Wednesday, June 11 to Tuesday, June 24, 2008, Cancun, Mexico

It's funny where you take life...

I was talking w/Silvan H. about possible connections to flying rigs in Las Vegas & she suggested talking w/the world traveling, flying trapeze training ex-GO, Arano. In turn, Arano mentioned that he needed someone to help out the circus team in the Club Med village of Cancun, Mexico for a few weeks. A few emails, text messages, phone calls & days later, I found myself standing in Cancun!

View from my room!


Over the course of two great weeks, I met so many great GOs (staff) including Vitor (chief of circus), Jade (circus GO), Meghan (circus GO from Ixtapa), Eyal (chief of the village), Vincent ("HSM"), Angelo (chief of sports), Luli, Ilan, Rozi & so many others. In addition, I got to share the whole experience with so many GMs (guests) such as Mark, Emily, Will, Susanne, Jamie, Ben, Maya, Mark, Janet, Mara, Regan, Cole, Cristabella & so, so many others. As paths converged, I also had the pleasure of meeting the former circus GO, Ashley from the new Trapeze U in Arizona. And, my wife & I had a wonderful time & great conversations w/the legendary sailing GO, Zorro!

The rig!




My Catherine, Meghan (Ixtapa circus) & I partied at Coco Bongo!




Meghan sleeping on the way home...


The very next day, Catherine, Meghan, Jade & I went to the ruin & beaches of Tulum.

Meghan sleeping on the way to Tulum...


Ruins of Tulum:








Grabbing dinner & drinks at Playa del Carmen:


Catherine & I horse-back riding to the beaches of Mexico:


Throughout the weeks, Vitor & I kept practicing to catch his Double Layout. Given that we knew each other for less than 2 wks & only practiced when we could carve out time from their super-busy schedules, we did pretty well. We never did catch that Double Lay, but if we had only a one more week, a few more hrs of practice together.
(videos to be loaded)

Practices for the Double Layout:
Practices w/Jade's Splits/Angel:
Vitor's Planche catch & return:
Jade's Legs catch & return:
Vitor's Fwd Over catch & return:
Jade's Splits/Angel:
Vitor's Double Layout in the show:
My Back Out dismount in the show:



My Planche Turn Around:


Some pictures of the circus show just before the fly show:




The GM Fly Show...!

Therese from France w/her Knee Hang catch:


Maya from the US w/her Knee Hang catch:


Ben's Planche catch:




Mark's Straddle Whip catch & return:


Susanne's Cut Away:


Jamie's Cut Away catch & return!




After the fly show (me, Jade, Ben, Jamie, Vitor, Meghan):


Me w/the new circus team of Club Med Cancun


"When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality." - Dom Helder Camara

Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Long Island, NY

Former student, fellow trapeze instructor/aerialist/Club Med GO & long time friend, Silvan H. was visiting her home NY as she transitioned from one Club Med village to her next in Ixtapa, Mexico. And, as fate would have it, another old friend & aerialist, Cristiano M. from Argentina was also visiting for a few days before heading off to teach flying trapeze w/some more friends, Dave C. & Colleen F.

Cristiano & me!


Due to this convergence of GOs/aerialists, I got to visit the iFly rig in Long Island one day before catching up w/everyone again for drinks on the UES of Manhattan.

Marco & Paula:


"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" - George Eliot

Friday, May 16, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

Young Laila celebrated her birthday w/some of her friends including Isabelle, Rahna, Collette, Mariah & Sam.

"Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Jack Benny

Saturday, May 3 to Saturday, May 10, 2008, Las Vegas, NV & San Diego, CA

Taking some time away from NYC, my wife & I visited friends in Las Vegas & San Diego...!

It was a whirlwind visit to Sin City: Lunch @ Mandalay Bay, drinks @ Tao, dancing @ the Playboy Club & the rooftop Moonlight club at the Palms, sights within Red Rock Canyon, catching rays @ Lake Mead, the buffet @ the Rio and steaks @ NY NY. We fell in love w/Vegas in new & different ways.



After a pleasant & rather fast (we had a convertible Mustang!) drive through the desert to San Diego, we saw some sights with our NYC family: Jeff, Elena & their baby! We caught up w/friend, Lisa R., to check out, fly & catch @ the long standing Trapeze High. Here's some of our flights:







They were very hospitable & open to me flying & catching w/them. It was a relaxed & pleasant day, and I'm glad to experience another rig (and, a West coast one at that!).

"As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own." - Margaret Mead

Thursday, May 1, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This was an interesting night, the 1st of May...!

Shane was back tweaking his swing & having fun all the while. His friend, Scott, was back to continue his flight training right along side Shane. The powerful & awesome Allegra G. was taking a class aside from the regular program classes she normally takes. Joni W. ventured to Williamsburg in the middle of week from her normal classes over the weekends. And, the strong-bodied Thais K. was honing her Layout, Uprise Fwd Over & her Shoot.

As the under-dog we never saw coming, the lovely, blond Monica not only learned her swing from scratch but also managed to get her 1st B/E position ever caught in just 2 hrs! Amazing! Our agile & wonderful Myriah P. (who normally teaches the trampoline during our programs) brought her boyfriend, Jason, to his 1st class ever! Myriah worked on her swing & came closer to catching her Full Twisting Whip! Jason learned & caught his 1st Knee Hang ever! It's a couple's affair now! Elena G. was flying smoothly & confidently OOM, honing her Full Twisting Layout. French Julien B. was back after too long a time away from flying. He easily dusted off & caught his super-high Uprise Shoot w/me!

"The man who is anybody and who does anything is surely going to be criticized, vilified, and misunderstood. This is part of the penalty for greatness, and evey man understands, too, that it is no proof of greatness." - Elbert Hubbard

Wednesday, April 30, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

On this cool April night, we had a good night w/an intimate number of good friends/flyers in attendance. Charles P. was looking good w/his swing. Brittany was as effervescent as always w/here perma-smile. Crazy Lauren was getting back into her stronger self. And, Madilyn was adding grace into the air w/her flying.

In the 2nd class of the night, Alex K. was throwing her Splits/Angels smoother than ever. Kara & Vanessa were back & working on new tricks. And, the spritely Rachael F. was toying w/her swing.

"I seldom think of my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers." - Helen Keller

Tuesday, April 15, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

Happy Tax Day! On this last session of this series (remember to sign up for the next round!), we're seeing the fun fruits of our efforts & managing to get in another accomplishment or two...!

Returning to the air after some time off & amazed by how well her swing went w/a later "hollow", smiling Tanya E. could not miss the return bar off her B/E Split catches! Four times in a row, she snagged it despite our incredulous disbeliefs! After working diligently on her Pirouette & a couple of Flexus, Galit E. is making her Splits w/Angel returns OOM so smoothly & easily that round trips are almost a given! Now, we're setting our sights on her Planche w/Double Angel returns OOM. French Emmanuelle C. regained some of her previous glory & power of her older swings. She then went onto catch a few Cut Aways & recreate her Straight Jump returns. In the background of our little rig, comely Kristy M. was taking a silks class w/the experienced Laura W. Adorable Lauri W. boldly took on her B/E Splits again so well that we were even going for the returns!

Our trampoline instructor, Myriah P., took a few swings, honing her technique. Patiently waiting for the commands, our Uys D. caught one of his smoothest & highest Uprise Shoots ever after working on his crazy Double Back & Layout! And, rounding out the night very nicely, ever-pleasant legal eagle Sharron C. caught her Shooting Star for her 1st times this night!


To continue our progressions & accomplishments, remember to sign up for the next round of programs on Tuesdays & Thursdays starting next week! We'll be working on finding "Big Swings & even more "Intensive Fun!" Contact Jeff (Jeff@SSIAdvisors.com) or I (ripple5002@hotmail.com) ASAP...!

"Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it." - Ella Williams

Wednesday, April 9, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

On this Wednesday, we went a little video happy b/c it was a very productive evening...!

Spritely dancer Rachael F. honed her Pull Over Shoot & learned her F/E Gazelle (much like the Stag but more feminine sounding) before catching BOTH of them in one class!




Charles P. wasn't the token male flyer this night as he was joined by other men confident enough w/their manliness to take direction from the women instructors, Whit "Don't-Call-Me-Whitney" C. & our rock-solid Cody-licious! Charles has come a long way in the past few wks as evidenced in his increased ability to stay tighter in catches as w/his newly learned Hox Off!


The 6'4" fireman/stuntman/flyer Scott (last name?) came armed w/his experiences from CM Turks to learn his Swing (w/very promising results) for his 1st time before being a little grabby while trying to catch his F/E Planche w/our Cody.


Agile newcomer Shane (last name?) pummeled his hip bones w/his Pull Over Shoot before taking a break from that to learn & catch his Stag (much like the Gazelle but more manly sounding) for his 1st times!


This shows how bad a pimp I am: I forgot to asked these gentlemen if they're single & available for one of the wonderful, intelligent, athletic, beautiful women I know! (Bad pimp! Bad!)

Amy "Oreo America" G. warmed up w/some Uprise Forward Overs OOM before throwing some Doubles for attempted catches. Not bad for not throwing Doubles for a few months!
Here's one of Amy's latest Fwd Overs:


Here's Amy's Double:


In her 2nd class ever, the demure Monica W. learned & caught her F/E Split for her 1st time! Our indomitable Matt T. learned & caught the very useful skill/position of the Half Turn all in one session! It's been way too long since we've flown together, my friend.

And, for the big news of the night: Alex "Split Rock" K. warmed up w/her Shooting Star & then made some nice B/E Splits catches w/Angel returns, THEN made her 1st Round Trip ever!! Awesome flying, Split Rock!

So close...!


Alex's 1st Round Trip!


As my aerial awareness has grown, I've come to understand my flying (as well as that of my students) much better & more easily. So, hot on the tails of taking my Uprise Forward Over OOM, I honed & took my Drive Layout OOM for the 1st times this great evening!


To complement the plethora of videos we have today, I've included a number of quotes. "Like a good wine or time w/friends, some things are not meant to be put on hold, but savored now." (Dino Ramos-Stephens) In light of recent events which reminded me that nothing lasts forever & at any moment things can change, I share these w/you now. Hopefully, may at least one of these quotes make you smile as much as each of you have made me smile.

"There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground & miss." - Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

"More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost, if you can conceive of such a combination." - Wilbur Wright

"Lovers of [flying] find it exhilarating to hang poised between the illusion of immortality and the fact of death." - Alexander Chase, "Perspectives," 1966

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand & walk & run & climb & dance; one cannot fly into flying." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"Given angel's wings, where might you fly?
In what sweet heaven might you find your love?
Unwilling to be bound, where might you move,
Lost between the wonder and the why...?" - Nicholas Gordon

"When you think about flying, it's nuts really. Here you are at about 40,000 feet, screaming along at 700 miles an hour and you're sitting there drinking Diet Pepsi and eating peanuts. It just doesn't make any sense." - David Letterman

"If black boxes survive air crashes, why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?" - George Carlin

"Those who gave away their wings are sad not to see them fly." - Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

"The reason angels can fly is because they take themselves lightly." - G.K. Chesterton

"Now I know why they tell you to put your head between your knees on crash landings. You think you're going to kiss your ass good-bye." - Terry Hanson

Tuesday, April 8, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This Tuesday's Catch & Return program was mostly a quiet night, a rebuilding/expansion night...

Galit E. easily recreated a few Splits catches w/Angel returns OOM in between working on her pirouettes (which are coming along well) & her Force Out Cut Aways. Legal eagle Sharron C. looks like she's having more fun as she's onto learning the Shooting Star. She wrestled with the slightly conflicting nuances, timings & techniques b/t the Layout & Shooting Star. The powerful & less demure Allegra G. played w/her Layout OOM before making some Straddle Whip catches OOM. The comely Kristy M. has been progressing steadily & strongly, honing her Force Out Turn Arounds, touching brick & "burying her shoulder" to deftly complete her half turns to the mat/net. The determined & secretly super-strong Debbie D. is working her turns to the mat/net well as well as bettering her apron work during catches.

And, for the big news of the night: Before learning Angel returns & working on incorporating new, more powerful techniques into her swing, French Emmanuelle C. returned her Cut Away w/a Straight Jump return for her 1st time ever!


"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." - John Quincy Adams

Looking back (the week in review)...

After a very nice start to our flying week, we didn't tone it down a bit in the following days! Here a few of the highlights...

Wednesday:
LOL All in one night: After doing his Swings OOM for his 1st times, prodigal flyer Brandon R. learned the "Salute" (1-handed release), "Clap" (2-handed release) & 1st B/E Uprise before practicing his 1st Pirouettes! One of the students in the class said to him, "You must get a lot of people hating you." I'd feel badly for Brandon receiving comments like that if it didn't take me a year to get my 1st Uprise. After working on her Pull Over Shoot, the spritely Rachael F. was catching her Whip in her 3rd class ever. Cute nerd Brittany S. is making strides w/her Swing & will be ready for B/E positions before she knows it! We wish her luck on her ballet performance & will see her in another week.

After asking, "Hey, aren't you supposed to be on the West coast...?!" the very candid (and, sometimes gassy) Emily revealed that she was supposed to leave NYC, but she was taking her last weekday class w/us THIS week, not last. She certainly kept us on our toes as she kept throwing B/E "surprises". Will it be a Split?! Will it be a Whip?! Not even Emily knows!! I took the opportunity to swing w/both her & the ever-pleasant Charles P. in attempts to hone their tempos. Charles is progressing very well & quickly w/his B/E Straddle Whip, making it stronger & better w/each class!

The beautiful & talented Nicole A. made her 1st catch (B/E Split) OOM ever! I really respect her confidence. She told me that she recently had a class where she could almost do no right. But, during the course of this evening w/the awesome team of Whit, Cody & I, she could do no wrong! Nicole showed us how easily she could half turn to the mat/net out of her B/E Split. Then, she repeatedly did perfect "timers" w/me. By the end of her class, she caught her Split 3 times OOM!


The focused & super-light Alex K. upped her Shooting Star enough to catch it for her 1st time ever! Then, she went on to throw a nice B/E Splits and return it w/her newfound Angel return! Very productive night, Alex. Potent flyer Elena G. played w/her large repertoire of skills & positions including her Pirouette, Layout & Half Turn.

Thursday:
Our Amy G. kept up her consistency w/her Forward Over OOM, and our Jeff L. even hung (low) for it to push her progression. Tight-bodied Thais K. practiced her Forward Over a little more & made some nice B/E Splits catches OOM. Galit E. did her 1st Angel return OOM ever! She caught her B/E Split smoothly, kicked up well, caught the return bar confidently & completed it for a full round trip!


The adorable & effervescent Suzanne M. took up the pursuit of her Full Twisting Straight Jump. She made enough great strides w/it in this one night for me to be confident enough to hang for it! I think we would've caught it w/one more try, but Suzanne got a rip. In for Molly G., Renee F. fought a tough fight to stay positive as she worked on her Half Turn. The cute-as-Betty-Boop nurse Leslie W. surprised our Jeff L. w/her new & improved Turn Around before she played w/her 1st Hox Saultos. The strong Lex R. made his 1st Full Round trip ever! He caught his rock-solid Hox Off, worked the apron really well, kicked hard once on the return bar & snagged the riser to pull himself back onto the pedestal board!


"Every man [& woman] dies, but not all men [nor women] truly live." - Mel Gibson in Braveheart

Tuesday, April 1, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This past weekend, I was so psyched to get back onto our little rig in Brooklyn! I was so full of energy & expectation that I was driving my Catherine up the wall. If I still have the keys to Streb, she would've kicked me out to go fly in the middle of the night. So, I walked into our space w/a renewed focus, energy & excitement! And, it's been a strong start to my flying week...!

Before catching her B/E Whip w/me, the adorable Lauri W. is flying much stronger than ever as she's getting closer to nailing that pesky B/E Splits! The powerful & less stoic Allegra G. took her Layout back into lines to hone it further before making some B/E Straddle Whip catches w/me. After showing me that doing pull ups on the low bar is no problem, the secretly super-strong Debbie D. showed us a very impressive pull of the bar. She actually pulled on the front end & held it right through her swing back to the board! Funny thing, though, is that she didn't combine this pull w/her sweep.(!?) Remember, Debbie: knees to elbows.

As she's conquering her Face Off & turn to the mat/net w/more consistency, the comely Kristy M. is adding the Force Out Turn Around to her repertoire. After catching her Layout w/me, she ended off her night w/a strong, smooth Turn Around to "touch brick" for her 1st time! Nice flying, Kristy!
Fresh from her trip to the West coast w/Things 1 & 2, the feisty Galit E. worked on her 540/Pirouette & force out turn around. Then, w/our Matt T. she caught her Flexus as well as her Mod! The 1st time Matt saw these 2 tricks was when he caught them! LOL Tonight's token male student, Lex R., was a little weary from flying last night, but he still managed to catch a few Hox Offs & give his swing the old college try.

For the multiple, big news for this evening: French Emmanuelle C. took her swing OOM for her 1st times! Through the evening, she also caught her Cut Away very well & came close to the return bar (no matter what she says!) using a Straight Jump return. Lauren S. took her 1st position OOM for her 1st time ever! And, it wasn't her KH or a B/E Straddle Whip. It was her Full Twisting Straight Jump! In the fashion of the powerful & cute Molly G.: Go big or go home!


Before catching her B/E Splits w/her Angel return w/me, the shy but focused legal eagle, Sharron C., caught (w/our Matt T.) her Layout for her 1st time ever!


Inspired by our Amy G. & Uys ("Ace"), I took my Uprise Forward Over OOM for my 1st times! What a great feeling!


Now, I have my sights set on my Drive Layout & Shooting Star...!

And, April 1st is our Mukti's 1 year old birthday! Happy birthday, Mukti!


"Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway." - Mary Kay Ash

Friday, March 28, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

With the current SLAM showing running, we have our one flying trapeze class on Friday nights from 9-11pm. But, this is turning out to be a nice, little, hidden gem...!

Our Denise M. (aka "Candy Wideback" or "Queen of the Straddle Tricks") was practicing & catching her Straddle Layout, Straddle Whip & Straddle Force Out. She's added a very effective "donkey kick" to her Straddle Layout, causing it to stall rather well! Emily took her last class w/us for a few months as she leaves to work in LA. But, she said she's gonna keep in touch & fly at the Gaona's rig! Emily was tough on herself as she honed her B/E positions w/a half turn to the mat/net.

Freshly back from her trip to the Dominican Republic, Lauren S. dusted off her Full Twisting Straight Jump, Half Turn & Hox Off. She felt like she was launched out of my hands during catches, performing the "Running Man" high above the mat. Hot on the tails of his 1st F/E Straddle Whip catch from just this past Wed, token-male student Charles followed up by catching his Back End Straddle Whip catch (multiple times) for his 1st times! And, these were his 1st B/E catches of any kind! Great work, Charles!



Our Susie W. showed us her improved swing w/a high force out & deep pull. Our Amy G. threw a couple of Fwd Overs in mechanic before throwing a few more OOM. Inspired, I took up the Fwd Over, too, adjusting my technique slightly & finding new ease w/it!



"If we [didn't] listened to our [hearts], we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be too cynical... You've got to jump off cliffs all the time & build your wings on the way down." - Annie Dillard

Looking back... (or, the week (so far) in review...)

As w/flying trapeze, the events that happen w/in it w/all of my students & fellow staff members comes fast & furious. So, this is a tiny retrospect of some highlights of this week so far (forgive me if I've neglected to mention some events)...!

Side note: I'm sitting here as usual in the middle of the late night/early morning b/c I'm still wired from tonight's classes. So, I'm writing & uploading videos of all you students as I listen to the Strokes "Last Night". I'm getting so psyched to fly & see you all again! Obsessed?! Yeah, so what...? I'm thinking of bringing some speakers in tomorrow night to liven things up a little in our corner.

Tuesday:
Legal eagle Sharron C. really made some awesome improvements on her Layout which she only started learning in the past week or two! We had enough faith in her improvements that I even hung for her Layout catch. No cigar just yet, but pretty close! Take a look:





Our Denise M. is doing triple duty this week, taking the feisty Galit E.'s spots & even coming in on Fri, too! She's stalling out her Straddle Layout, tweaking her Flexus & catching her Straddle Whip easily. It's great to see more of her!

Wednesday:
Oh, man! Wednesday night was an absolute ball! Such a delight! I just learned that Ace's name is actually spelled "Uys". Go figure. He was throwing his Uprise Fwd Over extremely well! I've been working on taking that OOM, and he just shows up & it's well on it's way to being OOM. We almost snagged it in a catch; not perfectly, but that'll be soon enough.



I never liked Uys.

Our indomitable Matt T. not only learned his Uprise in one, two-hr session, but he also learned & caught his Uprise Shoot this night! It took me a year to get my Uprise! But, we still like Matt.



The jovial Charles is doing better w/his swing & he caught his F/E Straddle Whip for his 1st time! Congratulations, Charles! The adorable nerd, Brittany S., is learning her swing quickly on her 1st night of trying it! Dancer Rachael F. returned for her 2nd class ever & learned her regular 1 1/2 tricks per class! This time, she honed her Whip & learned her Pull Over Shoot before clocking our poor Cody S. during catch time. No worries, Cody's tough. Here's Rachael's Split:



Though I haven't seen her in a while, Naomi returned to show us how well she's come along w/her swing! And, for some more big news of the evening: as her mom watched, the ever-pleasant Alex K. learned & completed her 1st Angel return! Thanks for trusting in us & flying so well, Alex!



Thursday:
Prodigal flyer, Brandon R., wowed us again as he tweaked his Force Out Turn Around.



Seeing Brandon for her 1st time, the powerful & awesome Samantha W. asked, "Is he the one we're supposed to hate?" After doing some rather good Full Twisting Whips for his 1st times, he made awesome progress w/his Layout & caught it for his 1st time this night in his last turn of the evening!



Samantha joined us for a marathon session of flying, snagging her Straddle Cut/Catch again, catching & return her B/E Splits, improving her Layout beyond even her expectations, and torquing her Full Twisting Layout for her 1st times! She vows to bring her hubby, Pat, to fly w/us some time soon! Hi, Pat! Maybe I can bring my Catherine & we can make it "Spousal Night"!

And, to top off a great night, the perma-cute nurse Leslie W. had a big breakthrough w/her Turn Around w/the instruction of our Lizzy H.! W/a simple, add'l kick fwd, Leslie was able to conquer that pesky skill that's been plaguing her for so long.



Most of the time, it's funny how all it takes for a skill or position to "click" in a flyer's mind is for it to be explained in a way that makes sense to her or him. One avenue that works for one student may not work for another. So, that's why I've learned to say things at least half a dozen different ways. For example, "Hit your 7": "Stand in the B/E of your swing after your sweep towards the board" or "Get your hips fwd @ that point" or "Make your body match the tangent of your swing @ that point" or "Look over the bar as you cant your body angle slightly fwd"...

"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I know I'll be completely safe." - Dino Ramos-Stephens (cautioning Rachael F. against traveling her Split catch to Cody as I man the safety lines)

Thursday, March 20, 20008, Brooklyn, NY

This evening's flying was a building block & expansion day for most of us...!

Our much missed Emma S. came to fly w/us again after taking some time off from the rig. The stupendous Suzanne M. gained a little more insight into her bigger swing, bringing her closer to some grander flying. The feisty Galit E. practiced her Pirouette's before going for some Mod catches w/our Cody. Wonderboy Brandon R. is looking really good w/his swing & his force out turn around ("touching brick" past the pedestal!). He took his 1st steps towards planting his feet on the board to eventually remount. It was really funny to hear everyone (students & instructors alike) chime in w/how he could do it better! I told Brandon that they're only taking opportunity to criticize him since this is the 1st time he hasn't done a trick or skill perfectly on his 1st try! Brandon also started on his Layout, finding the nuances that make it deffer from tramp to trap.

Hard-bodied Thais K. was a little off w/her Fwd Over this evening, so she made some nice catches & even made a full round trip on one of them! Nice work, Thais. Joining us in place of our Molly G., young, hard-working Leah B. started work on her Full Twisting Layout w/promising 1st tries. Then, Leah went on to make some nice B/E Splits catches w/me! Our Amy G. was honing her Fwd Over, throwing it well a few times in mechanic. Our agile, awesome trampoline instructor, Myriah P., took some fly time to try out that pesky Full Twisting whip w/some great initial results! Here's her one of her very 1st attempt:



Here's me demonstrating a Full Twisting Straight Jump for Suzanne M. to try next wk:



And, for the big news of the evening: Allegra G. took her Layout OOM for her 1st time! She traveled the 1st couple of them, but each got better & better. Here's her very 1st one:



B/c of the recent rain, here's my Mukti in his little raincoat:


(poor kid's not very happy w/his raincoat)

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Looking back...

Some of the highlights of the past few days...!

This past Tuesday: The always enjoyable Patti D. caught her Layout of for her 1st time! Our Cody S. made an incredible debut as a catcher as she not only hung for all the students for two rounds, but also managed to help fulfill two returns, too! Amazing! Lauren S. is flying smooth as butter w/her Full Twisting Straight Jump. Emmanuelle C. caught w/our Cody & got the return bar twice! Karen DL was filling in for Allegra G. Karen is starting on her Layout w/some promising 1st tries.

This past Wednesday: We had newcomer, dancer Rachel, learn her KH & Splits in her 1st class ever. She managed to catcher her KH as well. More newbies, gymnasts Madison & Courtney, w/their non-gymnast friend, Britney, all learned & made their 1st KH catches ever! The so-adorable, self-professed nerd, Brittany S., was in pursuit of recreating her Cut Away Catch after working on inserting the "half" into her Cut Away Half. Emily & Charles are amping up their swings.

"The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order." - Alfred North Whitehead

Friday, March 14, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

I know I may say this a little frequently, but this Fri night was a very productive one...!

During our staff training, Yoni G. & Matt T. learned the nuances the timing of half time catches. Yoni got to practice legs catches (and, how to "pants" a flyer!). Matt was calling his timing on more & more catches before pulling lines for our Lizzy H.'s Matt, a relative newby to trapeze. Lizzy worked on her Full Over. Cody S. pulled for more, diverse catches. Jason F. got to throw his Hox Off w/us. Amy G. kept her OOM Uprise Fwd Over current. Kitao S. worked on his catching. For the benefit of all you students, I got to teach all of us Angel & Double Angel returns both as flyers & catchers.

And, for poops & giggles, I went up & attempted a Triple. I learned that, alas, I cannot do a triple on our little rig in Brooklyn. When as much height & power as possible is needed, I toned down my swing for fear of hitting the ceiling on both the F/E & B/E. Plus, there is not nearly enough clearance above the mat/net to get in those rotations. But, I'm glad I went for it & learned in the process. We have hopes for me developing my Triple on a regular rig this summer...!

As for the student's class right after our training: Billy caught a nice B/E Planche & worked the return. Lauren S. cleaned up her form w/her Full Twisting Straight Jump. We had a great deal of confidence w/Patti D.'s Layout, so I hung for it in the catch trap! No cigar just yet, but we'll be catching that in the near future! From last wk's awesome group of ladies, Kara & Vanessa came to class again to learn their Splits. In her last turn of the night, Vanessa managed to catch that Splits! And, true to their words, they brought some new friends, Jenny & Hyra, along to learn the highs & lows of the Knee Hang. And, almost on a whim, Tanya E. tried out a 1 & 1/2 to legs. Her 1st attempt was really quite good, too!

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present." - Babatunde Olatunji

Thursday, March 13, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This wk's IFW sessions were stepping stones of differing degrees for our flyers...!

Some of the highlights of the night: Karen DL is beginning to tackle her Layout. Galit E. played w/her multiple uprises, Cut Away Halves & Layouts. Marisa B. worked on taking her Shooting Star upwards. Molly G. Maryam W. showed us her powerfully high swing before we taught her a Full Twisting Straight Jump. She got that FTSJ rather quickly, too, before making some nice OOM B/E catches w/me! Suzanne M. is in pursuit of adopting the technique to acquire a bigger swing. She has all the components, she just needs to put them together at the right tempo. Take a look at one of Suzanne's latest Layout's:



And, for the big news of the evening: our Amy G. did her 1st Fwd Overs OOM! (Yes, she knows she still has to stay tight & present to the catcher, but it's a huge step fwd nonetheless!)



Lastly, thanks, Renee, for today's quote:

"The shell must break before the bird can fly." - Alfred Tennyson

Wednesday, March 12, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This evening, the staff got to fly & have some fun before we had a full class of really nice, diverse students...!

S. Africa's agile Ace & the indomitable Matt T. were both working on lofting their Layout's, and both of them are pretty much ready to catch their tricks! Matt was especially progressive tonight: not only did he perform a solid B/E Planche for his 1st time, but he also performed a nice B/E Straddle Whip for his 1st time. And, that was before learning & pretty damn near perfecting his Layout on his very 1st night! Our studious Whit C. flew right through the tiny barriers holding her back from doing her B/E Whip w/a half turn to the mat/net. Aspiring triathlete, Lizzy H., through some very, very nice Double Backs as she also worked on her "Full Over" (Full Twisting Fwd Over) & Full Twisting Layout. I took things back to basics by throwing some Cut Aways (sans the "Half") before throwing a decent Cut Away Half towards the end of our session. And, twice, our Amy W. successfully half turned her Fwd Over to the mat/net! It was a fun night, indeed, & only the beginning!

This night's token male student, Charles, was making nice strides w/his swing as he took his 1st stabs at a B/E Planche. Self-professed nerd & book-shepherd, Brittany S., tried to recreate her Cut Away catch after trying (w/sporadic success) to get her Cut Away Half. Brittany, given your tempo & kicks w/your Cut Away, I think you're long overdue to develop your swing. Emily B. was absolutely adorable when, for her 1st time ever, she half turned very quickly & cleanly to the mat/net out of her B/E Splits! I think she was more surprised than anyone else. Then, she recreated it w/a better Splits. Great work, Emily!

Right after sweating it out in Fabio's Flip/Tuck class, Angela flew w/two of her friends from Buffalo: Christy & Alana. Angela dusted off her Pull Over Shoot, adding more "pump" to the "pump & shoot", later making a catch w/our Lizzy H., smiling that great smile the whole time! Experiencing earlier success, both Christy & Alana made their 1st KH catches this night!

Though we haven't seen her in a while, Jane was back & getting some insight into the B/E of her swing. I love it when we see that light bulb turn on, as it did w/Jane, when she hears something that just clicks for her flying. Elena G. made more progress w/her Full Twisting Layout; it's only a few degrees away from being catchable! Alex K. was throwing really nice, lofty Layouts but felt some "catching anxiety" when it came time to connect w/our Lizzy as she let go earlier than she did during practice. And, I had the pleasure of catching Renee F.'s B/E Splits OOM on our little rig in Brooklyn!

"The heights by great men reached & kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tuesday, March 11, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This Tue night's Catch & Return sessions showed some jumps in some students' trainings...!

This night, we had the boisterous Brian A. instructing & catching w/us. He'll be w/us during upcoming Tue nights. French Emmanuelle C. made improvements on her Straight Jump returns (getting her feet behind her on the release to the return bar) off her Cut Away catches! The adorable Lauri W. caught her B/E Whip w/our Brian. Come to think of it: both Lauri & Kristy M. seemed surprised to be caught at all!?! Have faith!

Allegra G. is making headway w/her Pirouette & smoothing our her Layout at her point of catch. Lauren S. is insistent on earning her returns w/o pulls from the lines or being chucked by the catcher. W/a little more push from her end, she'll be earning all of them soon enough!

When instructed to just do it & not over-think, the comely Kristy M. easily inserted the "half" into her Cut Away Half! Then, she proceeded to make it a cognitive action as she reverted to her previous, partial rotations. You have it in you, Kristy. You'll find it again soon enough. The feisty Galit E. is looking strong as a flyer as she once again achieves Multiple Uprises.

Much to the lighthearted contempt of myself & our really cool & beautiful trampoline instructor, Myriah P., Brandon "Don't call me David" R. showed us how to do a Back Drop into a Full Twisting Half Somersault. That is the trampoline equivalent of a Full Twisting Whip on the trapeze. Then, Brandon proceeded to earn more eye-daggers & unbelieving grins from the students as he effortlessly learned his Turn Around & Force Out over the pedestal! THEN, he couldn't stop there: he had to go & learn his Force Out Turn Around!!

me: "Remember to pull when you're forcing out over the board & then try to touch the blue mat w/your toes."

Brandon: "You didn't see my last turn? I just did."

me: "Oh."

We never liked Brandon.

"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly; devils fall because of their gravity." - G. K. Chesterton

Friday, March 7, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This Friday night's staff training & open class were very productive & fun as I once again found myself in a very enviable environment...!

As a great boon to the staff & students, the boisterous Brian A. is joining our staff! He pulled for some catches before catching a strong Uprise Fwd Over w/our Amy W. One of our newest catchers, Matt T., is coming along extremely well as he's already calling the timing on all his catches! Kitao S. made his 1st catches w/the staff this night! Our Dap & Eli took their 1st swings OOM! And, Eli is also getting back into the swing of things in the catch trap.

Having a "Girls' Fun Night Out", J. Pagan brought the very adept & awesome group of Ashley, Kara, Lindsay, Vanessa & Theresa. Pagan's group each caught their 1st KHs ever as Pagan caught her 1st Set Splits ever! As we went out for celebratory drinks afterwards, we let them know that we really enjoyed them in class, so we kept telling them that they should come back for new positions & catches. Our Whit C.'s roommate, Erin, as also a newbie who was dressed ready for business; she easily learned & caught her KH, too! Lauren S. not only cleaned up the form on her Full Twisting Straight Jump, but also made her 1st returns w/o any line assistance at all! Twice! She asked our Amy W. to not help her w/the lines to pull her back to the return bar (a la Club Med) w/her Half Time Straight Jump, and Lauren rose to the occasion to snag that return bar!



And, for some more big news of the night, Patti's Layout is coming along very, very well! Great work, Patti! You'll be catching that w/us real soon...!



"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." - Epictetus

Thursday, March 6, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This Thursday night was a great one that got us laughing, experimenting & having fun...!

We were graced w/the presence of the wonderful Marisa B. who has been diligently working in the legal world. She dusted off her Shooting Star (rather well we say) before making some B/E Splits catches w/me. The tight-bodied Thais K. was making some B/E Splits catches OOM.



The powerful & smiling Molly G. embraced "going back to basics" (as only someone like Molly can do since her Layout was actually her 1st catch of any kind OOM) as she caught her B/E Splits OOM for her 1st times this night! She was even going for the return bar, too. Renee F. I noted that even Molly's Suicide looks powerful!



The much liberated & lighter-spirited Renee was in a Super-Sized, Dbl Bonus w/Extra, Special Sauce Day, doing triple duty of aerials this week! Tiny, agile prodigal flyer, Karen DL, was returning to the pedestal board a few times before making a really nice return off her B/E Planche catch w/our Jeff L. I foresee full round trips very soon for Karen. The flyer-formerly-known-as Amy G. was practicing her Half Turn returns & Angel returns. She gave our Jeff L. his 1st time w/an Angel return OOM. See, we're all learning.



The adorable & sweet Suzanne M. is gonna be quite the flyer! She played w/her Layout & B/E Splits catches before fatigue set in. So, I suggest she try a "Kill & Build". At 1st, she was a little confused, but after seeing a demonstration, Suzanne implemented a great pull & found a better tempo. She was building height in her swing like a champ! Mark my words: she's gonna be one of our flyers avoiding the ceiling...!

For some big news: We had two flyers making certain catches for their first times! The feisty Galit E. caught her Half Turn OOM for her 1st times. Even though they were solid & smooth, she still couldn't help but sound surprised when we 1st caught it! And, the powerful Lex R. is really ramping up his flying. His swing is looking SO powerful & fluid now! For a long time, the Turn Around on the bar to force out over the board was the bane of Lex. But, no longer is that true. He can not only "touch brick" when forcing out over the pedestal, but he did his Turn Around for his 1st times OOM this night! Great work, great progress, Lex.

And, right after class & late into the night, I met my Catherine & our friend, Luis, at the nightclub, Cielo, to hear the tunes spun by DJ Benny Benassi.





The whole scene w/the fast music, thumping bass, moving bodies, swirling lights & high energy made me dream of having a party w/aerialists on silks, static, straps, lyra &, of course, flying trapeze strutting their best stuff among a crowd of dancing watchers. Imagine the fun we'd have flying through the air in front of friendly eyes, everyone moving to the same music...!



Recently, I've tried one of those high bar & uneven bar moves that I was hoping to translate to the fly bar: a free hip circle into a force out. It didn't go so well. I found that we can't do it at the top of the swing when a force out would normally come b/c the bar doesn't have any more force for us to push against when we drop through the hip circle. So, I tried it at poles. That didn't go so well either. At that point, as we all know, is when we're heaviest. So, do fall through a free hip circle at that point is like trying to hold a lever under great centrifugal force.

On the bright side, I found out that one of the other moves (Layout w/half turn to re-grab the bar) is called a "Gienger". And, the other one (Cut Away flip to re-grab the bar) is called a "Jaeger" or "Yaeger".

"The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle." - Anais Nin

Looking back...

It's fun to look back to older videos of ourselves & see how far we've come...!

Here are views of my latest Cut Away Half (03/04/08):



Tivo view:


"Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal." - Arthur Schopenhauer

Wednesday, March 5, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

It was a fun & casual Wednesday night as our Lizzy H., Whit C. & I fly & caught the students...!

My Catherine held on as long as she could despite the pains in her hands to make progress w/her swing. Renee F. took a "bonus day" for herself on the rig as she once again diligently worked on her B/E Splits OOM. Taking the leap (pun intended), newly engaged Brian & Sharon celebrated their commitment & Brian's b-day by taking their 1st flying class ever & making their 1st catches ever! Talk about dedication: Allegra G. did dbl duty by taking her classes 2 days in a row. Her hands were ripping w/huge holes in her palms, but she toughed it out really well as she made progress w/her Pirouettes/360's! Charles was finding the tempo of his swing before catching his Set Planche once again.

Once we slowed down his apron work, Ace finished a full round trip w/his sky-high Uprise Shoot! Sam G. stopped by for a few swings & to practice his Back Mount again.
Denise M. practiced her Straddle Layout & dusted off her "go to" B/E Straddle Whip.
Our Dap & Matt T. are developing great swings! For the big news this night: After committing to his training, our Matt T. made his debut performance as a flying trapeze catcher for his 1st time ever! And, after repeated attempts, Brittany S. kept w/it & caught her Cut Away for her 1st time! Her reaction is priceless!



"The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love." - Anne Morriss

Saturday, March 1, 2008, Manhattan, NY

Spread throughout Madison Square Garden, a disparate bunch of us watched the Tyson American Cup Gymnastics Championship...!

In various parts of the large arena, Ann W., Marcie B., Jason F., Amy G/W, Molly G., Emma S., Nicole A., Samantha W., Dawn (last name?), my Catherine & I watched world-class gymnasts from the U.S., Canada, China, Venezuela & Columbia. These champions included Canada's Allysa Brown, 2007 all-around world champion Shawn Johnson; 2004 all-around Olympic champion Paul Hamm; 2007 balance beam & team world champion Nastia Liukin; 2007 all-around world silver-medalist Fabian Hambuechen; 2006 pommel horse world bronze-medalist Alexander Artemev; 2007 all-around world bronze-medalist Hisashi Mizutori; 2006-07 Tyson American Cup champ Jonathan Horton; 2001 & 2003 team world silver-medalist Raj Bhavsar; and 2007 team world champions Samantha Peszek & Shayla Worley.

My first personal favorite was Raj B. who I felt was a sort of underdog w/his solid performances even though the judges were hard w/his scores. The crowd actually booed the judges after Raj was given a much lower than expected score for his high bar routine! It was funny b/c the sound of MSG filled w/booing spectators was washed w/the high pitched sound of dozens of very young, aspiring gymnastic girls! My other personal favorite was Shawn Johnson who performed solidly through every event & did so w/a great, winning smile the whole time. My heart went out to Canada's Allysa Brown b/c I feel like my Canadian wife was one of the few really cheering her on. And, I was rooting for the champion underdogs from Columbia & Venezuela, too.

Here's Allysa Brown on the balance beam:


I was keeping my eyes & mind open for new ideas to try on a flying trapeze bar. So, w/that in mind, I took some videos of these incredible gymnasts on the uneven bars & high bar.

Here's Paul Hamm on the high bar:


Here's Nastia L. on the uneven bars:


Shawn Johnson on uneven bars:


I'm thinking of various bar tricks. Imagine a bar release trick involving a Layout w/a half twist to re-grab the bar. Or, imagine an B/E Uprise to a free hip circle casting up to a handstand/force out! Or, imagine a straddled Cut Away to re-grab the bar! Let's keep these in mind & develop them together...!

"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it." - Pablo Picasso

Thursday, February 28, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

It was Layout central this evening w/our IFW...!

Both Suzanne M. & Maggie F. were both making very smooth Layout catches w/our Jeff L. I didn't have to bolster their swing heights nor kill it at all at catch point! They earned those catches all by themselves. I still have high hopes that Suzanne & others will adopt & adapt to my new swing technique. Kristy M. has the height & distance just right w/her Layout, but her pesky legs are still swinging right under her at catch point. No worries, Kristy, you'll conquer that soon enough.

Fresh from her trip to California where she flew w/Stephan G., Simon & (my very tough but wise, highly talented & highly experienced mentor) Janene D. She was making some nice catches OOM w/our Jeff. Prodigal flyer, Brandon R., recreated his B/E Straddle Whip catch & is gaining valuable experience w/his swing as well as w/his aerial & body awareness on the rig. Thais K. was successful in recreating her B/E Splits catch OOM. And, for the big news of the night: Molly G. made her 1st ever catch OOM! And, it happened to be her great Layout! LOL

Molly's 1st Layout catch OOM (Tivo view):


Molly's 3rd Layout catch OOM:


Molly's 3rd Layout catch OOM (Tivo view):


"To fly, we have to have resistance." - Maya Lin

Wednesday, February 27, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

In the activities, lights & shadow of Jordann's upcoming show in the Streb space, there weren't classes running, but that didn't stop some of the instructors from having a productive night...! We were hoping to get some training on lines, but they were building a huge octopus from cloth & wire for the show in the area we normally pull in. So, we used our time for other pursuits!

The fervent Lizzy H. & I were marking/timing her Forward Over catch OOM. We were close, and we respect the fact that bigger, rotating tricks like that demand additional measures of prudence & time to catch cleanly & safely. The young & intrepid Whit C. broke through a needless mental barrier that has lingered w/her for a while. She got to smoothly & safely catch her B/E Splits a few times, and she is SO light that it felt like I was still flying by myself in the catch trap! And, for the big news: the rock-solid Cody S. caught her Layout for her 1s time ever OOM! Great work, ladies!

The thing I was reminded of from this night was the penultimate importance of staying tight. Each of these flyers felt incredibly light in my hands during catches simply b/c they flexed the right muscles at the right times (read as: "all the time"). Cody in particular amazed me b/c, even though she had some over-rotation in her Layout, she completely negated that rotation by becoming as rigid as steel from fingers to toes at the moment we locked wrists.

Looking back: Sam G. has been a great & welcome addition to the team, and we'll miss him as he takes some time to travel internationally before attending school in NY. In his time w/us, he's toughened his hands, raised his swing & learned the basics of Angel returns!

"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." - Henry David Thoreau

Though not flying related, this quote made me laugh, so I felt I'd share it:
"... the 20th century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: The growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy." - Alex Carey

Friday, February 22, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

We had a great, high-energy night of flying on our little rig in Brooklyn...!

The students that night were in similar skill ranges w/the tempos of their swings pretty much pitch perfect. So, we were having them up the ante on the power of their flying. On barely a whim, Patty added a nice, natural pull to the force out of her swing! Emily learned to sweep even higher, adding power & prepping herself for more power soon.

And, for the big news: Lauren S. caught her Full Twisting Straight Jump for her 1st time ever! I have to admit that a couple of those around us were a little incredulous, but I had faith in her trick! Here's Lauren's catch:



Looking back: We had the pleasure of flying w/Helen & Shirley for the 1st time in too long a while! Shirley flew w/us in a show a few years ago, but was busy having her 3rd baby! Congratulations, Shirley. Helen's flying has come along well; she's nailing her Splits like I've never seen her do so before!

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." - John Barrymore

Thursday, February 21, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

It can't be denied: Our programs are really bearing some much deserved, hard-earned & very welcome fruit...!

Our super-solid Cody S. made her debut as a Thursday night instructor! We offer her a warm welcome & can hardly wait to see what we can all accomplish together. And, I offer thanks to our beautiful & super-agile Myriah P. who teach on the trampoline for our programs. She gave me some great insight into the Full Twisting Whip.

The powerful Allegra G. joined us from her regular Tuesday evening to heighten her swing, take a stab at her Double & make one of her smoothest Layout catches ever! The comely Kristy M. did double duty this week as she was just w/us on Tue. She worked on adding more turn to her B/E Splits w/a Half Turn to the mat/net. Among the times she was trying to recreate her "Monto" return, the endearing Suzanne M. is experimenting w/a new technique of swinging & forcing out. She's taken to it almost too easily & now has to figure out what to do w/all that new power & different timing! Keep it up, Suzanne. You'll be flying as high as the best soon enough. And, for her big news: Suzanne caught her Layout for her 1st time this Thursday night!

The tight-bodied Thais K. made up a missed session this evening & was catching some nice Uprise Shoots! After tweaking her Cut Away, the liberated Tanya E. caught that elusive cut away bar for her 1st time! Nice flying, Tanya. The focused Renee F. is flying well using her Zen approach (no calls except "HEP!" & turn) w/her B/E Splits to the mat/net. The elegant Maryam W. is swinging strong & fighting the good fight to get her Drive Layout. Hot on the tail of doing her Layout OOM, the potently agile Molly G. is timing her B/E Splits catches. They're both there, Molly. We'll wait for you to be ready for when you want to take either of them across...

The promisingly agile Karen DL took her 1st swing OOM, looking great & confident! Getting back into her swing of things, the lithe & worldly Emma S. made some B/E Planche & Whip catches while also making progress w/her apron work. The strong Lex R. is easily making his catches & returns, and he is now in fervent pursuit of a full round trip & smooth, consistent B/E Uprises. And, the feisty Galit E. accomplished FOUR B/E Uprises in a row for her 1st time! The 1st three were solid & smooth w/her chest up & her heels back. Galit is quickly taking on both the Angel & Double Angel returns as her signature returns. She also devoted some energy & time to her Pirouette. AND, to top it all off, she caught returned her Flexus/Flexus again for her 1st time in months! Great flying, Galit.

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was within me an invincible summer." - Albert Camus

Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

This Tuesdays Catch & Return class was extremely productive...!

Once again the long, hard efforts of our students & staff are paying off w/some very welcome fruits! For her 1st time ever, the adorable Lauri W. caught her B/E Whip! After fighting for a while to get her B/E Splits (and, catching it once), she switched it up to better get her hips up. Congratulations, Lauri!

Here's Lauri's 1st B/E Whip catch!


Though she regularly takes non-program classes, Lauren joined us for a new, valuable experience. She made great progress with her Full Twisting Straight Jump, getting her body into the correct angle. Then, she managed to hold onto & catch a solid B/E Straddle Whip! The ever-smiling Debbie D. is making good headway w/her take-off, eliminating the pesky pike. Her swing tempo is virtually flawless, and her B/E positions are smooth. Uber-flexible Rebbecca S. joined us in the air again after a while off the rig to work on her form, make a few catches & work her 1/2 turn to the mat/net. The feisty Galit E. wasn't as feisty this evening, but that didn't stop her from catching & return a nice B/E Splits & trying out a Straddle Cut/Catch in my hands with her B/E Planche. The comely Kristy M. is gonna be such a diverse & strong flyer! She has a nice array of tricks under her belt already (including her Cut Away return!), and she caught her Layout for her 1st time this evening! Great flying, Kristy!

Kristy's 1st Layout catch!


The effervescent, oh-so-cute Kristin R. warmed up her swing w/some arches before improving her Layout & going for some catches. She even dusted off her Angel returns. Another flyer who flew great this night was Sharon C.! She's found new power & tempo with her stronger swing before making her 1st ever Angel return! A strong one it was! AND, this was Sharon's 1st return of any kind ever!

Sharon's stronger swing:


Sharon's 1st Angel return!


To much envy, eye-daggers, unbelieving grins & incredulous laughter, the prodigal Brandon performed a full swing with a force out & strong pull that was more indicative of a flyer of MUCH more air time! Did I mention that he started his swing roughly a week ago?! So, as we wanted to see what & how much he could accomplish, we had him try his 1st B/E position: a Straddle Whip. After a few practices, Brandon made his 1st B/E catch ever! LOL

Brandon's brand new, 1-week young swing:


Brandon's 1st B/E Straddle Whip catch!


"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar & seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous & exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." - Alan Cohen

Friday, February 15, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

It was a very productive & fun night on our little rig in Brooklyn this Friday evening...!

Staff-wise, many of the new trainees & even some of the seasoned people are making progress & working together as a team. Cody S. pulled lines for a catch for her 1st time! She pulled like a champ our Amy G. across to our Yoni G. Matt T. & Keith were combining their trainings to pull & call for KHs. Nice work, guys. And, for the big news: both Cody & Matt made their 1st catches (as catchers) ever! Excellent work! Here's video of Matt's debut as a catcher:



And, the class right afterwards was a fun one. I was so fired up from the staff training beforehand that it added to the class following! Newcomer, Michelle, fought the good fight to get her KH. Everyone, including Michelle, was so happy when she got it! Keith's Billy as going for his Set Planche catch. Though we didn't complete the catch, Billy is close to getting it if he could only remember that he's the flyer & I'm the catcher. My lovely wife, Catherine, & her twin Julie were once again taking to the air. Catherine's swing is coming along well & Julie went for her Set Splits catch! Ahh... combining passions & enjoying those moments...! It doesn't get much better.

"You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims." - Harriet Woods

Looking (way) back...

Over 2 years ago, the powerful & cheery Molly G. first caught her Full Twisting Layout. And, she return it! Actually, she returned her Full even before returning here regular Layout! Talk about a blast from the past. Molly was very good back then, but compared to now, she's much more of a cleaner & stronger flyer!



We've all come a long, long way in our flying together over these years. I remember a time when Galit fought the good fight w/her Set positions, Lex was trudging along w/his Hox-style KH, Maryam was just discovering the tempo of her swing, Suzanne's Goldfrapp costume for a past fly show, Marisa's Hox Saulto catch, Oleg making strongly crazy/crazily strong catches & returns, Samantha B.'s clean lines, the 1st time Amy Gr. caught her B/E Splits, Laura M.'s progression right after the birth of her 2nd baby, and when our Ruben 1st became an instructor...

"Your past is unchangeable; your future is unavoidable; but your present is forever unrestrained." - Matt Wagner

Thursday, February 14, 2008, Brooklyn, NY

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it was as fun as mine...!

You should see the elegant Maryam W.'s swing! She's already getting great height while she's still developing her technique & conditioning. Soon enough, we'll be asking her to tone it down to avoid the ceiling. And, hot on Maryam's heels using a new technique, the sweet Suzanne M. is learning to boost here force out straight up vertical. She developed so much power on her 1st attempt that it wowed the bunch of us, and she didn't know what to do w/the additional power. Suzanne's gonna find her timing & have to duck the ceiling soon, too. And, as a great Valentine's Day celebration, Suzanne's hubby, Josh, tried flying trapeze for his 1st time ever! When I said to him, "I bet you have a greater respect for what your wife does now," Josh replied, "I've always had a great respect for what she does!"

And, for some pretty big news: the strong Lex R. mounted the bar for his 1st time using his B/E Uprise! He did this twice this night! Snagging that return bar is getting so frequent for Lex that he was the closest he's ever been to doing a full round trip & remounting that pedestal board this night! Great flying, Lex. The highly adept Karen DL has upped the ante on her tricks by learning her Cut Away very quickly & nicely! The U.K.'s Emma G. was dusting off her Full Twisting Layout as she is also ready to learn some, new exotic tricks. The comely Kristy M. joined us for the night to accomplish her 1st ever Face Off to the mat/net! Kristy soaks up our teachings like a sponge.

The feisty Galit E. is easily getting her Splits/Angel returns & Planche/Dbl Angel returns so frequently & making round trips off of those as well as her Half Turn returns. And, more importantly, she's exhibiting such safety & prudence thru all of her flying. Very nice flying, Galit. The happier & free Tanya E. has been tweaking her apron-work timing & going for some close catches of her Cut Away. Soon enough, Tanya, you'll be getting that cut away bar & snagging that return bar using a Straight Jump return.

On Wednesday evening, it was "twins night". My Catherine & her twin, Julie, joined us for more flying right after our Montreal trip earlier this week. My Catherine flew into my hands using her Whip. I got to catch Julie for our 1st time! Lex R.'s twin off-springs, Max & Tina, flew together to make it a family outing. Max got his Uprise Shoot caught & Tina got her 1st KH catch ever! Happy in the pursuit, Sharon C. is SO close to grabbing that return bar w/her Angel return. Prodigal flyer, Brandon is discovering the tempo of his swing & again showing such promise as he works the apron off his catches. And, just earlier this week, the powerful & demure Allegra G. was back to making a full round trip! Nice work, Allegra. It was so cute watching Allegra develop her Force Out Turn Around w/such power that she left her toe-prints higher than ever before on the wall beyond the pedestal. She had a grin that she tried to quickly hide, but I saw it!

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love." - Albert Einstein

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own." - Ben Sweetland

Monday, February 11, 2008, (just outside of) Montreal, QC

This Monday, I had the pleasure of flying on a rig just outside of Montreal, Quebec, called Voltigeur...!

Their awesome facility kept out the cold. On the grounds, there were swimming pools, tennis courts, a gym, a bar/restaurant, shops &, of course, the full sized rig. I highly suggest you fly w/them if you ever get the chance.

Julie (sister-in-law) learning on the ground:


Their staff of the wise Marc, smooth Alex (catcher) & beautiful MJ were knowledgeable, very nice & very skilled. There was also a nice, young woman by the name of Cassandra who I believe was a trainee shadowing on the board during catches. The net was just right... the lines were helpful but not heavy... and, the catching was smooth.

Catherine on board w/MJ & Cassandra:


We warmed up. I was extremely happy to be unencumbered by a ceiling. Though I feel my timing was off, I still managed to get up to crane on my 1st from the board! And... it felt SO... good...!



I got to practice my Layout, Double, Cut Away Half & various bar tricks.


Here's my Uprise Shoot catch & return:


Catherine, Julie, Alex, Marc, MJ, Cass & me:


"Then, without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that a quiet conscience makes one strong." - Anne Frank