramped up, dynamic program called S.H.O.W.! Contact either Jeff L. or myself via email as soon as you can to join in on the fun, flying, friendship & learning...!
I'd like to say, "HI!" to Galit in Israel w/Things 1 & 2, Allegra in law school, Leah in camp, Leslie in Europe w/Emma & Nicole in South America!
"If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space." - unknown
I had fun giving YK H. some training on how to work the pedestal board. She dealt well with the "worst case" scenarios I dished out! She not only retrieved the fly bar from a dead stand still but also hauled me back onto the board after I jumped off! Yoni worked well on lines for his 1st time on our little, Streb rig. He also got up in the catch trap to snag a few staff members out of the air.
Once he straightens out his "7" a little more, Chem's swing is just about ready to hit the ceiling! Cassandra's swing is also powerful; she just has to get over some basic fears. Cassie conquered her B/E Splits & made her 1st catches w/it all during this session! Congratulations, Cassie!
Tanya worked on her lines pulling & is learning to eventually pull for catches. Though taking it easy in the course of prudence, our Susie still managed to take some swings, do some turn arounds & help out the training! And, our Bobby was pulling some lines before getting up in the catch trap.
We're starting up some of our program classes again including the Catch & Return program on Sunday & Tuesday nights as well as a new, high-energy, high-flying, ramped up, dynamic program called S.H.O.W.! Contact either Jeff L. or myself via email as soon as you can to join in on the fun, flying, friendship & learning...!
I'd like to say, "HI!" to Galit in Israel w/Things 1 & 2, Allegra in law school, Leah in camp, Leslie in Europe w/Emma & Nicole in South America!
"If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space." - unknown
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007, Brooklyn, NY
Happy August! We had a slightly different kind of night w/a camera crew for a reality program, then some staff flying, then some students learning. It's a good way to kick off the month...!
A new reality TV show shot part of their pilot episode in our little space in Brooklyn. Ben was apparently supposed to be deathly afraid of heights & was to conquer that fear tonight! But, strangely enough, he did fantastically on his 1st try & made his 1st Knee Hang catch (to our Susie W.!) on his 2nd time up...!!?
It's little surprise that our Chem's & Cassie's swings are getting powerfully high! Each of them managed to hit the board to different degrees, but that did little to slow their development. YK, Keith & Tanya tweaked their swings a bit, too. Tanya worked on her Turn Around, but seemed a bit off tonight. No worries; everybody has to experience plateaus to find their heights.
Lisa R. came in to cut her swing through the air. She wowed us all by throwing her Double Back Tuck out of lines! Randy has developed a playful version of his Reverse Suicide: imagine him diving into a pool w/his feet sort of running in the air! Our Manny has gotten his Reverse Suicide down rather well while keeping it rather exciting! Susie practiced her Layout.
In her 2nd class ever, cute, little Sabina (w/the tiniest toes ever!) brought English-accented friend Tosh for his 1st class ever.
Tosh's Knee Hang:
Tosh hanging around:
Sabina's Knee Hang:
Sabina's Knee Hang(2):
They both got their Knee Hangs & Back Flips quickly before making some Knee Hang catches!
Our Denise drove in (w/her ever-growing Luciano) to get some swings under her before making a nice B/E Straddle Whip catch & return! You've still got it, D! All of the photos I included on this update are courtesy of the bionic Denise "Candy Wideback".
Luciano keeping an eye on things:
The lovely Nicole A. rounded out the bunch as she worked hard to level out her swing on the F/E before remounting the pedestal smoothly once. She then threw a couple of easy B/E Splits catches & returns!
Keep an eye out for my emails & messages regarding the new programs we'll be running at Streb starting this month of August into the next few months of this year! Let me know what you want, what you like/dislike, and when you can take classes. Be there or be square...!
"Youth is in a grand flush, like the hot days of ending summer; and pleasant dreams thrall your spirit, like the smoky atmosphere that bathes the landscape of an August day." - Donald G. Mitchell
A new reality TV show shot part of their pilot episode in our little space in Brooklyn. Ben was apparently supposed to be deathly afraid of heights & was to conquer that fear tonight! But, strangely enough, he did fantastically on his 1st try & made his 1st Knee Hang catch (to our Susie W.!) on his 2nd time up...!!?
It's little surprise that our Chem's & Cassie's swings are getting powerfully high! Each of them managed to hit the board to different degrees, but that did little to slow their development. YK, Keith & Tanya tweaked their swings a bit, too. Tanya worked on her Turn Around, but seemed a bit off tonight. No worries; everybody has to experience plateaus to find their heights.
Lisa R. came in to cut her swing through the air. She wowed us all by throwing her Double Back Tuck out of lines! Randy has developed a playful version of his Reverse Suicide: imagine him diving into a pool w/his feet sort of running in the air! Our Manny has gotten his Reverse Suicide down rather well while keeping it rather exciting! Susie practiced her Layout.
In her 2nd class ever, cute, little Sabina (w/the tiniest toes ever!) brought English-accented friend Tosh for his 1st class ever.
Tosh's Knee Hang:
Tosh hanging around:
Sabina's Knee Hang:
Sabina's Knee Hang(2):
They both got their Knee Hangs & Back Flips quickly before making some Knee Hang catches!
Our Denise drove in (w/her ever-growing Luciano) to get some swings under her before making a nice B/E Straddle Whip catch & return! You've still got it, D! All of the photos I included on this update are courtesy of the bionic Denise "Candy Wideback".
Luciano keeping an eye on things:
The lovely Nicole A. rounded out the bunch as she worked hard to level out her swing on the F/E before remounting the pedestal smoothly once. She then threw a couple of easy B/E Splits catches & returns!
Keep an eye out for my emails & messages regarding the new programs we'll be running at Streb starting this month of August into the next few months of this year! Let me know what you want, what you like/dislike, and when you can take classes. Be there or be square...!
"Youth is in a grand flush, like the hot days of ending summer; and pleasant dreams thrall your spirit, like the smoky atmosphere that bathes the landscape of an August day." - Donald G. Mitchell
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