Le sigh. If we’re being really honest, this is the question your circus teacher dreads the most. THE MOST.

It’s not an unreasonable question! You’re wondering about a realistic time frame for getting your (fill in the blank – inversion in the air, crossback straddle, handstand without the wall, quadruple-super-twirl-flip-wedgie-maker-thing, etc); you want to know if you’re learning at a “normal” pace; you want to know if it’s hopeless; you think you should have your (xyz – see above) by now, and suspect that there’s some secret your teacher isn’t telling you.

There is no secret. There is no time frame. There is no normal. Sorry.

The Pace at Which You Learn

Everyone starts circus training in a different place. Some folks have 15 years of dance training, rock climb twice a week, and run marathons (for FUN) on the weekends; some folks are exploring movement for the first time, just bought their first pair of sassy leggings, and would rather get a full body wax – twice – than take a Pilates class. Friends – these two students are both circus beginners, but are going to have WILDLY different progression timelines! And that’s OK! Know why? Because unless Cirque du Soleil accidentally offered you a contract, you do not have a deadline. Here are a few factors that will influence how quickly you bust a move:

• Body awareness. Do you know where your body is in space? Are you sure? Circus will really challenge that.
• Muscle strength, control, and flexibility. It’s a never-ending adventure! You will never “arrive” (sorry). We are all constantly building muscles, learning to control our bodies, stretching things, rehabbing, and pre-habbing. You will never be done. When you can do one pullup, the goal changes to two. When you can touch your toes, the goal changes to getting your face to your knees. Make peace with it!
• How frequently you train – circus and otherwise. If the only time you move your body is in my class once a week, your experience will be reeeeeeeally different from the student who trains outside of class or multiple days per week.
• Processing information. Do you process information in nontraditional ways? Are you training in a language other than your first? Do you speak your apparatus’ language? Does it intuitively make sense to you, or does it challenge you? I understood silks from day 1 – it made perfect sense to me. Wheel? HAHAHAHAHA! Not even a little bit. All of this affects how quickly you’ll pick things up.
• Your beliefs about how easy or hard it should be. Did you sign up for classes thinking you would pick up these skills quick like a bunny? Has your experience been more slow like a tortoise? Did you come in thinking it would be impossible like Congress (sorry not sorry)? If you thought circus would be a breeze, or that you would be turning fabulous tricks in two weeks, you may need to manage your expectations….. That said, it’s not impossible! Hard work + perseverance + you = AWESOME CIRCUS.
• Prior injuries, a changing body, or special needs. Bodies have history, and every body is wildly different. Many of us bring prior injuries to class, or have pain we need to work around; some students are undergoing hormonal therapies, or have had surgical modifications that need to be factored in; some students need a creative approach to the work to accommodate their needs. EVERY body arrives with a story, and that story is a huge part of your training journey.
• Fear. Are you a cautious mouse like me, or are you an “every-time-my-teacher-turns-their-head-I-go-for-gold-and-hope-I-don’t-die” kind of student? The amount of fear you experience (or don’t) is a big player in the progression game.
• How willing you are to be a student. Can your teacher give you candid feedback? Do you argue with them? Does a correction send you sulking into the corner for the rest of class? OR, do you soak up all that feedback like a (very good natured) sponge?

All of these things factor STRONGLY into how you progress, and how quickly; you can change some of these to tilt the scales in your favor, but some are what they are. There is no norm. I can tell you that most students training once a week will get their in-air inversion in 6 months to a year, but hey – you might get it your second class, or your second year. You are where you are, you are WHO you are, and things will take the time they take.

It’s a Set of Skills, Not a Bag of Tricks

One of the most useful perspectives I got this year was this:

You’re (hopefully) aiming to build a set of skills, not fill a bag of tricks. Skills take time! If you’re looking for instant (or even quick) circus fabulousness, or a few pictures for your Instagram feed, book a private, sit in a hoop, take some photos, and call it a day. You won’t get much respect from our community, but maybe you don’t really care about that – valid.

Meaningful progressions in circus happen in months and years, not days and weeks. It doesn’t mean you won’t be frustrated by a slow streak, it doesn’t mean you’ll have peace about the pace of things, it doesn’t mean that nothing will come easily; it does mean that you understand that you will be trading instant results for lasting skills. It’s like fast food nibbles versus the slow food movement: one is quick, cheap, and unfulfilling, the other is slow, has depth, and makes your life infinitely richer.

When you hear yourself wondering when you’re going to be able to wrap your leg around your head three times while spinning by one wrist and singing excerpts from “Aida”, remind yourself that it’s a marathon. Slow your roll, Sparkle Britches. Take a deep breath, take stock of the awesome progress you’ve already made (write it down!!!!!), and make sure you’re celebrating tiny milestones – you earned it! If you feel you should be progressing faster, check in with your coach and see what they think – your teacher may recommend supplemental training, direct you to resources, or raise an eyebrow and reassure you that you’re right on track. Wherever you are in your training, repeat like a mantra, “It’s a skill, not a trick.”, and let the awesomeness unfold. Over time. Love and pullups, Laura