This is an update long overdue about the flying, activities & lives of the flying trapeze students, instructors & friends on a little rig in Brooklyn...
On this Wednesday night, we started off the evening w/some staff training & flying, then ended off the night w/some fun flying by some students. We even had a Brazilian TV shoot during the start of the night.
During staff training, Chem practiced his swing w/Egon & Keith getting some time in the catch trap. University student, Whit, stopped by for the 1st time to our little rig to acquaint herself w/ESTA. Ami practiced working the board before making a F/E Split catch. Our Susie W. hung in the catch trap to catch an Uprise Shoot (mine) for her 1st time! The talented Lisa R. made a layout catch & return w/me before timing some Doubles.
In the class that followed, Lex R. owned his b/e straddle whip better than ever! Son Max R. honed his swing a little more before making an easy Planche catch. French Emmanuelle C. branched out her training w/some Cut Aways. And, strong, little, fashionable Paulina looked good w/her Pull Over Shoot. As versatile as ever, our Susie W. caught the class!
In the backdrop of our indoor space, the fiery-locked Jordan B. was teaching silks, and Fabio was conducting his popular Flip/Tuck class w/Streb members as participants including powerhouse Ami, beautifully lithe Sarah, charismatic Chem & ever-effervescent Mary-J!
"Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement." - Alfred Adler
The lithe & worldly Emma S. came in for the 2nd day in a row to hone her swing. She pushed her endurance to new levels & her hands to new limits! The lovely Nicole A. also returned for more flying for her 2nd day in a row! She's learning to open her shoulders more in the F/E of her swing. She made some easy catches w/our Hal & even started developing her Face Off.
My Catherine R.S. is making progress w/the B/E of her swing; hopefully, she'll be continuing her training as frequently as now! Fairly new (albeit very promising) flyer Billy P. caught his F/E Whip for his 1st time after working on that same position for 3 weeks at a different, Manhattan-based flying trapeze location! He also learned & caught his F/E Planche during the same class as well as tried out his Pull Over Shoot AND F/E Straddle Whip!
"You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day." - Marian Wright Edelman
It was a nice show of force w/many good flyers starting off the day & a decent group of newbies ending it off...!
Making the most of her time State-side, the lithe & worldly Emma S. worked on adding the half turn to her descent to the mat/net. The lovely Nicole A. honed her Uprise Fwd Over a bit before catching & returning her B/E Splits.
Feisty Galit E. brought Things 1's & 2's demure babysitter as well as friend Naftalie so the two could try out our passion. Both the babysitter & Naftalie made their 1st KH catches!
Galit's baby sitter's KH:
Galit dusted off her Flexus & managed to snag a Flexus Flexus soon after!
Workaholic, type A Marisa B. took time away from the legal world to work on her Layout:
The talented, beautiful Maya F. refrained from her Uprises (though she does them easily!) & made a nice B/E Splits catch & return. Tense-bodied, jovial Paulina R. almost perfected her Pull Over Shoot; she just has to get over her fears of colliding w/catchers!
The group of newbies did well for their 1st times! They included Sandy, Jen, Winnie, Sarah B. & token-male Sean F. Pulling their best tricks out just in time for catching, friends Sandy, Winnie & Jen each made their 1st catches! Sarah B. did so well that she was pretty much a text book example of a Knee Hang as she made her catch for her 1st time, too!
Sandy's Knee Hang:
Sarah's Knee Hang:
Jen's Knee Hang catch:
"To cement a new friendship, especially between foreigners or persons of a different social world, a spark with which both were secretly charged must fly from person to person, and cut across the accidents of place and time." - The Ape in Me, 1959, Cornelia Otis Skinner
Up in Kent, CT at Club Getaway, the air is clean & bracing, the water is warm & inviting, the flying is fun & uplifting...!
For a few days during Family Week, I had the pleasure of working & flying w/the fearless leader of CG's circus programs, Beth F. Also in the air & out of lines was the diverse, dancing, intellectual Ann-Marie Y. as well as the gentlemanly Kieran.
Ann-Marie's F/E Splits catch:
Beth's B/E Splits catch & return:
Beth's B/E Straddle Whip catch & return:
Lead by their comely matriarch, Lisa, siblings Luke, Noah, Colin & their baby sister w/curls enjoyed their time at CG. Noah grew in prowess & confidence as he tried trapeze more & more; he eventually got his KH & Back Flip! Young & reserved Colin was a confident natural in the air. Eldest Luke turned out to be a flying dynamo, learning AND catching multiple tricks in only three days! KH, Heels Off, Straddle Whip & Planche! I hope to fly w/him again someday.
Luke's Bird's Nest:
Luke's Heels Off:
Luke's Straddle Whip:
The family of Colin, Trudy & Valerie came all the way from PA to sample the air up there. Both Colin & Trudy tried out a few swings. Young, math-minded Valerie learned & caught both her KH & Heels Off!
I saw twins Jordan & Justin roaming around the village trying out everything from flying to basketball. Quiet Katie, young Piper, adventurous Muriel & adept Oliver each made their 1st KH catches! Kids Defne, Grace & Zack each tried out some flying, too. And, not to be shown up, Joanne & Alice showed that age is just mind over matter: if you don't mind, it don't matter.
"Nor need we power or splendor, wide hall or lordly dome; the good, the true, the tender -- these form the wealth of home." - Sarah J. Hale
"The voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven's lieutenants." - Shakespeare
I haven't been an instructor on Monday nights for a while; it appears that there's a growing number of regulars for that night...!
I got the pleasure of flying once again w/the lissom Ann W. She was playing around w/her myriad of tricks before throwing & catching her Forward Over w/me! I haven't gotten to fly w/the free spirited Marcie B. is so long. Her swing has gotten nice & consistent; she should be working on only B/E tricks! (Hint, hint) Marcie (too) easily made her F/E Whip catches. The agile Kitao S. grows in strength & prowess by each time I see him! His Double Back Tuck is good to go; we just need to hang for it before the night grows long & he grows fatigued! Our Bobby's friend, CJ, made his 1st KH catch ever! Pragmatic Edie compared teaching styles & lingo as she tweaked her B/E Split & made a catch. The powerful & tight Keith bettered his B/E Planche by keeping his head up.
My Catherine R.S. returned to the air to work on the B/E of her swing w/promising results! The strong & even-tempered Lex R.'s swing is stronger than ever as he fights to take the "bounce" out of his B/E Straddle Whip. Brawny Egon worked on his F/E Straddle Whip before making a Hox style KH catch. Rounding out the night, Angela B. made her 1st F/E Splits catch!
"Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." - Arundhati Roy
Graduated Cherry Hill H.S. West & Rutgers Univ. w/a degree in Economics. Worked at Phila Stock Exchange, Bloomberg LP & Club Med Punta Cana. Found flying trapeze (&, consequently, my wife & life) & never looked back...
