Month: May 2017

In Italy, it was hard finding a school that will teach students in English.  I tried contacting the schools in Turin, but no one will reply to my e-mails.  It would still be nice to get a reply.  Finally, I got instructor referrals from other aerialists.  That worked like a charm.  

The main reason why it’s hard to find a circus school is the language barrier.  Google ‘circus school Italy’ and you may get one school.  Type the same words in Italian and you get a handful of schools.  Whether these schools can teach you in English, it’s doubtful as I’ve tried e-mailing to Turin and I did not hear back from them.  In addition, these schools may not be targeting students that want to do recreational circus.

I manage to get two instructors to teach me private sessions: one was in Pisa (see picture below) and the other was in Rome.  I won’t give the contact information for the two facilities because both facilities only speak Italian.   One of the facility wasn’t even officially open.  If you would like to get the contacts of the instructors from me, please send me an e-mail at info@calgarycircusstudio.com.  I don’t know if they will be in Pisa or Rome as they do perform in different places.  Perhaps, you will be able to meet them for a private session.

Ceiling height:   approximately 22 feet

Address:            Calle Calcio, 5, Seville, Spain

Cost:                   23 euros for 1 hour private session + 2 euros rent

Facebook:          Rebe Al Rebes

Rigging: 

The ceiling is vaulted and the building is made out of corrugated metal.  Some straps are wrapped in a basket, while others are wrapped around the beam a few times.  The beams are made of metal.

Review:

After going from one referral to another referral, I manage to reach Rebe Al Rebes.  I messaged her on Facebook and she was quick to respond, especially when it was a last-minute private session.    She usually sends facebook voice recording as it’s easy for her to communicate.  Please make sure your phone is able to allow you to hear voice messages.

Rebe had taken the performance training from Gravity Center and studied under Leo Hedman.  Later, she decided to teach more at this school.  If you reach her, I am sure you will more likely be able to find her in Seville.

Warm-up is done on your own time.   Please be careful with running as the laminated flooring is warped and uneven and may be a tripping hazard.  

It was really nice for Rebe to teach as she still had an injured arm that was still in a sling.  She was good with her verbal cues.  In an hour, we worked on side beats, two different kinds of climb (an outside spin and opp leg hook and inside spin), roll-ups and one arm hang variation.  The class ended by doing your own cool down in your own time.

Ceiling height:   N/A for acro yoga workshops

Address:            Different places every year in Spain

Cost:                  160 to 220 euros 

E-mail:               acroyogasurfestival@gmail.com

Review: 

I always wanted to try to go to a festival that had a language barrier.  I wanted to see if it is possible to attend a festival where you will be able to learn a circus skill without having to speak the language.

Since this festival was on when I was in Seville, I decided to take the chance.  This is the largest acro festival in Spain.  The festival was located in Espiel.  The journey was tricky as it took 1 hour by train, followed by 1 hour by bus to Espiel and would have been about an hour of walking if it wasn’t a nice local who gave me a ride.

There were about 200 people for this camping event.   If you do not have proper camping gear, I would recommend the deluxe package as it’s too cold to camp outside during this time of year.   Please bring waterproof items as there may be scattered showers and wet ground due to morning dew.  Meals are included in the package.  All the food provided are vegetarian and you only get one of each item.  Please bring snacks as there are no seconds.  Also, you might want to consider bringing other types of food for breakfast, as the people here eat bread w/ olive oil, salt and mushy tomatoes in the morning.   Unless, of course, you are a light eater and you can tolerate gluten and dairy.   

To my surprise, the participants were lovely and some were able to communicate in English.  Classes were good and instructions were clear. The level of the classes is from beginner to intermediate level.  Since the location was in a hostel, the classes for this festival were held in a basketball court, tennis court and inside the restaurant.  No need to pack a yoga mat as they offer rentals.

My highlights were:

1) Flamenco performance

2) Lovely locals

3) 200 people included myself sang an English impromptu song about love in a nice cosy room.  The vibe was amazing.