* Classes are on...!
Okay, it looks like the wet stuff has passed. Rain may develop later but we’re going to fly until then! We saw very little rain yesterday until later in the evening. The first few classes of the day were energizing & fun! I got to fly with Jen E. & Margaux again; we seem to almost never be in classes together. There was a new flyer, Nikki, who took to flying as easily as a bird due to her background in gymnastics & diving. She & Gina caught their splits with Ronnie R. Amy G. was nailing her Pull Over much to her own surprise & delight! Dena took her last class of the season with us before she heads back to school. Also, we’d like to wish her a happy birthday!! Great flying, Dena! And, after taking a class with us in the morning, Renee made & hosted an exquisite dinner for some of us. Thanks, Renee! I love how trapeze may be not only an occupation & exercise but also a source of community & friendships. “I could have gone on flying through space forever.” (Major Yuri Gagarin, first man in space) – Dino *
OK, now that sounds more like me. Happy birthday, Dena!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday, August 14, 2004, New York, NY
* Let's fly...!
Happy August 14th! There’s supposed to be some rains later today, but we’ll see. Remember, we’ll update our site as the weather unfolds. Life is too short to worry about the weather or other things we can’t foresee or control. As students, many of you have come a long way toward controlling & honing something you once thought was wild & daunting: your flight. You needn’t look further than Jen E. who is very tough on herself or Nina & Renee who met my challenges to them with excitement & dedication, or Anush & Fred who work so hard & never give up until they conquer a position. As a school, we’ve all come a long way this season despite the challenges thrown in our way. We’ve opened Baltimore & are looking forward to other locations. There will always be things we can’t foresee or control. But, we’ve proven there are things we can surmount & manage no matter what. And, best of all, we get to do this outside, in the sun & together. It’s funny where you take life. “It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life...” (Green Day) Let’s fly. – Dino *
I had to slightly change & paraphrase the quote above. It was so hokey & flaky that I had to gag. I'm not even sure I wrote it! It was sounding like some fake hack who insincerely preaches Zen & community. On the bright side, Jason F., Skye M. & Illa S. are visiting in my new town! It's great seeing, hanging out & catching up w/them. In some senses, it feels so long since I've seen them. But, once we get talking, it's like no time has passed. I look forward to the rest of the weekend w/them...!
Happy August 14th! There’s supposed to be some rains later today, but we’ll see. Remember, we’ll update our site as the weather unfolds. Life is too short to worry about the weather or other things we can’t foresee or control. As students, many of you have come a long way toward controlling & honing something you once thought was wild & daunting: your flight. You needn’t look further than Jen E. who is very tough on herself or Nina & Renee who met my challenges to them with excitement & dedication, or Anush & Fred who work so hard & never give up until they conquer a position. As a school, we’ve all come a long way this season despite the challenges thrown in our way. We’ve opened Baltimore & are looking forward to other locations. There will always be things we can’t foresee or control. But, we’ve proven there are things we can surmount & manage no matter what. And, best of all, we get to do this outside, in the sun & together. It’s funny where you take life. “It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life...” (Green Day) Let’s fly. – Dino *
I had to slightly change & paraphrase the quote above. It was so hokey & flaky that I had to gag. I'm not even sure I wrote it! It was sounding like some fake hack who insincerely preaches Zen & community. On the bright side, Jason F., Skye M. & Illa S. are visiting in my new town! It's great seeing, hanging out & catching up w/them. In some senses, it feels so long since I've seen them. But, once we get talking, it's like no time has passed. I look forward to the rest of the weekend w/them...!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Friday, August 13, 2004, New York, NY
* 8:30am class cancelled.
The 8:30am class is cancelled due to impending rain. The forecasting is calling for more rain later today, but we’re hoping for the best & expecting this to pass quickly. We will update our website throughout the day. I’m happy to see students such as Laura, Paula, Evelyn, Deb, Karen, Maya & Nicole take our intermediate training to advance their flying to the next level. We’d like to wish Laura a belated happy birthday! Ahmir made his first catch with us the other day; perhaps he’ll give up his life in the District Attorney’s office for a life in the circus! My Catherine was such as a great help during that class. She’s working hard on catching her Whip, & she’s started work on her swing. Amy G. was back flying with us after a brief hiatus. Amy W. is slowly becoming another hardcore addict of flying! Jack & Spencer were flying with us again; Jack was close to catching his Cut Away with me. We’ll get it, Jack! Caryn made one of her best & smoothest splits catches yesterday with our Arlie. It’s great to be alive!! “Instead of our drab slogging forth & back to the fishing boats, there’s reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence & intelligence & skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!” (Richard Bach) – Dino *
The 8:30am class is cancelled due to impending rain. The forecasting is calling for more rain later today, but we’re hoping for the best & expecting this to pass quickly. We will update our website throughout the day. I’m happy to see students such as Laura, Paula, Evelyn, Deb, Karen, Maya & Nicole take our intermediate training to advance their flying to the next level. We’d like to wish Laura a belated happy birthday! Ahmir made his first catch with us the other day; perhaps he’ll give up his life in the District Attorney’s office for a life in the circus! My Catherine was such as a great help during that class. She’s working hard on catching her Whip, & she’s started work on her swing. Amy G. was back flying with us after a brief hiatus. Amy W. is slowly becoming another hardcore addict of flying! Jack & Spencer were flying with us again; Jack was close to catching his Cut Away with me. We’ll get it, Jack! Caryn made one of her best & smoothest splits catches yesterday with our Arlie. It’s great to be alive!! “Instead of our drab slogging forth & back to the fishing boats, there’s reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence & intelligence & skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!” (Richard Bach) – Dino *
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Monday, August 9, 2004, New York, NY
* Wonders abound & beauty surrounds us...
Yesterday was a great day indeed! We had a fun Kids’ Class once again early in the morning. Elan & Ariela were perfecting their Bird’s Nest positions & leading some of the other little ones to catch their Knee Hangs! Alessia & Kristin were catching like they’ve done this before; I hope to see them again soon. Nina brought her intense, little Laura who flew very well. And, Renee caught her Back End Splits!! Congratulations, Renee!! It is so amazing to see the progressions of both Renee & Nina. As their instructor, I set some goals for them & they wholeheartedly rose to the challenges. “Give up your treasured wounds. Let go the tempting memory of the pain. Give up the vows you’ve taken, and you will live, and you will learn to fly again, and you will fly.” (Ed Freeman) Let’s fly. – Dino *
I always felt that the sign of a good instructor is how they deal w/kids. Very young flyers require a little more patience b/c they're still learning their bodies, what their bodies can do & to deal w/the changes those bodies are constantly going thru. A good instructor can see the potential in these kids. A bad instructor, on the other hand, will never be able to see the potential in older flyers (from teen-agers to adults) who have already known & accepted their bodes. The kids class was always such a joy & something to look forward to each week. I remember setting goals for both Nina & Renee, virtually throwing it in their faces as challenges. In instances like that, I'm am so happy to have them throw back their successes into my face. (Happy birthday to my cousin!)
Yesterday was a great day indeed! We had a fun Kids’ Class once again early in the morning. Elan & Ariela were perfecting their Bird’s Nest positions & leading some of the other little ones to catch their Knee Hangs! Alessia & Kristin were catching like they’ve done this before; I hope to see them again soon. Nina brought her intense, little Laura who flew very well. And, Renee caught her Back End Splits!! Congratulations, Renee!! It is so amazing to see the progressions of both Renee & Nina. As their instructor, I set some goals for them & they wholeheartedly rose to the challenges. “Give up your treasured wounds. Let go the tempting memory of the pain. Give up the vows you’ve taken, and you will live, and you will learn to fly again, and you will fly.” (Ed Freeman) Let’s fly. – Dino *
I always felt that the sign of a good instructor is how they deal w/kids. Very young flyers require a little more patience b/c they're still learning their bodies, what their bodies can do & to deal w/the changes those bodies are constantly going thru. A good instructor can see the potential in these kids. A bad instructor, on the other hand, will never be able to see the potential in older flyers (from teen-agers to adults) who have already known & accepted their bodes. The kids class was always such a joy & something to look forward to each week. I remember setting goals for both Nina & Renee, virtually throwing it in their faces as challenges. In instances like that, I'm am so happy to have them throw back their successes into my face. (Happy birthday to my cousin!)
Sunday, August 8, 2004, New York, NY
* Excellent day for flying...!
I love today’s weather: nice, cool & dry with little winds. Excellent. We are deep in the midst of the season for sure. We have quite a number of students at the point in their trainings with 3 to 4 front end tricks under their belt (pun intended) & working on their swings. It’s awesome to see such widespread progressions. Samantha W. & I were trying to recreate her returns to the fly bar. We finally found a trick to challenge her: the Pull Over Shoot! She’s determined & I’m sure she’ll catch it before long. Michelle is progressing with her swing rather nicely. The mighty Fix, wonderful Olivia & beautiful Ronnie were working the classes & crowds to everyone’s delight! And, let’s not forget that success is measured in the efforts & sacrifices made to achieve it. Sue was given a surprise class from her friends, & Sue hates heights! Nonetheless, she earned her own success just by getting up to the board a couple of times. There are days you can hardly wait to pass & there are days you wish would never end. Virtually all the days at our rig are of the latter variety. “It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky…” (Helen Keller on flight around the world) Always have a great day. – Dino
It's funny that the Pull Over Shoot challenged Samantha W. so much b/c one of her current go-to tricks is the Pull Over Forward Over. I remember this as a time just before an explosion of talent from our students. Many of them broke thru their plateaus. Then, we had lots of students working on forward overs & doubles. Layouts were becoming pretty common. And, almost everyone had a swing to differing degrees. Then was a great time. (Happy birthday to my Aunt!)
I love today’s weather: nice, cool & dry with little winds. Excellent. We are deep in the midst of the season for sure. We have quite a number of students at the point in their trainings with 3 to 4 front end tricks under their belt (pun intended) & working on their swings. It’s awesome to see such widespread progressions. Samantha W. & I were trying to recreate her returns to the fly bar. We finally found a trick to challenge her: the Pull Over Shoot! She’s determined & I’m sure she’ll catch it before long. Michelle is progressing with her swing rather nicely. The mighty Fix, wonderful Olivia & beautiful Ronnie were working the classes & crowds to everyone’s delight! And, let’s not forget that success is measured in the efforts & sacrifices made to achieve it. Sue was given a surprise class from her friends, & Sue hates heights! Nonetheless, she earned her own success just by getting up to the board a couple of times. There are days you can hardly wait to pass & there are days you wish would never end. Virtually all the days at our rig are of the latter variety. “It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky…” (Helen Keller on flight around the world) Always have a great day. – Dino
It's funny that the Pull Over Shoot challenged Samantha W. so much b/c one of her current go-to tricks is the Pull Over Forward Over. I remember this as a time just before an explosion of talent from our students. Many of them broke thru their plateaus. Then, we had lots of students working on forward overs & doubles. Layouts were becoming pretty common. And, almost everyone had a swing to differing degrees. Then was a great time. (Happy birthday to my Aunt!)
Saturday, August 7, 2004, New York, NY
* Strangers to the grounds...
Today is going to be very cool & Autumn-like. We had a lot of frequent flyers yesterday. Laura is catching her Pull Over Shoot so easily nowadays. Tricia is making good progress with her swing. I expect both of them to be working their back end tricks soon. Joan had a breakthrough with her take off which helped her with her back end splits. Good work, Joan! And, Ali made a solid catch with her Pull Over Shoot. She’s such a strong flyer; I wish she wasn’t leaving back for school so soon. So, come over & take either a flying or static trapeze class with us. Nowadays, you can even try out silks/fabric! On some days, our rig grounds look like a “Commando/Ninja training facility!” “My [mind & body are] quiet, and for a moment still an alien, still a stranger to the ground, I am home.” (Richard Bach) – Dino *
(Happy birthday to my older brother!)
Today is going to be very cool & Autumn-like. We had a lot of frequent flyers yesterday. Laura is catching her Pull Over Shoot so easily nowadays. Tricia is making good progress with her swing. I expect both of them to be working their back end tricks soon. Joan had a breakthrough with her take off which helped her with her back end splits. Good work, Joan! And, Ali made a solid catch with her Pull Over Shoot. She’s such a strong flyer; I wish she wasn’t leaving back for school so soon. So, come over & take either a flying or static trapeze class with us. Nowadays, you can even try out silks/fabric! On some days, our rig grounds look like a “Commando/Ninja training facility!” “My [mind & body are] quiet, and for a moment still an alien, still a stranger to the ground, I am home.” (Richard Bach) – Dino *
(Happy birthday to my older brother!)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Friday, August 6, 2004, Baltimore, MD
* Beauty here & down there...
July’s weather was unpredictable & sometimes harsh, but today will be absolutely gorgeous with cooler temperatures, lower humidity & mild winds. Catherine & I took a last minute trip to visit my brother & his family in Maryland, & we couldn’t pass up the chance to see Brian’s Baltimore rig! If you haven’t already done so, you have to take a class down there on his serene rig. We conveniently grabbed a bite at the Inner Harbor. Then, I watched Emily, Jeff, Scout, John & Brian work their beautifully clean rig. It’s so pleasant that instructors don’t have to shout commands at the top of their lungs to be heard. I got to fly with & catch a couple of people including my nephew, Derick. The only downside is that I miss Brian even more. “There is the sky, which is all men’s together…” (Euripides, 412 B.C.) – Dino *
** Classes are on
Good morning. Confronting and working through fear, celebrating a birthday, trying something new, spending quality time with your children, decompressing from a long difficult work day, because there's nothing like it and you can't get enough.... These are some of reasons that people of all ages come to rig on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. I'm so pleased that so many people can come from so many different walks of life, for so many different reasons, and yet all have a positive, empowering, fun and exciting experience. Even had Louise and Mark all the way from Wales decided to give it a shot, and both learned well and got caught! Jeff's locks are starting to look good with all of his hard work. Birthday girl Catherine caught her knee hang, and Leslie learned and caught 2 tricks in one class, and waited for the "hep". Minu keeps amazing us by her new found skill and aptitude as she threw her first back end tricks yesterday, Congrats! I can't name all of you, but you know who you are and I thank you for trusting our team enough to try the flying trapeze. Dino, Benny, and Derek suprised us with a visit... so great to see all of you here! Dino, so great to have you down here, you make flying look so graceful and easy! Come back soon! It's going to be a hot one today, remember your sunscreen and lots of water! Brian **
July’s weather was unpredictable & sometimes harsh, but today will be absolutely gorgeous with cooler temperatures, lower humidity & mild winds. Catherine & I took a last minute trip to visit my brother & his family in Maryland, & we couldn’t pass up the chance to see Brian’s Baltimore rig! If you haven’t already done so, you have to take a class down there on his serene rig. We conveniently grabbed a bite at the Inner Harbor. Then, I watched Emily, Jeff, Scout, John & Brian work their beautifully clean rig. It’s so pleasant that instructors don’t have to shout commands at the top of their lungs to be heard. I got to fly with & catch a couple of people including my nephew, Derick. The only downside is that I miss Brian even more. “There is the sky, which is all men’s together…” (Euripides, 412 B.C.) – Dino *
** Classes are on
Good morning. Confronting and working through fear, celebrating a birthday, trying something new, spending quality time with your children, decompressing from a long difficult work day, because there's nothing like it and you can't get enough.... These are some of reasons that people of all ages come to rig on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. I'm so pleased that so many people can come from so many different walks of life, for so many different reasons, and yet all have a positive, empowering, fun and exciting experience. Even had Louise and Mark all the way from Wales decided to give it a shot, and both learned well and got caught! Jeff's locks are starting to look good with all of his hard work. Birthday girl Catherine caught her knee hang, and Leslie learned and caught 2 tricks in one class, and waited for the "hep". Minu keeps amazing us by her new found skill and aptitude as she threw her first back end tricks yesterday, Congrats! I can't name all of you, but you know who you are and I thank you for trusting our team enough to try the flying trapeze. Dino, Benny, and Derek suprised us with a visit... so great to see all of you here! Dino, so great to have you down here, you make flying look so graceful and easy! Come back soon! It's going to be a hot one today, remember your sunscreen and lots of water! Brian **
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