Author Archives: Lewitwer

Best Performance Advice I’ve Ever Gotten

By 3 commentsPeople, Performance, Uncategorized
Mario Brufau & Me in “Music Box” 1998

I got some sad news this evening. Paul J. Curtis, founder of The American Mime Theater, of which I was a member for several years, died yesterday. I’m truly sad to hear it because, while Paul was the most candid and brutally honest director I have ever had (I cried at least once a rehearsal), he gave me some of the most valueable instruction of my career. Quite a bit isn’t sharable here, just the ins and outs of physical performance in the moment, but here is one thing I can pass on to you, and I hope you find as useful as I have.

Posit – to put something somewhere firmly.

EVERYTHING you do on the stage must be “posited”; you have to look like you meant to do it. Every movement. Every gesture. Everything deliberate. That means that there is no such thing as a transition – the transition IS the move. Raise an arm to grab the rope? Posited. Wrap the silks around your leg? POSITED. Whack your head on the wheel? Yup – totally meant to do that. There is no movement wasted, no indulgent “noodling” around – you must move like you mean it.

In Paul’s memory, I challenge you to take one phrase of choreography, or an entire piece if you’re feeling ambitious, and make every single solitary moment deliberate and conscious, even if it should look casual. How far can you get? It takes practice, but you’ll know it when you do it, and you’ll recognize it when you see it – it looks like magic. RIP Paul, your work lives on in countless luscious, full, posited moments. Love always, Laura

Mario Brufrau, Paul J. Curtis, Dale Fuller

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DIY FAIL: How NOT To Learn Circus From Social Media

By 7 commentsSafety, Training, Uncategorized

The Hunger

Baby steps!

You’re hungry for training – I get it! I’ve been right where you are. I will be the first to tell you that I’m an Instagram and YouTube enthusiast – aerial and German wheel videos are like crack to me. Also? Oreos, but that’s another post entirely. I spend probably 20 minutes a day glued to social media, combing videos for performances and moves I like and want to steal learn. BUT – there’s a big difference between appreciating performances/variations and using video as a substitute teacher. There’s a period of time as a student where you’re just learning how your apparatus works; it’s not just a series of tricks that you’re filing away, you’re actively figuring out how to drive this thing. A wrong turn could leave you with an unspeakable wedgie, dislocated shoulder, broken ankle, or worse. So, how should you use all this readily available info? With caution, friend.

How To Endanger Your Life 101

  1.  Watch videos and online tutorials.
  2. Go into the studio and try to recreate what you saw (or think you saw) on your own. You’ll earn yourself a Darwin Award.

Be Smart – How To Use Online Resources To Further Your Aerial Training

  1. Watch the masters. What is it about their performance that is so captivating? Do you see things you would like to learn? Make a list of them. Then…
  2. Work on the material with your coach. Why spend hours on the struggle bus when a good teacher can safely get you to your destination in half the time? It’s safer, faster, and less painful to work with a pro!
  3. Take careful notes in class, observe your fellow students, and video yourself if your instructor allows it. Trust me – you’ll learn more about your performance watching yourself than someone else! Post your triumphs online, and let everyone cheer for you! (Be sure to tag your studio or teacher)
  4. Soak it all up. Read the blogs, expose yourself to tons of reputable resources, and always ask yourself who’s doing the talking. Question everything. Then….
  5. Keep running it all past your coach.

Watch YouTube til your eyeballs fall out! Get inspired and all revved up with stuff on the ‘gram! I love knowing what my students would like to work on. That said, remember that any good coach has a methodology to their teaching. There is a real and important progression to aerial work – a good foundation is essential, and there’s no way of getting around that. So yes – tell your coach you eventually want the triple! Show them those videos! They’ll help you create the roadmap to safely get there, without picking up a bad habit or a slew of injuries along the way. Love and pull-ups, Laura

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When In Doubt, Boobies Out – Posture & The Aerial Performer

By Awesomeness, Training, Uncategorized

If you look like a hiccuping turtle doing the backstroke on silks, or you’re 25 but look 1005 in your trapeze video, friend – you have an Aerial Posture Problem. What’s up with that? What is aerial posture? Does it matter beyond aesthetics? Are you destined to resemble a spasming tortoise forever? Let’s point our nipples skyward and find out.

Proper Aerial Posture 101

When we’re not hanging from our arms, you get an A+ if you:

  • Press your shoulders down away from your ears – you want a neck like a swan, not Beatrice the Sharp-Toothed Buzzard.
  • Now, think of broadening your collar bones, as opposed to allowing the shoulders to round forward.
  • Lift your chin, and lightly tilt your chest up. Let your charms (or pecs) point skywards! (Well, not that much, but “When in doubt, boobies out!”).
  • You might hear me cue for: broadening the collar bones, opening the chest, casting your nipples to the sky, tits up, proud chest, look for Jason Momoa on the horizon, etc.

The effect should be elegant and expansive! Again, this is when we’re not hanging by our arms; if you ARE hanging with arms extended overhead, you’re looking to elevate and rotate.

Why Posture Matters

  • A graceful carriage is lovely to look at! Just by dropping your shoulders an inch or opening your chest, you could go from drabulous to fabulous in 3 seconds! Werk.
  • If you’re rounding forward and looking at the floor, people are going to think you dropped money. Lift.
  • Good posture is more efficient. Efficiency = more energy to spend on rockin’ out with your bad self!

So, while you don’t need to climb with a book on your head (though I’ll give you mad props if you do), you will want to cultivate lovely lines in the chest and neck. Video can be super helpful here. So, make like Emily Post, grab a couple of cucumber sandwiches, and get crackin’ on that posture! Making the world more beautiful, one back, chest, and neck at a time. Love and pull-ups, Laura

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On Being a Good Circus Student: An Ode to Teach-ability

By 4 commentsAttitude, Training, Uncategorized

What makes a “good” student? IS there such a thing? Is your crappy attitude getting in the way of your training and making your teacher bonkers, or are you the student your coach can’t wait to work with? Take my little quiz and find out!

Deep, Dark Circus Confessions

Oh, Dear Danglers, I have a confession to make (savor this moment, because it won’t come often). Remember that little post I wrote about circus being hard and not expecting instant results? Yes. Well. Ahem…. I may or may not have disregarded my own advice, and pitched a crying, screaming hissy fit in German wheel class when I felt I wasn’t progressing fast enough. BUT, in my defense, my mojo had fled about half an hour before (it was scared), and I’d been working really hard, and I hadn’t eaten because I missed lunch and….. yeah, you’re not buying it either. So what should I have done when I hit that wall of frustration and was ready to spit nails and start a bar fight? (Hint: it wasn’t swear, snap at my coach, or slap somebody. I did a lot of the first and a little of the second, but only thought about the third – that’s gotta count for something, right?)

So, are you a super awesome student, or a giant pain in the booty? Or both? Let’s find out!

True or False

  1.  I accept instruction and critiques graciously and enthusiastically.
  2.  I take the work seriously, but almost peed myself laughing when so-and-so’s pants fell off while doing the Full Monty (that was funny).
  3.  I understand that mojo comes and goes. It’s elusive, like a unicorn.
  4.  I try to leave my crappy day at the door, and not drag it all around the studio.
  5.  I smile and laugh, laugh and smile. When I do it maniacally, people back away and I get more silk time.
  6.  I take myself super seriously. I tell myself that I will DIE if I don’t get this trick today. Because I will. I know I will. And I’m NEVER GOING TO GET THIS, AM I?  YOU CAN TELL ME THE TRUTH! I CAN TAKE IT! I SUCK, DON’T I?
  7.  I often infer that there’s some secret that my teacher is not telling me that’s preventing me from getting that trick – it has nothing to do with practice. (Tell me, dammit! Before I cut you!)
  8.  I often cry, get really mad, and sulk. I do my best work when I’m really pissed off.
  9.  I frequently argue with my coach when they give me corrections. They love that.
  10.  I find complaining to be an excellent mode of expression.

If you answered TRUE to 1-5, congrats! You are a super awesome student. If you answered TRUE to 6-10, there’s room for improvement. Get on that (I’ll join you).

The Nekkid Truth

At the end of the day, it’s really about an Attitude of Gratitude, isn’t it? I am so grateful to be learning so much from someone so skilled. I get to use (and break) my body in unexpected ways, play with others who are just as “eccentric” as myself (that’s the nice way of putting it), and roll around in a giant hamster wheel and call it art.

There’s freedom in allowing yourself to suck, even when you want so badly to be good. From here on out, my only response to correction will be “thank you”. When I want to scream, I will throw up my hands (or maybe just throw up) and laugh instead. I will love this flippin’ apparatus wastefully and extravagantly, and put my focus squarely on the work where it belongs, instead of on me (where I really want to put it). Join me, won’t you? Everybody wins. I’ll see you and your awesome self in the air! Big love and pull-ups, Laura

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But I’m On Vacation! Training On The Road

By Awesomeness, Training, Uncategorized

Well, Dear Danglers, as you read this I will be winging my way to glorious Belize for some much needed R & R (and a little work, of course!). Naturally, I thought this might be the perfect time to have a little chat about training while you travel. Should you work out (yes), rest (yes), or appreciate the local flora and fauna (definitely yes)? Here’s the skinny.

When To Train

Been too busy at home to get proper workouts in? Are you somewhere amazing and gorgeous with luscious hiking trails, heavenly promenades, or superior snorkeling? What a perfect time to train without “training”! Sometimes, it’s enough just to stay active. I don’t belong to a gym here in NYC (all my extra money goes to working on German wheel – seriously), so when I see a fully tricked out gym, my heart goes pitter-pat. Do what sounds good to you on any given day!

When To Call It a Week

If you’ve been trainin’ yer buns off, especially if you notice your body is more prone to injury or you’ve been getting sick a lot lately, it’s time to take some time off. I promise – a week off is not going to undo years worth of training; in fact, if you’ve been working hard, taking a week off to let muscles recover, allow inflammation to subside, and let little ouchies heal can do more for you than a workout ever could. So go on – slather yourself in Hawaiian Tropic, order a Mai Tai, and set your sights on that cutie who clearly has designs on you. I mean – spend several hours in meditation and prayer. Yes, that is what I meant.

What To Do

Whatever you want – go crazy! If there’s no gym, see what’s available in the realm of outdoor training (or the “Earth Gym” as I call it). Stuck in Middle-of-Nowhere-ville, USA with exactly no palatable options? Pop into YouTube and check out some free workout videos. Find a pull-up bar (aka playground), do some push-ups, and have a little dance party in your hotel room (pull the shades so nobody calls an ambulance thinking you’re having a seizure).

Most of all? Enjoy yourself. Luxuriate in the miracle of a body that does such incredible things, and give it what it needs! Big Love from Belize!

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Hot Sweaty Magic: How to Rock Your Aerial Work in Humid Weather

By Uncategorized

Each year, I eagerly await the first really humid day of spring: my hair in a spectacular frizzy halo around my head, the assorted smells of NYC that whack you like a sledgehammer when you step outside, and the cries of my new students when they realize how sticky-burn-y-damp-and-stinky the fabrics get in spring & summah-time. JOY! So what’s great about it, what sucks about it, and what do you DO about it? Settle in for some hot, sweaty magic.

The Effects of Humidity on Apparatus and on You

  • Apparatus is slightly damp (and kinda stinky – so awesome)
  • Big friction – you just don’t slide and glide like you do when it’s cooler, so watch for friction burns
  • Eeeeeeeeeeverything sticks to all the parts of your body you don’t need them to stick to, but you can’t get a good bar grip because you’re too darned sweaty
  • If it’s really hot, you are at risk for heat exhaustion or heat stroke

The upside? You won’t need as much sticky stuff (if any) on fabrics since they’re like flypaper, and your muscles get nice and noodly which is great for flexibility work. During the dog days of summer, we call it Bikram Silks or Sauna Silks. Cause it’s like that.

How to Safely and (Relatively) Comfortably Dangle in the Tropics

  • Drink loooooooooooooots of water (easy on sugar). Heat exhaustion/stroke sneaks up on you fast. If you begin feeling sick, dizzy, or stop perspiring, get into AC fast. During your class, make sure you take frequent breaks to stand in front of a fan and get that body temp down.
  • Cover up! It seems counter-intuitive, but making sure your body is properly covered will make you way more comfortable – mainly because you won’t be leaving little bits of yourself on the apparatus (eeeeeew, but that’s what happens!).
  • If you’re working partnering, tape your wrists and use sticky stuff as necessary.
  • Remember your deodorant – those fabrics can’t stay fresh as a daisy without your help! OK – they won’t be fresh as a daisy anyway, but there’s no reason to add to it! It’s shared equipment, people.
  • Stretch carefully – noodley muscles can get hyper-flexible, encouraging you to overstretch. Watch those hamstrings while you’re working splits!

You may find that you LOVE working in heat (many aerialists do!). Always work with an eye towards safety and comfort, and you’ll be sittin’ sweaty pretty. Love and pull-ups, Laura

As always, if you like this post, share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and wherever else you crazy kids are posting things these days!

Stoned Love: Why Performing Aerials When You’re High Is Completely Moronic

By 4 commentsPerformance, The Biz, Uncategorized

Yup – you heard me! Tough love, Dear Danglers, but this needs to be said. Is it ever okay to perform drunk or high? What about just a little drunk or high? Is it anyone else’s business if you do? Let’s dive in.

Why Performing Stoned Is A Terrible, Terrible Idea

Unless you’re Charlie Sheen, the very idea of performing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is so completely absurd, I’m not even sure where to start. Let’s talk quickly about what the effects on the body are:

  • depressants (alcohol, marijuana, prescription painkillers, etc.) –  temporarily slow down your central nervous system, which controls your bodily functions, blocking out some of the messages trying to get through to your brain. This results in slowed reaction time, impaired judgement, uncoordination, etc.
  • stimulants (cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, etc.) – increase heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. This can result in confusion, heart attack, overheating, and brain damage.
  • hallucinogens (‘shrooms, LSD, etc.) – causes hallucinations. Nuff said.

So let me see…. why might this be a bad idea? Slowed reflexes, impaired judgement, confusion, hallucinations… sounds SUPER SMART to me! Combine that with aerial performance, and you my friend are a Rock Star. Wait – I’m sorry – you are a Very Silly Individual Who Clearly Needs To Rethink Some Things.

What Constitutes “High” – The No Fly Zone

I myself am flying high after one beer (cheap date), and completely laid out by cold meds. Many professionals go by the Pregnancy Rule – if you can’t down it while pregnant, you shouldn’t consume it before hanging upside-down by one ankle twenty feet in the air (check with your doc about your regular prescription meds & how they might affect your circus life, then plan accordingly). I personally like to save my partying for AFTER the show, when I can totally cut loose and have TWO beers (and hope nobody posts what happens next on YouTube. Priceless.)

Why It IS My Business, And Everyone Else’s

Let me be super clear: I don’t particularly care what you choose to do with yourself, what you engage in during your free time, or whether you like to do trapeze stark nekkid with a lampshade on your head. I truly do not care. BUT, as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr once said, “Your right to swing your fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” None of us live in a bubble (though some of us probably should), and our actions have consequences for our community at large. So, when you choose to endanger yourself and others by performing altered, you betta believe I’m going to weigh in! Every time an accident occurs, professionals like myself face a barrage of new “safety” regulations, codes, permits, and other red tape that we have to slog through every time we want to perform in New York City – so much fun!

So snap out of it, Peter Pan! Time to put on your Grown Up Britches, and come to the party as a pro. Save the drinkie-poos for after the show – we’ll both feel better. Love and pull-ups, Laura

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Think It Through: How To Improve Your Aerial Performance in 10 Seconds

By 6 commentsAwesomeness, Training, Uncategorized

If you skip out of class on Tuesday night and don’t give aerial skills another thought until, well, the next Tuesday night, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful ways to improve your aerial game: visualization (…cue Enya… go for chanting monks….standby for healing crystal chakra vibrations….). No, I haven’t gone all woo-woo on you, but I AM going to share with you the secrets of the Universe how you can literally think your way to aerial awesomeness. Read on, my loves!

Why Bother to Visualize Your Work Outside of Class?

Because everything you do begins with a thought. Now, whether it’s an awesome thought, or an OMG-I-can’t-believe-I-just-did/ate/tapped-that! kind of thought is another matter entirely. Aim high, people! Some items for your consideration:

Methods to the Madness

Here are a few things that work for me:

  • If you’re having trouble with a particular move or correction, go through it in slow motion in your head. See yourself executing it flawlessly and smoothly. Now, speed it up slowly in your brain. Mentally run it until it feels like you’re not even “thinking” about it. Try to feel it in your body.
  • If your stamina is le poo, figure out why (click here  and here  for some possible reasons). If you’re not breathing properly for instance, visualize your sequences and see/feel yourself breathing deeply throughout. Use word cues (“breath” or “rest” for example) in your mind and in your rehearsal to prompt your body to follow.
  • If you’re rehearsing for a show, put that music on your iPod and run run run run that piece in your head. I do it walking to and from the train – use any and every opportunity to get it into your brain.

The brain is a lot like a muscle: if you’re not used to using it in this way, it’s going to feel funny at first. Stick with it! You can visualize yourself right into all sorts of amazing stuff! Lemme hear you – how have YOU used visualizations in your aerial work? Progression? Healing from injury? Love and pull-ups, Laura

As always, if you like this post, share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and wherever else you crazy kids are posting things these days!

Incredible Inverts – How to Get A Straight-Legged Straddle Without All That Swearing

By 19 commentsExercises, Training, Uncategorized

Sweet heavens, ya’ll better be glad I don’t use a Swear Jar during class – you’d be broke and I’d be a millionaire. What move is most swear-worthy? When do I hear the grunts, groans, and colorful metaphors galore? Whether you call them inversions, straddle-backs, or demented flying monkey swings, it’s tough to get that crisp, tight, straight-legged straddle we’re aiming for – slightly bent legs, droopy tushies, and funky feet can make it feel like we’ll never get there. Take heart, Dear Danglers – help is on the way!

Anatomy of a Sassy Straddle

There are several “pillars” of aerial work – pull-ups being one, inversions being another. A crummy inversion sets the stage for sloppy work (and makes your downstairs feel heavy), so it’s worth putting in the time and effort it takes to execute clean, snappy straddles. Here’s what we’re looking for:

  • strong upper body position to start – arms are either bent with elbows to your waist & hands just below your collarbones, or fully extended overhead (much more difficult). Notice that I didn’t say half way between bent and straight? Because that is not a thing in inversion work. Knock it off.
  • clean “take-off” – legs sweep cleanly around the fabric. DO NOT kick your fabric out of the way – it doesn’t look nearly as fabulous as you might think, just spastic.
  • quick tap of the legs together (hollow body), then a strong fan outwards and overhead – no pause or tempo (beat-back) – this is a Very Bad Habit. Don’t make me get my taser.
  • straight legs (bent “frog” legs are absolutely acceptable in the beginning, or when used as an artistic choice)
  • think about pressing your chest between your arms (you may need to have a slight bend in the arms to accommodate your chest). From here, tuck your tushie under you to keep your butt from dragging you back down.
  • high, elevated derriere (no droopy drawers or saggy assets!) – get your booty as close to your hands as you can

How to Get There – Aerial Straddle Training Tips

The BEST way to get glorious straddles is to train with a good coach. If you’re looking for a better understanding of the mechanics or progressions, here are some little nuggets to think on.

  • Beginners – you’re ready to start training inversions when you can hold yourself reliably with bent arms on the fabric. Until then, work going in and coming out of your straddle position using a fabric knot.
    • Start on the floor and give yourself a little assist.
    • When you’re ready to start working it in the air (low!!!), start by tucking up, as if you were trying to knee yourself in the shoulders (because why wouldn’t you?). I call this the Brazilian Butt Wax Position – try it and you’ll see why! Don’t worry about going upside down quite yet, work on really tucking your pelvis towards your ribs.
    • Once tucks are easy, add the push with the arms which will rotate you upside down. Try to keep your elbows as close to your waist as you can.
  • Develop the strength to lift your leg up to 90 degrees. My two favorite exercises:
    • Stand. Place your foot on an elevated surface like a bed or coffee table. While keeping the leg as straight as you can, lift it up and down 10 times. Dance around to get rid of that Charlie horse. Do the other side.
    • Sit in a straddle with your back up against the wall so you won’t cheat. Place your hands on the floor in front of you. Lift and lower your legs 10x.
  • Curl your pelvis. Try this: stick your butt out. Now, try to lift your leg in front of you. Notice how high it went (or, you know, didn’t). Now, tuck your pelvis under and do the same thing. Did it go higher? Yes. Yes it did. You need that pelvic curl to ultimately get your booty to the sky.
  • Turn out from the hips! Utilizing a turn-out allows your powerful “side butt” muscles to assist, and friend, we need all the help we can get. Think about lifting from your inner thighs.
  • If you think your hamstring flexibility (or lack of) is limiting your position, work consistently on stretching them out and strengthening the quadriceps (front of the thigh). Be gentle! Work with bent legs in the meantime.
  • Mixed level/intermediate – now, we WORK. Get into your full straddle position. Lower down SLOOOOOOOWLY, keeping your legs straight, and bending your arms back to your starting position. Again. Again. Again (you get the picture). By reverse training your inversions, you’ll not only strengthen the essential muscles, but you’ll get a great idea of exactly when your “ugly moment” is happening so you can be aware of it.
  • Tip: think “energy out the toes” – you have to engage the whole leg, and everything radiates outwards from your core. Think about laser beams shooting out of your feet (hum the theme from “Star Wars”, it helps).
  • Now – EVERY time you train, add 5-10+ straddles into your conditioning, switching sides every 5 reps. Come down and do a little straddle dance – you’ve earned it. Werk it out.

And that’s how we do it! How are you doing on the 30 day straddle challenge? If you haven’t started, what are you waiting for? Are you gaining inches? Lemme hear you! Love and pull-ups, Laura

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21 Days Of Pull-Ups!

By 9 commentsExercises, Training, Uncategorized

Why do we care about pull-ups? Because they’re the single most important conditioning exercise for aerial work (click here & I’ll tell you why). A few rules:

1) Don’t hurt yourself. Work hard, but be mindful of pushing to injury. Never done pull-ups before? Have a pro check your form.

2) Use a chair underneath you or pull-up bands to assist as necessary, helping you to complete the full range of motion with good form.

3) Be exceedingly conscious of maintaining proper technique: shoulder blades elevated & rotated when arms are extended overhead (read this!), shoulders away from the ears at the top of the pull-up, ribs tucked in. If you experience anything more than normal muscle soreness and fatigue, stop immediately and consult a medical professional.

4) You can check out this video series for tips on improving your form.

Now. Who says girls don’t do pull-ups? Nobody. Nobody should ever say that. GET BUSY.

Click here to download the 21 Days of Pull-ups PDF!

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