Hello and Welcome!

FlynnMacCallister

I don't know if there are many circus freaks on MFP, but I'm sure there are a few...

I'm currently doing aerials at Aerialize in Sydney. I got started on it because a friend who has been training in aerials for yeeeears pointed out that it cost the same as a gym membership, gives you the same sort of a workout, and is a lot more fun -- and she's damn right! The recreational circus arts club at my university has also started offering cheap static trapeze classes, which are also going pretty fantastically.

I'm also learning fire fans and training in contortion. I haven't burned yet with fans, but I'm not far off. In contortion I'm currently concentrating on splits and backbends. I can get my toes to my forehead, juuuust, and am about 10 cm off splits... so I've got a long way to go before I can think about throwing a routine together!

What about you? What do you do, or want to do?

TheDoctorDana

I would love to learn how to use the poi. I have seen people do them on You tube and I think it would be great excercise for my arms and fun at the same time. Not too sure about fire but if I could get a "glowstick" like set that would be cool.

canroadrunner

Hi. They offer aerial work at my yoga studio taught by the Detroit Flyhouse.
http://www.detroitflyhouse.com/

I tried a couple of sessions when they first started and loved it but found it incredibly hard because of a lack of upper body strength as well has having 50 lbs and 25 years on most of the other participants. I'm currently working on upper body strength and will be going back.

As a side note: I have a special interest because my mother was actually a circus performer on silks.

FlynnMacCallister

I would love to learn how to use the poi. I have seen people do them on You tube and I think it would be great excercise for my arms and fun at the same time. Not too sure about fire but if I could get a "glowstick" like set that would be cool.

I have some glow poi I play with.... I started on poi, but I really prefer fan, personally. ^__^ Very similar moves, but for some reason the rigid fans suit me better.

Home Of Poi are New Zealand based, so they mightn't be convenient for you to buy from (haven't checked your location....) but they do have a great library of lessons. You can make practice poi out of a couple of tennis balls and some panyhose, and it's not at all hard to find glow poi (and just regular sock poi...) on EBay.

Hi. They offer aerial work at my yoga studio taught by the Detroit Flyhouse.
http://www.detroitflyhouse.com/

I tried a couple of sessions when they first started and loved it but found it incredibly hard because of a lack of upper body strength as well has having 50 lbs and 25 years on most of the other participants. I'm currently working on upper body strength and will be going back.

As a side note: I have a special interest because my mother was actually a circus performer on silks.

I'm lucky, here in Sydney there are actually a couple of *big* aerials schools to choose from, and they have many levels of classes. Plus, the instructors at Aerialize at least are great for giving lots of options so you can take it as far as you feel comfortable -- so me, for example, I'm flexible, extremely confident in my leg strength, and comfortable being upside-down, but very weak in my upper body. In the same class are a couple of guys who could seriously climb the tissu to the ceiling hand-over-hand if anyone let them but who can't touch their toes to save themselves, a few ladies who are happily creeping into middle-age and carrying quite a lot of excess weight, and everything in between, and they do manage to cater to everyone, without holding anyone back or leaving anyone behind. It's rather impressive!

My nan was a circus performer, too! She flew acro and teeterboard, until she was dropped in her late teens and badly broke her leg. : ( So, she's forbidden me from doing teeterboard, but anything else is fair game!

TheDoctorDana

Panty hose and tennis balls! Who would have thought it. lol I will have to try that! Thanks for the tip

FlynnMacCallister

Panty hose and tennis balls! Who would have thought it. lol I will have to try that! Thanks for the tip

Hahaha, my pleasure.

I only know because a friend of mine always asked if he could have my laddered pantyhose for making poi. XD It would be a very creepy request from anyone but this guy.

mangorabbit

Hello all!

I certainly miss the Wellington Circus Trust, hearing some of the chat!

Canroadrunner, I would love to pick your brain sometime - I am based about 50 miles outside of Detroit proper, and had seen some stuff on the Detroit Flyhouse, but have yet to have the time nearby to really look into it (I am always disappearing it seems!)

Yay to all! ...and perhaps I will try some poi fun...played with some basic stuff when running a show for a Maori group...they got a good laugh out of the techies with poi. ^_^

cesplaisirs

Oh, lovely, I'm so glad you started this group. :-)

My name is Jennifer and I'm in S. Florida... a few years ago I tackled my fear of heights and took flying trapeze lessons from a circus family in Venice - it was truly one of the high points of my life (yeah, that was a bad pun, I'm not proud of it). We have circus and aerial arts classes in the town north of me, and I attended classes for a while until grad school kicked my *kitten*. And made it 40 lbs heavier. Now I'm slowly working my way back, re-building upper body and core strength and flexibility with Pilates, and I've started running regularly to help myself slim down. It's going verrry slowly but my goal is to get back to a place where I can re-enter the aerial studio and do trapeze, silks, and so forth... I can't even describe why I love it other than it feels like dancing on air...and who wouldn't want that? :-)

FlynnMacCallister

Bloody grad school, hey? It's gift to me has been 10 kg. >.< What's your field?

cesplaisirs

Yes, twenty pounds a year, what a deal. <_<

I am getting my degree in Rhetoric and Composition - more the visual end of things. I'm writing a thesis on nostalgia studies and archival material. Fun!

FlynnMacCallister

Sweet! I'm in materials physics. XD

wyodawn

Hi group! I am a dance teacher (ballet, tap and jazz mainly) but am also a hooper (non-fire for now) and do fire poi. I also just got into minis or poi hooping. We don't have many resources here, but I have some friends that hoop and spin and we get together on occasion and share.

LaurenLPitt

Hello everyone! I have been doing Aerial Hoop for 6 months now, and have only performed once, so I'm still a beginner

I attend a weekly class and also have my own set up at home (which I've mentioned in previous posts). I'm working hard on trying to be the best Aerial Hoopist I can be and see where that takes me. I love the idea of being able to get to a level where I'm good enough to have my own show (a girl can dream!) and like the idea of it as a creative outlet and performance art as well as a fitness hobby. But we'll just have to see seeing as I'm still a newbie and also suffer stage fright.

Also working on contortion, at the moment just doing stretching in the Aerial Hoops class, in a once weekly ballet class and twice weekly yoga class. Hoping to start stretching every day, and eventually be able to do splits (im 16cm away) and back bends (I can do but not perfect) and any other crazy awesome pretzely move I can!

If anyone has any contortion links or tips I'd love to hear!

TheGoodEmu

Hi! I see this group is not too active right now but I'm giving it a try anyway. I'm involved with running WildFire Retreat, a 4-time-a-year spinning/fire/circus arts retreat in Connecticut, US.

I have taken 2 silks lessons and REALLY would love to do much more with it when I have more time to spare. Lately i have not been spinning much due to focusing on my strength/toning goals, but the weather is getting nicer and the semester is ending soon... time to play with toys.

Would love to see this group active again - I 'd love to share ideas on using the arts as a means of fitness!

-Lisa

SciFlyGal

Hi!

I've just started on mfp and I'm excited to see a circus group. I hope it'll be more active too.

I have started aerial circus about a year and a half ago. The group here called Firefly Aerial Circus and Theatre Company does intro classes with beginning moves in trapeze, silks and ropes.

I have a mild fear of heights and I can do ok with Trap, but just froze up too much with silks so I decided to focus more and have been taking a 'level one' trapeze and hoop (lyra) class for 8 months now. My first performance will be at the beginning of June!

I also have a goal of just being more flexible, because moves look so much better when you can bend!

AspiringAerialist

Hello everyone!

I just joined this group, but it looks a bit dead in here! I hope there are some people who are still active on here. I took my first aerial arts class a month ago, and I am hooked! I've only tried silks and lyra so far, but next week I think we'll be adding a little trapeze. I'm so excited to find a workout that I love! It doesn't even feel like a workout to me...it's fun!

Looking forward to making some new friends on here! Thanks!