Let’s KonMari… Our Circus Lives?

Oh yes, I’m going there. Unless you’ve been living under a rolla bolla for the past few weeks (and hey – some of you actually have), you’ve probably been hearing about the magical KonMari Method of tidying ad nauseum. What is it? Should you care? Can it be used to “spark joy” in other areas of your life?

What the Heck is KonMari?

Last year, I read Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”. I parted with three items, thanked my socks a few times, and moved on. Fast forward to this year, when Netflix aired her new show, and BOOM. I don’t know if it was just the timing, a fairy dusting of inspiration, or the fact that my mister is now working from home (in a very, very messy corner), but I went ALL IN. All. IN.

In a nutshell, the KonMari Method includes:

• envisioning your ideal home situation
• committing to completing the process within a short time (so you see noticable results)
• get rid of items that don’t spark joy, make sure everything else has a home
• tidy by category, not by location
• tidy in the correct order (clothes, books, papers, komono, sentimental)
• ENJOY!

So, I did it. Yes I did. I KonMari-ed high, I KonMari-ed low. In NYC, we’re pretty used to getting rid of clutter, but I always felt like chaos was waiting in every color coded bin (it was). The change in my home was astonishing, and (I’m gonna say it!) life-changing. I was chatting about it while putting my Dear Danglers through their warm-up, and someone in the throes of hollow-body holds grunted, “I should do that with every area of my life!”

….. you guys…….

We can do the same thing to our circus life! Think about it. Wouldn’t you love to reconnect with your circus joy? Are you swimming in span sets? Is your training regimen feeling more like a burden than a blessing? Hmmmmm……

Costumes & Training Clothes

If you’re anything like me, you’re awash in spandex and spangles. Because honestly, why wouldn’t you be? 😉

• Figure out how you use stuff. Do you have complete training outfits or costumes, or do you mix and match? How often do you need to get at ’em?
• Dump it all in one place. If it doesn’t spark joy, donate or sell it! If you’re struggling with an item, would someone else use it more? Would they let you borrow it? If an item needs to be repaired, or could be altered to spark joy, get on it or get rid of it.
• Fold fold fold. Containers containers containers. Google videos of her method of folding – it legit gave me tons more space, and it’s amazing to be able to see everything at once. (Note: don’t stress about containers. I made them out of cereal boxes, Amazon boxes, shoe boxes (shoe stores often give them away for free!), the carton my mushrooms came in from the grocery store, etc. You’ll find them!).

Equipment

I couldn’t imagine being able to get rid of anything, but actually found a number of things to pass on (I’m looking at you, Pepto Bismol colored silk). I also – finally – really organized the Bins of Chaos.

• Divide everything into Used Frequently and Used Infrequently. You want to be able to easily access and inspect stuff.
• Anything (in good condition) you almost never use? Is it something you could pass on or let someone else have, on the condition that you can borrow it here and there? Is there a circus school who might need it? Everyone wins!
• Does anything need sprucing up or repair in order to become useful again? Did you know that you can pay people to re-cover trapezes if you don’t want to do it yourself, or send equipment out for repair? Just saying. Do the thing!
• Consider starting with apparatus, then moving to rigging.
• Store everything in a way that looks *together*. Pay attention to the way things like to be stored; for example, rigging might like being in a backpack with lots of compartments and space for biners, swivels, etc. Silks don’t like plastic bins (stinky), but do well hanging. Lyras and trapeze can stack on hooks, etc. Whatever works in your space! Just make sure it’s easily accessible and suits what you’re storing.

Classes

This one’s a little tougher, right? It’s not a physical thing that you can hold and ask, “Does this spark joy?” I mean, sometimes I can’t wait to get to class; other times, I’m tired or done with everything and the only reason I show up is because I paid for the class. Sometimes we’re in it to win it, other times we’re battening down the hatches.

Classes are like a relationship, so this is what I came up with.

• First, ask The Question. Does it spark joy? If the answer is a clear yes or no, there you have it. But, if it’s a maybe, we’ve got to dig deeper. Is it because of life circumstances? Are you crazed and stressed with work or family or both? Are you feeling squeezed? Or, are you not sure you want to continue, but have spent all this time and money learning and you don’t want to quit now? Are you cancelling or no-showing to classes often? Consider taking a short break and seeing how you feel.
• Is it time to mix it up? Consider training with multiple teachers, finding a new resource, or switching studios. You’ve gotta keep the romance alive!
• If it’s time for a break, for the love of all that’s holy, do not ghost on your teacher. Especially if you’ve been training with them for a while, email or tell them face to face that you’ll be taking a break; we sometimes take disappearances personally!

Training

Oh glory. This is a toughie. I don’t know a single pro who rushes to training giddy with joy every day. Some days, you’re excited! Some days, I’d honest to goodness rather have a root canal. You’re tired. You’re in pain. You just don’t wanna.

There’s a lot of discipline at play here, but I also think sometimes we make ourselves suffer needlessly. When I find myself dragging my carcass to training, or – GASP – skipping it entirely, I know it’s time for an intervention.

• Give yourself what you need. Do you need a rest day? Do you need to eat or drink? Do you need to be more deliberate in how you’re spending your time? What do you need?
• Mix it up. Find the training equivalent of a trip to Babeland and put a little something different on the menu – new exercises, new moves, even a new apparatus.
• NEXT! We all have exercises we despise (I will NOT do burpees, and you can’t make me). Swap out exercises you hate with conditioning that hits the same areas. Life is too short for burpees training you hate.
• Explore adding other people to the mix (wink). Have you ever trained with a partner? What about duo work? At the very least, it can add accountability (just be careful you don’t spend the whole time gossiping and eating Raisinettes).
• Take a private! Sometimes, you just need a good, swift, kick in the a$$.
• Sign up for a show. If you’re performing regularly, consider doing a show where you get to do something a little less commercial – something experimental, funny, or brand new.
• Artist dates! Going to see a fabulous circus show can often reawaken the magic and rekindle that fire.

And then, there’s the day when you may decide that it’s time to let it go, or at least this incarnation. Have you reached that place? That’s OK too.

I highly recommend the book! It may not be for you, you might think it’s the best thing since low-stretch fabric. But – it’s a ridiculously freeing thing to get really, really honest about what brings us joy, and what has gone from blessing to burden. This stuff goes DEEP! Remember: it’s circus. It’s essence should be joy! If it’s not, it’s time to declutter. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Are You Strong Enough to Start Aerial Classes?

Yes.

Oh – sorry – this is a blog post, so I should probably elaborate.

Yes. You are.

The Question that Gives Your Coach All the Feels

As circus teachers, it’s the number one thing we hear:

“I have NO upper body strength.” (we know)

I’m totally out of shape.” (I feel that way all the time)

“I’ve never done anything like this before.” (that’s what she said)

Seriously – it’s FINE. Repeat after me:

You come to aerial classes to BUILD the upper body strength, get stronger, and learn the skills. That is literally why you go to class.

You’re in excellent company! At some point, every. single. person. in circus is a beginner. We all start in the same (very humbling) place, and we go from there. The vast majority of folks who get involved with circus do not show up on day one with rippling muscles and a magical intuitive understanding of the apparatus! In fact, most people when they begin cannot:

• Hold their body weight off the ground easily or at all
• Get their bodies upside down without help (thoughts and prayers!)
• Crank their splits to 180 and still be able to walk the next day
• Do ALL the fancy things in the air

… nor do we expect you to.  We KNOW you’re a beginner! We know you don’t have as much body strength as you’d like. We know you’ve never done this, or only did it once, or just experimented in college, whatever – we know you’re a newbie. And it’s OK! It really is OK!

You will NEVER feel strong enough to start circus. If that’s your excuse – I say this with love – that’s some bull doodinky right there. We build the strength we need for doing circus by actually doing circus! And yes – it will take time. Yes – it will take effort. Yes – it will take hard work (note: if you hate time, effort, and hard work, may I suggest macrame? Circus is not for you.)

SO. It’s a new year. Do you want to start taking classes? Want to get back to training? There’s no “5 Steps for Going to Circus Class” – you just go. It really is that simple. Scamper into your leggings, grab your things, sign up via your phone, and get out the door. Excuses be damned, and I’ll see you in the air! Love and pullups, Laura

When Should I Begin Cuing for Technique?

“Straighten your leg and point your toes!”

“Elvis your pelvis – tuck that tailbone!”

“Squeeze your tushie!”

“Connect your ribs and your hips!”

“THUTT muscles engaged!”

That, friends, is the sound of technique being taught. For our purposes today, the term technique refers to a way of correctly, safely, and efficiently performing an activity. When should you start cuing your students for technique? Yesterday, friends. Yesterday.

Why Teach Technique from the Get-Go?

There’s a lot more to teaching than just showing someone a handful of moves and hoping they complete them without dying. We want our students to be able to dish up what they’re serving with a dash of flair, a drizzle of autonomy, and a big ole heaping helping of useful placement, engagement, and lines. We’re looking for the primary elements of technique:

• Correct body placement – what the body is doing in space. (“Reach your right hand towards the ceiling and grasp the fabric. Your other right.”) This is where a lot of new instructors want to stop. Do not stop here.
• Appropriate muscle engagement – it’s great to squeeze things, but we want to be squeezing the appropriate things. This becomes wildly important in everything from injury prevention to efficiently executing that triple swirly plummeting zoom drop (“Squeeze your tush and brace your abs as if I were going to poke you in the stomach. I probably won’t, but it’s good to be prepared.”)
• Lines & maintaining essential tension – lengthening limbs, stabilizing the core, and discouraging your students from flopping around and gasping like goldfish out of the bowl (“Viagra-vate your legs and feet! Reeeeeach with your toes and pretend you don’t have knees.“)

“But it’s just a bent knee – is it really that big a deal?”

Yes, it is. Technique and tension are foundations of circus arts. A bent knee tells me a lot about what muscles my student is (not) engaging, and that laxity often travels right up the kinetic chain (floppy foot -> slightly bent knee -> core disengaged = a poor foundation). That poor foundation may just mean the student is working way harder than they need to, OR, it could put them at risk of significant injury.

New teachers often feel that muscle engagement & lines are best left until a student has “gotten” a move – kind of like the icing on the cake. Problem is, once a student – particularly an adult – has gotten used to working with crappy lines and zero tension, you have a way of working that isn’t going to yield a particularly good cake. In fact, it’s going to be a hot mess. A cake made without baking powder won’t rise, and an aerial foundation built on ignoring technique and rushing them on to trick after trick means your student won’t rise either. Literally. I think I’ve beaten (get it? beaten?) this metaphor to death, let’s wrap it up.

When should you begin cuing for technique and lines? YESTERDAY, friends. First time in splits? Straighten your knees and engage your whole leg. First time sitting on trapeze? Lengthen your back and viagra-vate your legs and feet. First handstand? Push the floor away. Do not wait, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Cue for technique and lines today, this hour, this minute. Once you are sure a student is secure, check their technique. Students may have to hear you repeat your cues for YEARS before they connect the dots and actually engage whatever it is, or straighten whatever you’ve been hollering at them to straighten. That’s OK. It will happen eventually, and they know what they’re aiming for, even if it takes a bazillion tries. Make like a broken record and TEACH THAT TECHNIQUE. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Caller, Please Hold (On) – Your Phone in Aerial Classes

Once upon a time, in the olden days when I was in circus school, there was no such thing as a cell phone outside of the movies or the very rich (and even then they were HUGE and not at all smart – just a gigantic phone you could carry around). If I wanted to take video of myself in class, I had to use – no lie – a video camera WITH A VHS TAPE IN IT. Yes. It’s safe to say we’ve come a loooooong way! That said, is your phone a tool or a Big Giant Distraction during your aerial classes? One ringy-dingy….

YES to Phone!

While I prefer paper, lots of students keep notes in their phones. This is a great use of available technology! One of mah bebbehs is even keeping a photo record of the moves we do in class so she can mentally review between sessions. From reminders of moves to notes on technique, writing stuff down is a good thing.

I also allow and encourage students to video themselves during classes; there’s nothing like seeing that wonky knee bend (that I’ve hollered about 10,000 times) for yourself. Love you! Videoing classes or training can be a fantastic way to keep it real, and to keep yourself motivated, but (DING) if you leave (DING DING) your notifications on (VIBRATE VIBRATE VIBRATE)…

You might get sucked into…. THE DISTRACTION ZONE!!!!!!

Put that Damned Phone Away

If you’re anything like me, you absolutely cannot resist the siren song of a notification. It’s stupid, but so real. Thing is? It’s not only distracting to your student brain, it’s often super rude to the Sainted Teacher trying to get some good circus into you. Thankfully, we live in the future! There’s an app for that. You can:

• Turn off your notifications at the start of class.
• Use an app that blocks distractions.

Or, you know, have your teacher take your phone away if they see you facebooking during class. Cause I will do it.

If you have long breaks between turns*, you have options. Consider actually watching other students (you’ll learn A LOT). If this doesn’t work with your learning style, bring homework! I bring my PT toys and do all those exercises I totally meant to get to during the day.

(*Note for teachers: if you’re seeing a lot of phones coming out, or students disengaging from class, it might be time to revisit your pacing, or include and engage the group that’s not actually working. You can try talking through technique, pointing out similarities (“see that arch? that’s where you’re getting stuck too”), assigning conditioning, or adjusting the length of turns so folks get a rest, but not a slumber. )

Like so much of our modern lives, phones make for great employees, but terrible bosses. Give yourself that hour or 90 minutes to really be fully present! Show up for class with your whole self – Instagram will survive without you. For now. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Tag – You’re It! Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

Earlier this week, @AerialHorizon started a fabulous thread on the Instagrams about a more and more frequently visited topic – crediting aerial inspiration. Combine the proliferation of aerial fabulousness with the popularity of Instagram and you get BOOM-level potential for drama, shenanigans, and bad manners; of course, you also get the opportunity to build community, creatively riff on a theme, and share the circus love. Which will you choose?

Sequences, Moves, & Choreography

If you’ve followed my wee bloggie for a while, you’ll know that I’m a realist – don’t put it on social media if you’re going to be upset by seeing 10 bazillion people doing it two days later with zero credit to you. If you’d like to protect your choreography, specifically request that people respect it, don’t show the wrap (leave out crucial info – that way, at least they have to work for it), or, better yet, don’t put large chunks of it online. SHOULD it be that way? No, but it IS that way, so it’s up to you how much energy you want to spend on it.

If you’re on the other end of the equation, cruising Instagram for inspiration, don’t be le poo. Here are some goodies to keep in mind:

• If the person posting has asked you to respect their work, tag them if you use it, etc, do it.
• Tag ’em even if they didn’t ask and show ’em some love!
• When you think about tagging them, do you get a funny feeling in the pit of your stomach? That’s not salmonella poisoning (I hope). That may be you wrestling with whether someone would be OK with you playing with what they posted. When in doubt? ASK THEM. Most artists are exceedingly generous with their work, but some may want to hold on to a particular sequence, or consider it proprietary work. It never hurts to ask!
• Are you posting footage from a class? Tag your teacher and/or studio! 

Is it Inspiration or Flat-Out Stealing?

The waters get considerably more murky when you begin diving into other artists’ signature look, costuming, branding, etc.

Art isn’t created in a bubble. ALL artists are influenced and inspired by the work of their peers, contemporaries, and predecessors. For example, the great Bob Fosse was heavily influenced by Fred Astaire (think bowler hats & canes) and Jerome Robbins. Picasso got considerable inspiration from Paul Cézanne and Henri Rousseau.

When you’re working on something that was influenced by another artist, tag them! Most will be delighted that their work awakened something in you! If they’re less than delighted, respect that, and back off.

As you click, like, and scroll your way through social media, you’ll want to approach the work of others with appreciation, not appropriation. If you’re just looking to piggyback on someone else’s great concept or look, shame on you. If you’re excited by what you’re seeing, and it inspires you to create something influenced by their work, read on.

• While there are a looooot of circus automatons out there, quite a few artists have spent YEARS cultivating a unique look, act, or brand, and may not take kindly to you incorporating identifiable aspects of their work. Proceed with caution. When in doubt? Check in with them and ask!
• Are you a peer in the same market? Will your endeavor be perceived as copycat competition? IS it? It behooves everyone to be as different as possible, so consider taking the time to make your work so unique that people can only see an echo of the work of others.
• Are you a student? Lot’s of studios explore choreography in the style of notable artists, and this is GREAT for experimenting and playing. Have fun, and tag your inspiration!

The Tagging Take-Away

I don’t think you ever lose anything by tagging, so when in doubt, shout it out! People often get grumpy when you don’t, so this is an “ounce of prevention/pound of cure” kind of thing. The worst thing that happens is that you build some community. Love and pull-ups, Laura

I Will Never Hold a Handstand (And Other Beliefs that Hold Us Back in Circus)

You guys, I have a confession to make (it’s not a naughty one, I swear). Ready? …….

I secretly believe that I will never, ever get my handstand.

IT’S TRUE! My goal is to be able to easily and consistently hold a 30 second handstand, with good form, away from a wall. Recently, every time I’ve gotten on my hands (and promptly toppled over), a little voice says, “You’re never going to get this.”

The worst part? I secretly believe it. ME! The champion of the beginner! The one with the core belief that any physical skill can be gained with consistent effort and enough time! The one who tells her students over and over ad nauseum that they WILL get that inversion/hip key/straddle back if they just keep practicing! ME! I don’t believe I’ll ever get my handstand. Ever.

The Sneaky Nature of Secret Beliefs

I know I’m not alone. I think, deep down, we all have secret “I’m never going to” beliefs about our circus work, our circus future, or maybe our circus bodies. If you don’t have one (a belief – I’m assuming you have a body), you probably will at some point. It starts as the usual negative chit chat that we have with ourselves as we try something new. If we have lots of good success on a timeline we’re happy with, the YAAAAAAAAY voice takes over and we get to feel Very Smug; if we struggle and the skill takes foreeeeeeeeeeever, or we make progress only to see it sucked back into the void the next day, and oh my gosh I’m even WORSE than I was last week, well, that’s the making of a secret belief.

So, here we are at a crossroads. You can’t deny your belief once you’ve copped to it – it’s sitting there in broad daylight staring right at you. It’s ugly, and it has huge teeth. Do you slowly back away, and go take up something less (emotionally) risky? Macrame? Jigsaw puzzles? Microwave cuisine? OR, do you throttle that ugly belief (with the huge teeth) and kill it with fire? CAN you kill it? Or will it vanish, only to pop up again somewhere down the road?

You Can Only Do What You Can Do

OK. Let’s assume that you’re not taking up macrame. You’re in this topsy-turvy circus game to win, and you’re going to stick around long enough to cross that finish line. But…. how?

• Just the facts, ma’am. This is one of my favorite techniques in the world to tame my run-away inner critic (also works well for anxiety). The goal is to see your training situation reasonably and logically, without a lot of judgy self criticism sneaking in. What are the facts? Here – I’ll start. I am an adult beginning handstands. Handstands have a very long learning curve in adulthood – years, not months. I have excellent and encouraging coaches. I am an enthusiastic student. When I train consistently, I see noticeable progress. I have not been training consistently, so I am not seeing progress, and am unhappy and frustrated about that. I have been given assurance that, with enough time and practice, my goal is a reasonable one for me. I have no credible evidence to the contrary.
• Manage your expectations. Are you aiming a little too high? Decided you’re going to train every day for 6 hours until you see the progress you want? Gonna get that inversion by tomorrow if it kills you? Make sure you’re not setting yourself up for a bucket load of disappointment and reinforcing of the “I’m never gonna get it” feedback loop.
  • Often, when I’m in a le poo headspace about my training, it’s because I’m measuring my progress against the end goal, NOT the 25+ tiny goals en route. Dial it back! That’s like a kid just learning her ABC’s getting frustrated because she can’t read Shakespeare yet. One step at a time!!!
  • Having trouble setting reasonable, attainable goals? Your coach can help!
• Consistency counts. It SUCKS to acknowledge that we’ve been slacking, or haven’t gotten to class for whatever reason, and that we’ve lost a lot of the ground we gained. SUUUUUUCKS. But own it! If you’re not training consistently, mystery solved – it’s not that you “can’t get it”, but that you haven’t been putting in adequate effort to get the results you’re after. No need to beat yourself up, just acknowledge it and make plans to show up.
• Words have power. Careful about how you speak to yourself! Imagine that you’re speaking to a friend – what would you say? How would you support or encourage yourself? How would you give yourself tough love?
• Use your brain. Visualize yourself doing the skill. Really SEE it. What would you look like? How would it feel in your body? The more often your brain gets a dynamic picture of you being a badass and DOING IT, the tinier the secret belief will get.
• OK – what happens if you DON’T succeed? Will the world end? Will the Bachelorette choose Nick (or Sam, or whoever is left on the show that you hate)? Will you fail in every single area of your life? No, you won’t. Don’t make your struggle bigger than it is.
• Celebrate your wins! Where are you kicking booty? Don’t tell me nowhere, because that’s not a real thing. In your training – where are you winning? Maybe you can’t invert, but your splits are the envy of the eastern seaboard; maybe you can’t climb, but you can sit on your own head; maybe everything seems hard, but damn – you’ve never felt so strong. Take those wins and MAGNIFY them; hold them tight, repeat them like a mantra, celebrate them.
• Search for examples of success! This is Randy. He’s a fabulous person, and watching his splits progress on Facebook has been SUCH an inspiration and joy. THIS IS WHAT CONSISTENCY LOOKS LIKE. Seek out stories of success in whatever you’re attempting.

I get it – believe me. Our hearts get so wrapped up in our training that it becomes deeply personal. Our lack of success on our apparatus can begin to feel like an accusation, as if we’re failing at absolutely everything. KILL THE BELIEF! If you feed it, it only gets bigger and stronger, until it devours your joy. That would be tragic, so here’s what we’re going to do. You go work on the thing you think you cannot do, and I’m going to go work on the thing I think I cannot do. We’re going to support one another, cheer each other on, slay the stinkin’ thinkin’, and show the f*ck up, because joy matters. If we let the belief win this time, it’s that much easier to let it win next time, and the next. KILL IT. I’ll see you in class. Love and pullups, Laura

The REAL Secret to Getting Better at Circus Stuff

I’m asked all the time – ALL THE TIME – about how to get better.

“What can I do to get stronger?”

“Is there a potion I can take for straight legged inversions?”

“How do I up my game in _________ (silks, trapeze, handstands, vogueing, etc)?”

To be fair, there are LOTS of good answers to these questions, but the best one is….. Are you ready? Seriously – I could get killed for revealing this Super Mysterious Training Secret……. Can you handle it?……. Drumroll please……..

SHOW UP. 

That’s it. Show up. Show up for your classes, show up for your training. Show up.

I know, I know, you wanted some sweet little bullet pointed list (5 Ways to Be More Awesome in Silks Class! 4 Things You can do RIGHT NOW to Get a Better Split!), but really, the most important thing is physically showing up.

What Does it Mean to Show Up?

It means exactly what you think it means, plus a little more (here’s where I break out that deeply satisfying bullet pointed list!).

• Sign up! Get to class at least once a week as a newbie beginner, more if you’re movin’ on up. The newer you are, the harder it is to take breaks without losing progress, so try to be consistent.
• Warm up. Before you take class or train, try to arrive early to warm up your creaky bits. You gotta prime your muscles, lube your joints, and say hey to your body. Sometimes, it does not want to talk to you.
• Be fully present. Are you checking Instagram during class? That is not fully present. If your coach has structured class in a way that isn’t keeping you engaged, or if there are long stretches between turns, bring homework! I keep a list of exercises for body parts that need some extra love, and go through them while I wait. Keeps me engaged and productive.
  • Conditioning
  • PT (physical therapy)
  • Line work (that foot ain’t gonna point itself)
• Take notes on paper (as opposed to on a device). Include corrections, goals, new moves, technique tips, observations, exercises, etc. If the class is too fast-paced to write stuff down, take 10 minutes after class to scribble the gist of it.

Start with one class per week. When you can get through that without feeling like you’ve been beaten with a hammer, add a class or open workout (if you’ve been cleared by your coach). Finding a rhythm that works for your life (ADULTING IS HARD) and your circus body can be a lot of trial and error, but fight the good fight.

Doing all of that? Tune in for STEP 2 next time! Love and pullups, Laura

Rush Job: You Can’t Cram for a Performance

Storytime! Three years ago, I was in Lignano, Italy competing in the German Wheel World Championships. It was glorious! I was in ITALY, eating ALL the pasta, and competing against the best wheelers in the world. Now, let me go ahead and let the cat out of the bag: I was zero competition for anyone. I did all super easy moves (Level A & B), and placed, like, one billionth in competition. BUT. I was deliriously happy! I had spent the better part of a year training (and training and training), arranging and rearranging my piece, and trying to prepare for every possibility. And you know what?

It worked.

The gym in Lignano in June was like the 9th circle of hell. There was no AC – hell, there weren’t even fans! It was so hot that the rubber coating on the wheels began to soften and stick to the floor, slowing eeeeeeeverything down. I was so nervous I thought I would pee my pants (… of course, it may have also been because I had two pairs of Spanx on, and hell if I was going to go pee after I’d managed to get into them). Anyhoo, between sticky wheels, an unfamiliar space, and nerves, I was quite literally a hot mess.

Well, I did a great job (for me)! All that preparation took over, my body went on autopilot, and I had a moment to actually savor the performance. My routine went as well as it ever had, and, even if it hadn’t, I would have been proud of myself anyway – I knew I’d done the work.

Are You Doing the Work?

You can’t cram for performance. I mean, you can try. And maybe you’ll look ok! But you could have been better.

There is no substitute for time and training. There just isn’t.

It’s a lot like a bank account, right? You can only get out what you put in. Working with bent legs & sicled feet in class? Please believe me when I tell you that you’re not suddenly going to manifest ballerina lines in performance! In fact, the minute we get in front of an audience, we tend to go backwards a bit. Old habits rear their ugly heads, and BOOM! That weird hand thing you thought was under control? Not so much. This is when we have to rely on the work we’ve done. Not enough work? It’ll show.

Always be Prepared!

• Train regularly. Get to class, get to open workout. Train. Train. Train.
• Video as much as you can! It’s harder to lie to yourself when evidence of your bent knees is staring you in the face.
• Show or competition coming up? Don’t procrastinate – get to work right away!
• Choose your choreography wisely. A good estimation of your own abilities is so important! Be willing to swap out moves that aren’t working in the weeks leading up to a competition or show, or tart things up a bit depending on how it’s going.
• Mental rehearsals count too! Run it in your head on the way to the train, while you’re shopping, while you’re downing that pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
• When you can do it in your sleep, you’re ready.

Do the work! Do the work. Let it be hard, let yourself HATE that music you’ve had to listen to 10,000 times this week, let yourself be pissed that you’re still not getting the little things. Let yourself cry in frustration, and let yourself celebrate every tiny victory. Hold yourself to a higher standard, because you’re a grown-up, and it’s unlikely anyone else will. Do the work, and then let the work carry you. Have so much fun. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Make Good Choices! How Not to Break Yourself or Drive Your Teacher Insane

I can’t tell you how many times a day I tell my poor son to “make good choices”. About to smack a miror with a stick? “Make good choices!” About to eat that questionable petrified cracker he found in a corner? “Make good choices.” About to set fire to the curtains? “Make good choices!” And on and on and on.

Know who else might need to make good choices? You don’t even have to guess, because imma tell you: IT’S YOU. In aerial class. All the time.

Make Good Choices When You’re Fatiguing

Question for you. You’ve inverted on silks, and you were planning on sweeping the fabric behind your back. BUT. Your knee has slipped down, and your hand is in a weird place, and you’re not sure of your grip. Should you keep going or carefully come down?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, you are the reason we now have to be warned that hot coffee is hot and not to eat those little silica packets in snack foods.

If you’re not sure of your grip, for the love of God don’t try to heave yourself upside down, don’t take a hand off, don’t keep going – hell, don’t even pass go. Come down, or get to a resting place until you can safely continue. I don’t care if your mom is watching, I don’t care if you’re THIS CLOSE to the end of your piece, I don’t care if you’re performing for the Queen. If your grip fails, so do you. Bigly.

This doesn’t just go for grip! It goes for lots of things – the questionable foot knot, sudden dizziness or disorientation, the drop wrap that’s not feeling quite right. STOP. Do not proceed. Step awaaaaaaaay from the danger zone, and come back to a place of safety. You won’t care that you almost made it all the way through your act when you’re en route to the hospital because you knew you were in a crappy position and went for a move anyway. No. Make good choices.

Make Good Choices When You’re Injured

Feeling barfy? Delightful grinding sensation in your shoulder? So hungover that you’ll never, ever, ever drink tequila again (you swear)? Maybe today’s not your day in circus class. There’s this perverse idea in American culture that pushing through all pain is admirable, and making smart choices to rest and heal equals slacking. Since I’ve written it out, do you see how counter-productive that is? Instead of doing more damage, or possibly losing your lunch in front of your classmates, do yourself a favor and:

• stay home
• significantly modify (training around a long-term ouchie, for example). Work with your coach and health care pros to find a way to modify your training while you heal.
• or audit the class – you can learn A LOT by watching!

Make Good Choices and Save Your Teacher’s Sanity

“Ms Laura, isn’t my teacher responsible for my safety?”

…. Yes and no. Your coach can give you excellent coaching and safety parameters, but you are a grown up. Part of being a grown up is trying hard not to be a dumbass. While we ALL make questionable choices here and there, the goal is to live to see another day! This includes taking calculated risks, thinking through our actions, paying attention, complying with instruction, and remembering that your coaches are not omniscient. If your teacher tells you not to do xyz, and you proceed to do xyz, then enjoy your predicament. Is this a brand new move that you have no idea how to complete… that you decided to try IN THE RAFTERS? Come on now. Do you want to have to wear full body padding and a helmet for aerial training? No? Then take responsibility for your safety by (all together now) MAKING GOOD CHOICES.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go put the curtains out. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Pardon Me Friend, But You are NOT Ready for that Drop!

Drops – the Holy Grail of aerial work (they’re not, but that’s another post). From the moment my darlings start classes, I see them eyeing the rolls, the slides, the flips, the wedgies – they WANT it (especially the wedgies)! But ya’ll…..

My eyeballs……

I saw one young hopeful on Instagram attempting open drops, but they couldn’t yet invert cleanly. I see students online with legs and spines whipping like noodles on advanced roll drops. I see Facebook videos with people flailing like angry badgers on drops which could easily end with dislocations. People – MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THIS!

The Smart and Sassy Student’s Guide to Approaching Drops

Drops come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and levels of wedgie; from high-tumbling quads to teensy slack drops. They’re a fun and important part of silks, rope, etc, but (BUTT), you’ve gotta be ready for the drop you’re attempting. Different drops have different prerequisites, but I’m most often looking at:

• Essential tension – is this student going to flop like a gummy worm on the way down?
• Prep skills, inversions, etc – some drops require nothing less than perfection in the invert category, some you can fudge a bit. Is the student strong enough to fully execute the wrap, drop, and proper dismount? And by proper dismount, I do not mean puddling to the floor, quivering and moaning, “whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy”.
• Understanding of the theory – do they know how/why the drop works? Recreational students often loooooove to gloss over this part in their haste to do ALL the fancy things for Instagram. Knowledge is power, people.
• Listening skills – can this student accurately interpret verbal cues in the air?
• Emotional readiness – is this student likely to panic when a drop gets a little pinchy? How’s their fear level? Are they capable of making good decisions on the fly (example: my grip is super fatigued – should I let go to pass the rope behind my back, or straddle and come down)?
• A certain level of non-flakiness, and a common-sense aversion to risk is preferred. I’m not going to lie – if I see ZERO apprehension, nervousness, questioning, etc when someone is up for their first drop, I do a quick check-in. If you’re an adrenaline junkie who likes their pony tail to brush the floor at the end of a drop, or if I’m constantly wondering how you function with that level of spaciness, I’ll be doubling down on your prerecs.

Drops in Class

I hate – HATE – when students ask me two questions when they’re 20 feet up about to do a drop.

1. Am I wrapped correctly? If you’re not sure, dismantle the wrap and come down. You are not ready to do this drop. Wrap it on the floor until it makes sense.
2. Am I high enough? If you have to ask (and it’s not your first time doing the drop), come down and let’s go over your theory.

Hear me now. 20 FEET UP IS NOT THE TIME TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR DROP (love you!), or anything else, for that matter. Here’s how this should go:

1. Get excited. Miss Laura’s teaching a new drop and I’m ready for it – HOORAY!
2. Get out your notes. Watch and listen carefully. What’s similar to previous drops? What’s different? How high does it need to be? Why? Ask questions about theory.
3. What could go wrong? Make sure you are very, very clear on whether there is a “no go” for this drop. Write it down in big capital letters. Highlight it. Write it down again.
4. Wrap it low, roll it out on the floor. Do this EVERY TIME you’re reviewing a drop that you don’t know backwards and forwards.
5. Got questions? Need to verbally review the sequence? Ask while you’re on the floor.
6. Git it! If you feel ready, and your teacher agrees, go forth and plunge, people!

Drops on Your Own

Gotten the green light to twirl and plummet on your own? Don’t care if you have the green light, you’re gonna do it anyway? M’kay.

1. Repeat after me, m’love – NO NEW DROPS. Throw the drops you know like the back of your hand, and save the maybes for class time, or for a time when you can get a reputable set of eyes on you.
2. You’re in a space with professional rigging and appropriate matting, right? Not your neighbor’s tree with a couch cushion underneath? Just checking.
3. If you’re in a new space, check your notes, roll it out on the floor. Note any bounce or play in the rigging (or lack thereof) that might affect the drop, make adjustments accordingly.
4. Check in with your body – some drops are best saved for a day when your hammie is NOT throbbing, for example. Cranky back? Sinuses exploding? Feeling spacey? You don’t get points for torturing yourself this way. Save it for another session.

Now, for some tough love. It takes a special kind of arrogance to throw new drops without proper matting, or without mats at all. Hear me now, people. Incorrectly wrapped or executed drops can result in sprains, whiplash, burns, and broken necks. You don’t get to be cavalier about them. Respect the risk, respect the work, respect the process, respect the community.

May your rolls be level, your wedgies be shallow, and your landings light! Love and pull-ups, Laura