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 16, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
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
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
Sunday, April 6, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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
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
Saturday, March 29, 2008
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
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
Friday, March 28, 2008
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)
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)
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