Circus, Circus

If you have ever seen Cirque de Soleil, you know just how beautiful the circus can be. Tumbling clowns; high-flying dancers on the trapeze; and those beautiful acrobats wrapped up in silks, perilously dropping towards the ground: always a stunning performance. There is so much beauty in the art, and a respect for the difficulty of each move the performers make. A beauty, that this clutz would never have dreamed of attempting to achieve.

If you have been with my blog for awhile, you would know that I have embarked on an adventure to accomplish all of the tasks I proclaimed on a Fall Fitness Bucket List, to be accomplished before the end of 2015. Along with attempting a barre class, archery, and surf fitness, I decided to try my hand at the art of acrobatics and aerial performance, through the teachings of Edmonton's own Firefly Theatre and Circus Company. At the forefront of aerial theatre in Canada, Firefly takes the performance of theatre and aerial arts to another level, and has been passing on the art to students for over 10 years in a safe and fun environment.

I decided to take on the Taste of Circus class provided by FFT this past weekend, to see if I had what it takes to really clown around. I had written in previous posts how this class would make for an adventurous date, and was able to bring Karl along. We have been trying to make our dates more active by going to the gym or for a run, and this was another opportunity for both of u

s to get a sweat and try something new.

When we arrived, I was unsure of what to expect (despite the website insinuating that we would touch base on various forms of circus art, including trapeze and aeria) but did not have much time to wonder as we were quickly greeted and invited to sit in a circle situated in the main gym. Just like in gym class, we started the session with a few streches...which then led to hula-hooping...which I am TERRIBLE at! This may sound silly, but I cannot hula-hoop for the life of me -it always falls down! Luckily, that didn't last long, as we were then twirling it on our arms, then skipping it, then swinging it above our heads (I'm not too good at that last one either.) It may sound like a silly warm up, but I have to say that it was extremely effective in banishing any doubts or axiety I had about the class: everyone was smiling and laughing! It was the perfect way to set the tone for the class. After our warm up, the 15 students split into two groups:

one to the trapeze, and one to the silks. From there, we were shown elementary moves, each progressing from the last. On the trapeze, we were shown how to get up/down, aerial splits, and a bird's nest (see pictures). We were, also, taught the basics to climbing the silks! This may not sound that exciting; but, for someone who was never able to climb the rope in gym class, I can assure you that this was a feat in itself. The two hour class quickly flew by, with many students inquiring about the 6 and 8 week programs FFT puts on every season, right here in Edmonton.

There is something about saying "I went to circus school" that can get everyone's attention. When I have told others about my experience, many have asked how someone gets in to a career like that. Annie, the founder and program director of FFT, has over 20 years of performing experience and is exactly the type of fun-loving -and slightly whimsical person- you would expect to find at circus school. With her long pig-tails, her big smile and personality, and her passion for passing on the aerial arts combine beautifully to create a comfortable and enthusiastic learning environment. Along with her valuable experience is a staff of knowledgable teachers and performers that have grown to love aerial dance, many of them hailing from Edmonton! I cannot recommend this as a date, or even a personal adventure enough! But, I will warn you: if you take part in one of their classes, you will not be able to think of anything else: I have not stopped thinking about what it felt like on that trapeze or climbing the silks since I left the studio. It may not be until next year, but I have a feeling this will not be the last time Firefly Theatre Company sees me.

*Word of advice: wear pants! *