Archive for the ‘exercise’ Category
I’ve always had a thing for the circus. The color, the characters, the daring feats all mesmerize me. There’s something about the nomad lifestyle that calls to me. I realize it’s fantasy, a dreamlike production, that makes fulfilling the wanderlust so appealing to me. If I was part of the circus machine, I know the sheen would quickly fade, revealing the monotony of daily life.
Photo credit: Lone Star Circus School
I’ve done the flying trapeze, and loved it. What a rush. I got my circus fix for a second time by taking an aerial silk classes at the Lone Star Circus School. Who knew an aerobatic wonderland existed in a warehouse in the middle of Dallas? (well, in a suburb called Farmer’s Branch)
Amidst the trampolines, rings and raucous kids, hang hefty aerial silks (also called ribbons and tissues) in blues, reds and whites. Each is a unique two-way stretch polyester lycra, with different width, length and stretch. I watched the various class participants twist themselves amongst the fabric, engulfed in a childlike freedom.
My instructor Kelly Shea, instructor and Lone Star Circus performer patiently explained each move. A former ballerina and swimmer, Shea easily demonstrated each step, and gave positive critiques.
Some aerial silk tricks we practiced:
- climbing
- double tour
- egg
- handstand
- backpack
- arabesque
- starfish in the loop
And here’s a glossary of acrobatic terms. Check out the pros here.
Lone Star Circus School's Founder and Creative Director Fanny Kerwich
Eighth generation circus has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Africa, Russia, Canada, India, South America and the Caribbean. She founded the school in 2006.
The best part of aerial silk class was losing inhibitions, and getting a workout that didn’t involve a treadmill. Talk about a whole body workout. My muscles are sore two days later; Shea credited my decent performance with my gymnastics background.
I have to admit upside down handstands and arabesque do wonders for the ego, and gave me that graceful, circusy feeling. I’d trade aerial silk acrobatics to burn calories and develop a strong core to a sanitized gym any day.
Who knows, maybe my Water for Elephants moment is yet to come.
In what parallel universe are bowling shoes not toxic, the food menu includes more than nachos and Pabst Blue Ribbon and the entire experience is not bathed in smoke? Such a place really exists! Maybe you already know about such a world, but the closest I’d come to a bowling alley was watching The Big Lebowski, idolizing The Dude. Wait a minute, if you didn’t click that link, you’ve already missed out on the fact that there is an event called Lebowski Fest. Truth.
Fast-forward through movie talk, we discovered this bowling nirvana at Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Dinner Lounge at the Village of Fairview. Don’t get me wrong – these types of haunts usually freak me out with their perfectly ironed pants and fancy martini flavors. Maybe this is the suburbia talking, but it was fun.
The way it’s designed with bright reds and blacks and oversized bowling pins and 1950s-esque lighting satisfied the aesthetics-hound in me. I guess they were trying to reach the ‘everyone’ demographic, because the music selections were bizarre: it ranged from Biz Markie to Hank Williams. I cannot figure their rhyme or reason, but it’s okay. Who goes bowling for the music experience?
The culinary choices have veered far away from cheese fries and nachos, while those do still make an appearance on the menu. Our table sampled edamame, sliders, pizza and fries, so we remained pretty true to the blue-collar roots. (Minus the edamame) Other choices include thai shrimp quesadillas, spicy ahi-tuna sushi, mahi mahi fish tacos and three-pepper calamari.
I’m no bowling master, but I enjoyed sampling a different colored ball (I mean weight) on each turn. I got lucky a few times and managed two strikes. Which didn’t mix well with the other gutter balls. And the shoes! The staff does not require you to exchange your shows for a pair of sparkling new bowling shoes. Is that a bygone tradition? (Probably one better left in the past, actually.)
Apparently, after 8pm Splitsville is working to keep the gangstas out. Their dress code reads: No sunglasses/hats/beanies(?)/bandanas/cut-off shorts/baggy or oversized clothing/long shorts/shorts below the knee or athletic wear. Whew. Okay, that just answered my question. The Dude would not be allowed inside sporting his usual outfit. “Man, that’s just like, your opinion.”
Much fun was had at Splitsville, mocking each others’ brilliant bowling abilities and dancing to the oddball music. You should check it out sometime. Just don’t wear your beanie.
Peter Gold, Director of the Trapeze-Experience
1. Tell us about a recent experience that qualifies as an adventure.
Recently, after completing the summer tour with the flying trapeze, I was driving to Florida with my truck and cargo trailer. With my flying trapeze inside the trailer, it’s was at maximum capacity. I’ve made the trip many times, and everything usually goes well. So I was traveling along a New Jersey highway, when another car pulled alongside and frantically pointed toward my trailer. I recognized the driver’s ‘freak-out hysterics’, having received similar ‘good samaritan assistance’ before. I pulled over, thinking it was a flat tire, only to find that the entire tire was missing. The lug bolts had sheared off and the entire tire and rim were gone. I had been driving with a maximum load without a tire. My trailer could have flipped, spewing the trapeze, equipment and perhaps me onto the highway. Years of traveling with the circus taught me to take deep breaths and relax. I knew that this situation would be resolved, and stress never helps. Within minutes road assistance arrived. He turned on his flashing lights and my truck limped along the shoulder of the road and exited two miles later. I spotted a a Starbucks and ordered a grande ‘black-eye.’ (That’s two extra shots of espresso in your coffee.) My smart phone found a mobile repair company, and three hours and $400 later, I was on my way. Carefully, I’d like to say, “Been there, done that.” But, it’s more like, “Been there done that, been there done that.”
2. How do adventurous experiences affect your perspective on everyday life?
Perspective is almost everything. Trapeze is an adventure, life is an adventure. As Helen Keller once said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” Personally, since I took my first swing on the trapeze 26 years ago, and joined Club Med unexpectedly, which led to one adventure after another, my life has been a continuous amazing experience. The extraordinary has become ordinary. Adventure has been a regular part of my life. While many people seek security in the predictable so they don’t experience the feelings of fear that come with uncertainty, I now have the courage to embrace the adventure that life really is.
3. Name one way that people can make their normal lives more interesting?
Take a flying trapeze class! Beyond the fun and adventure that the class offers, it provides a very personal and quick reflection on how we create our realities. If taking a flying trapeze class is not an option, do something that is foreign to your experience, so you will enjoy the learning that comes with being a novice. Making mistakes and screwing up is a part of the learning journey. Embrace and enjoy ‘mistake-making’, instead of being resistant and afraid of failure. This will accelerate your evolution and enlightenment, improving your happiness.
4. Can you tell us about an adventure that sounded great on paper but somehow went wrong?
Once I created a flying trapeze program at a very beautiful resort hotel on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Only to find out that the guests were not interested in sports, but preferred drinking the all-inclusive alcohol and passing out by the pool. Big mistake. It’s not always, ‘build it and they will come.’
5. When you’re 80 years old (or if you’re already there, add few years) what adventure memory will you tell repeatedly?
I think when I’m 80 I will replay opening night in Madison Square Garden, in my home town of Manhattan. In front of a sold-out crowd, we performed our most difficult routine. (I had one finger sewed up with nine stitches and was unavailable to participate in the action.) The act went flawlessly, and I’ll never forget the satisfaction that I felt during the bowing moment to all the cheers and applause. I had a sense of complete fulfillment. I knew that if this was my last day to swing on the trapeze, that I had reached the pinnacle of what participating in a great flying trapeze troupe is all about. That all the adventures, mishaps, bruises, smiles and hard work –including a great athletic feeling of accomplishment, had paid off. I was complete. Everything after that day would be sprinkles on top of the ice cream.
Check out my own trapeze experience here.
Nothing screams ‘adventurous’ more than wearing colorful jingle scarves and learning ‘snake arms’ dance moves smack in the middle of suburan Texas. My friend, Rachael, and I recently participated in an introductory belly dancing class where we realized our shimmies could use some shine.
Two talkative, skilled dancers taught the class, and gave us a beginner’s overview of the dance. Belly dancing, originally called Raks Al Sharki, is known as the oldest dance form and began in the Middle East thousands of years ago. Female-only dancers and musicians called chengis who belly danced, veil danced and played finger cymbals were very popular until the end of the 19th century. Its popularity surged in the 60s and 70s with rise of feminism during the women’s movement. It was never intended for male erotic entertainment, but more for feminine celebration, rituals and even childbirth preparation.
In the modernized studio, we practiced several core exercises needed to perform the various moves. Small muscle movements are the secret behind those slight abdomen maneuvers.
We moved on to learning various moves where we were supposed to incrementally move our hips, arms and shoulders, while keeping our knees bent and feet less than hip-width apart. (Trust me, much more than a belly is involved in this dance.) The shimmies were a highlight, making the jingle scarves shake by moving the legs and hips. Just when I had convinced myself that I was a shimmy master, the mirror reminded me this was my first class.
That’s the thing about belly dance: It promotes self-confidence and an ease within your own body. It’s magical to witness women dancing with a carefree energy, not concerned that certain body parts might jiggle in opposite directions. It was a safe space to jingle and roar (you know, the women’s empowerment one) with no expectations for what might happen next.
Photo credit: Rachael Steward