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Melbourne, Australia – Aerial Arts Festival

Ceiling height:  Various heights (depending which room you are in)

Address:           Circus Oz: 50 Perry St, Collingwood, Victoria

Cost:                  $425 for a 3-day weekend in Easter 

E-mail:               tim@gravitydolls.com

Rigging:

The rigging can change as rooms have various different truss systems.  All of the riggings is done via a pulley system.  The anchor points are usually on the walls.  There are enough crash mats for all the rigging points.  There are a few riggers around to sort out any set-up or changeovers.

Review: 

If you ever want to simulate what it feels like to be a student in a professional circus program, this festival would be a good festival to try it out.  You pay for one fee and you can take as many classes as you can as long as it is available.  The price is worth it if you decide to take at least, 3 sessions per day and it’s even better if you paid the early bird price of $375 before mid-November.  It is awesome that it caters to all levels, from beginner to experience.   

Group warm-up starts at 9 am and another one after lunch.  Classes start from 9 am to 5:15 pm.  There is a partner massage session after the end of the day.  There are 4 sessions per day.    Each session lasts for 1.5 hours.  There are 6 to 7 classes to choose per session.  Although the festival maximum is 70 students,  there were 60 students attending this year.  That is a decent number of people considering that this festival is advertised via Facebook, word of mouth and e-mail listing. 

This festival rents the space at Circus Oz during the Easter weekend, which works out great as Circus Oz doesn’t run classes on statutory holidays.  When you register online, you’re only allowed to register half of the sessions.  The other half needs to be registered by walking into the class.  If there’s room, then you can sign up.

Honestly, here’s my advice for attending a buffet-style type of festival:

1) know your limits: if you are planning to do a full day, make sure you register 1 or 2 non-aerial sessions (i.e. flexibility and dance) or take a few intro aerial classes per day 

2) bring your lunch (you only get about 1 and 15 minutes to eat)

3) bring your own massage ball and foam rollers because you really need to do a proper cool down.  By the time I finished the festival, I really need a massage because even though, I took extra care of rolling, I couldn’t move my body very well on Easter Monday. 

Overall, this festival has been really good at training my endurance and stamina.  Most of the teachers were really good at breaking down new material and such.  I really appreciate the little extras that they added: free talks on Friday (shoulder health) and Saturday (mental care for a performer) follow by an instructor performance on the last day (Sunday).  The price of the show is included in the Aerial Festival ticket.

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Puerto Escondido, Mexico – Sweet Retreats w Jenn Bruyer

Ceiling height:  approximately 20 feet tall 

Address:          Heroes Oaxaqueños 1, Brisas de Zicatela, Oaxaca, Mexico 

Cost:                  depending on the room, $1600 USD+

E-mail:               sweetretreatsdr@gmail.com

Rigging:

The whole rig is custom-built like a very tall metal gazebo.  Six rigging points were used for the hammock workshops.  The pulley system is tied directly to the columns with metal rungs located at different heights for adjustments.  The columns are covered in concrete flooring.  The concrete flooring is then covered with thin closed-cell foam matting.  There are enough thick mats for people to use.  Ants and cute puppies may visit the circus space from time to time as it is in a semi-open space.  It is all part of the experience in training with nature. 

Review: 

Going to an aerial retreat has been on my bucket list for a long time, but there wasn’t a motivation for me to do so.  Not until I read Jennifer Bruyer’s Instagram.  I have loved her effortless dancer-like movement but haven’t had the opportunity to learn from her.  After taking her workshop from the Apogee Dance Festival, I absolutely love her teaching methodology.  It’s nicely structured, easy to understand and is so inspiring and encouraging.

When I noticed that she was going to be in an aerial retreat during spring break, I took the opportunity to sign up to her workshop at Sweet Retreats, located in La Punta, Puerto Escondido, Mexico.  Going to an aerial retreat has some pro and cons.  The con is that If you can’t get along with a group, you’re stuck with them for a week as you will see them every day.  If you get along, you will have a fantastic time, like yours truly did.

Also, I have never been to Mexico before and the information on the web paints a darker picture than it really is.  Before going to Mexico, I was both petrified and excited to go.  I’ve been to third world countries by myself, but it has been a while.  And each time, I went to a third world country, my digestive system will act up in a negative way.  So, you can understand my apprehension about training with Montezuma’s revenge.  Luckily, I made lots of preparation to avoid any mishap.

Here are the highlights of the retreat:

  1. I don’t have to prepare my own food.  I get breakfast, lunch, dinner plus snacks and dessert.  Food is amazing.  So are the chocolate and popsicles.
  2. It’s warm in Mexico.
  3. The accommodation is a few minutes walk to the beach.  There’s enough time to take an afternoon nap.
  4. They do a fun beach photoshoot and an aerial photoshoot
  5. They do optional group activities such as, releasing baby turtles and going to a bioluminescent lagoon at night
  6. You can relax in a lounge chair or chill in a pool
  7. You can purchase an in-house massage or acupuncture session at the retreat
  8. If you can still train, your accommodations are steps away from the aerial space
  9. Once you have taken the first retreat, you get an alumni discount for the next retreat.  You get a discount if you referred a friend.  You even get a discount if you volunteer to work (which I did because I’m just like to do things).

Here are the considerations that you will need to be aware of:

  1. You really can’t escape from wildlife.  The birds will be noisy (earplugs are essential).  You will see all sorts of insects, geckos and the odd tarantula.  The dogs are friendly in Puerto Escondido (not so friendly elsewhere – I got bitten by one when I was in Huatulco and had to take 4 rounds of rabies shots)
  2. Don’t drink the tap water.  Even when a waiter gives me a glass of water, I just throw it in a travel bottle with a water purifier.  In addition, get probiotics to minimize traveller’s diarrhoea (I.e. Travelan) and electrolyte powder with vitamins.  That definitely improved my experience with aerial training and everything else.
  3. The resort has a reliable taxi driver.  I found that flagging a taxi is a depressing experience in Puerto Escondido as I have been ignored so many times.  Even phoning for a taxi can be disappointing and will get ignored.  Catching a colectivo truck is more reliable if you can’t find a reliable driver.  Also, bring a free tour map of Puerto Escondido as sometimes the drivers get lost.
  4. If you are arriving from Huatulco airport, it will be lovely to share a taxi with someone from the retreat as it is about a 2-hour ride to the accommodation.  You can catch a bus, but you need to flag one down from the highway and they come every hour.
  5. Be careful where you walk as the sidewalks are either non-existent or are very badly maintained.
  6. Be careful of waves on La Punta Beach as they are pretty strong.  
  7. You can get easily sunburned, sunstroke and heat stroke (did I get lucid dreams or what?).  Get aloe and sunscreen before you come to Mexico.  They can be expensive buying in Mexico and your brand may not be in travel size bottles.
  8. When bringing pesos, it is good to get pesos that is less than 500-peso bills.  Otherwise, locals will have a hard time giving you change.
  9. Even though the rooms have a fan, it is hot until the middle of the night and then, it gets cold enough that the fans need to be shut off.  I really struggle to sleep at night and was grateful for the afternoon naps.
  10. Although you can get free wi-fi on the retreat, I found accessing the internet on a smartphone was fine, but my laptop computer couldn’t access the internet at all.  When I was outside of the retreat, the package that I bought (Freedom Mobile) for mobile data was useless in Puerto Escondido.  At least, I can still make phone calls.

Overall, my experience at the retreat was wonderful.  It had everything that I would expect a retreat to have for a person like me (I am not a Club Med person).  For the price factor, as a speciality retreat, this is a good price especially when they are bringing in amazing instructors.  I really admire that Jenn manages to teach the whole week even though she was sick with loss of appetite, nausea and stomach cramps.  Hope she feels better.

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Seattle, USA – Apogee Aerial Dance Festival

Ceiling height:  approximately 17 feet tall (if your classes were in Arcadia)

Address:           Arcadia: 943 NW 50th Street 

Cost:                  $50 to $60 per workshop

E-mail:               goldie@apexaerialarts.com

Rigging:

In the main room of Arcadia, the ceiling of the studio looks like it can hold a decent production.  Although the class used up to 8 rigging points, I believe it can also offer more points.  During class, there are two reinforced beams that are supporting the rigging points.  The other beams are used for lighting or storing some equipment or not being used.  There are pulley systems that are anchored to the ground and to the wall.  I’m quite impressed with the extensive rigging, but they do have an entertainment rigger that is part of their staff.  The floor is laminated wood but there is a short supply of decently thick mats.   In the smaller room, the flooring is concrete with thin gym foam mats.  The mats in this room are the fold-able thin mats.  There are two reinforced beams with 4 rigging points.  The pulley system is anchored to the ground.  Unless you have been practising aerials for a while,  it is best to stay with a thick mat (make sure you put a yoga mat underneath wooden flooring to prevent slippage).

Review: 

This is a new festival that started in December 2017.  Normally, I usually wait for a few years for an organization (Apex Aerials) to fix the kinks and gain more fluidity in running the festival.  However, I couldn’t resist because a lot of my favourite aerialists (Emiliano Ron, Jenn Bruyer and Dream Frohe) were teaching this event.  It will be a perfect opportunity for me to meet them in person instead of being in awe of their videos.

In one week, I learned so much.  It was a wonderful experience for me because the teachers were amazing.   Emi is a tactile teacher who is good at spotting.  He will move your body to get where you need to be.  He doesn’t do many warm-ups or stretching.  So, it is important to come early and stay later to do what your body needs to do.  Jenn is a versatile teacher.  I thought I was going to die in her intermediate class, but I found that her movements make you think a lot.  If you figure it out, it feels effortless to do her stuff.   As for Dream, it was a joy to watch her move on a double-pointed hoop and even though, I only took one workshop (her 3-day workshop was cancelled), I look forward to taking her classes in the future.  Even though the latter two do a good warm-up, you do need to stay behind to do a proper cool down.  I am happy with the arrangement as they definitely packed in a lot of new material.  If you are a seasoned aerial student with at least, 1 to 2 years of experience,  this will be a good festival.    Even though I’ve been practising aerials for over a decade, I was certainly, skill-wise, an average student in the class.  As a beginner, I don’t recommend to travel down here for the sole purpose of attending this event.  Perhaps, they may offer more beginner workshops in the future, but it definitely is good to take the time to read the workshop description.

The festival starts on the 2nd Saturday of December and supposedly ends on the following Sunday, December 16 (but the climactic show is on the night before.  For me, it’s weird, but it’s just a minor detail). Since the festival is quite new, it looks like the average number of students were about 8.  It’s great because you either share a rigging point with one person or you have the apparatus to yourself.  However, it also means that there is a higher class cancellation rate.  Of course, this happened to yours truly.  Luckily, I was flexible enough to have optional classes and Seattle has so many circus-like excursions (i.e. ifly, Emerald City Trapeze Arts and Teatro ZinZanni)  that it is possible to take the time to explore outside of the festival.  

At first, I thought Arcadia was located only in the industrial/residential area.  However, about 10 minutes walk north-east of Arcadia, you will find that it’s a university town filled with shops and restaurants.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Seattle.  Make sure you check out the Goldstar Seattle website.  This website provides entertainment coupons in Seattle.  It helped me save a bit of money and get to know the entertainment scene in Seattle.

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Seattle, USA – Emerald City Trapeze

Ceiling height:  approximately 40 feet tall

Address:           2702 6th Ave S 

Cost:                  $68 US for a 2-hour flying trapeze drop-in

E-mail:               info@emeraldcitytrapeze.com

Review: 

If you like the movie “The Greatest Showman”, you will love the decor in this school.  Although it’s located in an uninspiring industrial building (Canal Boiler Work), inside there are red velvet curtains on the second balcony and interesting props used as decoration.  This building often gets booked out for events.  It really is a beautiful old wooden building.  Just to show you that one can’t judge a book by its cover.

I booked the class online in less than 24 hours of my class and it was easy to use the system with my phone.  The staff who responded to my e-mail were quite prompt.  That is great because I basically made a mistake in booking the wrong date and she corrected the error in less than a few hours.  The online scheduling for private sessions can be a bit confusing.  It is best to book private sessions via e-mail at least a week in advance.

I love the teachers there as they are attentive and patient.  They really break down the foundation for beginners and made sure that you are taken care of.  They were very good at calming the fears on some of the students.  One of the students was about to burst into tears, but the instructors are very encouraging and manage to get her up on the trapeze. 

There is even a tv monitor that shows your performance after you finish your trick so that you can review it.  They even have a flow chart of all the levels and in each level, the tricks that you need to complete successfully before you can continue.  They taught me layout as I have never done it before.  It was a lot of fun learning this skill.  Although I didn’t get caught by the catcher in this session, hopefully, next time I will get caught.

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circus around the world

If I was rich, I would travel to different places to experience circus arts.  Every month, I would like to do the following:

January

Bliss Aerial Training Camp

Date:        January 11 to 20, 2019

Location: Goa, India

Link:         https://www.blissaerial.com/

This camp is not for beginners.  You need to have at least 2 years of aerial experience and submit your aerial videos before you can even register.  The camp cost 1000 to 1200 Euros and it includes two vegetarian meals per day, accommodation, some activities and classes.  There are restaurants available if the meals don’t suit you.

February

Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain

Date:        January 31 to February 3, 2019

Location: Paris, France

Link:         https://www.cirquededemain.paris/en/

It’s not just watching amazing performers competing with each other; you can attend Club Pro where you can network, take some workshops and gather information from different circus associations.  Cost of the seats will be from 25 to 98 Euros.

March

Colorado Aerial Arts Summit

Date:        March 29 to 31, 2019

Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA

Link:         http://aircat.net/Aerial/HOME.html

This is a new event put together by Aircat Aerial Arts and Boulder Circus Center.  Usually, there will be a few hiccups for first-time events.  However, these two schools have been running for a very long time.  I definitely would be excited to go if I have the opportunity.  Pricing is to be announced.

April

Gravity Dolls – Aerial Arts Festival

Date:        April 19 to 21, 2019

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Link:         https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=440527

One of my teachers runs this event and I am going this year.  Hooray!  This festival is great for people who can handle endurance and strength because instead of booking based on the number of workshops, you pay $425 AUS for all three days.  There is an early bird discount, but you need to register in the at least 5-6 months before the event.

May

Paper Doll Militia Aerial Retreat

Date:        May 7 to 14 or May 17 to 24

Location: Crete, Greece

Link:         https://www.paperdollmilitia.com/Retreats.html

I am a big fan of Paper Doll Militia’s work. To run away to the Mediterranean with them,  the experience would bring me great joy.  The rooms range from 1,500 to 2,000 Euros per week.  Prices include meals, accommodations, classes, transportation and group activities.  You get a discount of 150 Euros if you purchase two weeks.

June

Irish Aerial Dance Fest

Date:        June 22 to July 7, 2019

Location: Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland

Link:         https://irishaerialdancefest.com/

This festival is for all levels and even give you a suggested itinerary base on your level.  There are even classes for kids, which is great if you are bringing a family.  Packages or classes range from 15 to 770 Euros. 

July

Les Rencontres de Danse Aerienne

Date:        July 15 to 29, 2019

Location: Saint-Nazaire, France

Link:         http://www.lesrencontresdedanseaerienne.com

This two-week intensive aerial dance festival is organized by Fred Deb’s team.  I haven’t got a chance to meet this well-known veteran yet, but one day, I would like to learn from her.  This event is a good opportunity to do so.  Depending on the package, prices are from 80 to 520 Euros.  I don’t know if all the classes are going to be bilingual (English and French), but I do recognize some of the teachers are English speakers.

August

Madskillz Vancouver

Date:        August 15 to 18, 2019

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Link:         http://madskillzvancouver.com/

This is one of my favourite prop festivals as you only need to pay a nominal fee (between $15 to $50 CDN) and you can take any classes from juggling to poi.  It has a very chilled and fun vibe.  There’s no guarantee that there will be aerials, but the people who attend this festival are very welcoming.

September

Aerial Edge Circus Convention

Date:        Early September

Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom

Link:         http://aerialedge.co.uk/circus-convention/

Many moons ago, I had attended an acro and aerial festival that was organized by EAAC (Edinburgh Aerial and Acro Convention).  Back then, the team did a fantastic job organizing the festival.  I would love to go to this event as it offers flying trapeze (which is rare to have in a festival).  This convention ranges from 199 to 299 British Pounds for the 3-day weekend.

October

Awaji Art Circus

Date:        Late September to Late October

Location: Awaji Island, Japan

Link:         https://en.awajiartcircus.com/about_aac2018.php

It’s not an English-speaking festival, but you get to watch the outdoor circus performances for free.  There’s an article about the festival in the performer’s point of view.  I would go to this festival for my love for Japan and circus.  This will be a good time of year to watch the leaves change color.

November

Aerial Sling, Silks and Rope w/ Jenn Bruyer

Date:        November 2 to 18, 2019

Location: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

Link:         http://www.sweetretreatsdr.com/aerial-acro-retreats/

This aerial retreat runs all year round, but this year, Jenn Bruyer will be teaching in November.  I would love to take two weeks off to attend her retreat.  Cost of the retreat is between $1800 to $2100 USD per week (includes classes, food, accommodation, evening activities and some transportation).

December

Apogee Aerial Dance Festival

Date:        Mid-December

Location: Seattle, Washington, USA

Link:         https://www.apexaerialarts.com/aadf/

I attended this festival a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it.  I will be writing an article about this soon.  The workshops cost between $50 to $150 US.  I prefer this type of festival because the workshops are at “a la carte” prices rather than one fixed price – “buffet style”.  Overtraining can lead to injuries.  It’s good to have a festival that can give participants flexibility.

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Greetings

This is my super duper secret blog page.  If you find it, congratulations on being perceptive.  There’s more to come.  One day, I will figure out how to put a secret password to this blog.  Mwahahahaha!

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returning to training after a tendon strain injury

You have had a good warmup, had a couple turns up the silks, and on your third turn you wrap in and drop into a front split. Just before you hit your max stretch you feel an uncomfortable and maybe painful pull at the top of your hamstring.  Since you are used to the odd ache and pain during training you shrug side this acute sensation thinking “I’m sure that was nothing”.  As you pull yourself out of this position and make your descent to the ground you realize that sudden pain has developed into a deep ache in the back of your buttock and high in the hamstring.

High hamstring injuries are very common in athletes that require quick lengthening of their muscles and tendons especially when that same tissue is under an eccentric load.  An eccentric load occurs when a muscle such as your hamstring is contracted to stabilize the hip and pelvis while it lengthens into motions such as a penché, or splits in the silks. If the tissue is lengthened further that its normal ability or the strength of the tissue is decreased due to fatigue of the hamstring, the muscle tendon fibers will tear or at the very least lose some structural integrity. The body creates inflammation which results in pain.

With a twenty-year career as a dancer and ten of those years as an aerialist, believe me, I’ve seen and done some silly things in regards to strains mostly likely due to impatience. So, I’ve learned first hand what not to do.  For most athletes, inappropriate management of these injuries comes from a lack of understanding of how long this tissue takes to heal and when each form of rehab is appropriate.

The question is, what does the aerialist do next?  Here is a step by step approach to handling this situation:

1) Stop training immediately and ICE for 20 minutes.  Research is back and forth on if and for how long icing should be done especially since it’s the body’s natural inflammatory response that starts the healing process.  That being said, any injury I’ve ever managed that I have ICED within a couple of hours after the injury always seemed like less of an imposition the next day.

2) Generally, the protocol for icing is 3-5X/ day for 2 days then contrasting heat and cold for another two days to promote blood flow/ circulation.

3) DON’T keep stretching the injured tissue or even test it for a couple of weeks.  Each time you push the tissue the muscle fibers that are trying to heal are being pulled apart, and likely increasing the healing time and furthering scar tissue formation.

4) Have your injury assessed.  Knowing which structure is injured is important.  Is it one of your hamstring muscles, or is it actually an adductor muscle issue?  Chiropractors, Physio/Athletic therapists, and certain massage therapists will have the experience to assess and give you a treatment plan that will most likely include hands-on therapy such as (ART ®, massage, laser, acupuncture, Graston etc…).  As the tissue can handle more load, core strengthening, glute and hamstring strengthening for both concentric and eccentric loads will be prescribed.

Your flexibility will resume slowly assuming you don’t go too hard, too fast.  Usually, premature aggressive stretching leads to more pain, dysfunction and subsequent injury along the same fascial pathway.  A question that I am asked often is “How could this happen if I was warm before I started training?”  There are a few possibilities.  The body’s core muscles may have been fatigued from the previous day’s activities, or perhaps the tissue had been mildly strained on another training day but below the threshold to be aware of it.  This is why periodization within training (appropriate rest) needs to be scheduled during training.  Age and nutrition will also affect the pliability of our tendons.  Micro injuries over the decades causes the tendons to slowly become less supple which means it will take less force to cause damage compared to a young athlete.

Dr. Amber Wiens is a Chiropractor in Calgary AB treats dancers, gymnasts and aerialists in her practice.  For more information about Dr. Wiens visit www.ayhcalgary.com

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Alaska, USA – Cirque Boreal

Ceiling height:  approximately 23 feet tall

Address:           10901 Mausel St., Eagle River, Alaska 

Cost:                  $30 US for a 1.25 hour drop-in

E-mail:               CirqueBoreal@gmail.com

Rigging:

There are 4 silks hanging from the I-beam.  In each point, the I-beam is covered with cardboard.  The round sling is wrapped around the cardboard (to prevent wear and tear) and hooked with the standard carabiner-swivel-carabiner combination followed by a rescue eight with silks.  The floor is laminated wood but is covered with thin fold-up gym mats followed by crash mats.   Strongly recommend using one of the two thicker crash mats as the other crash mats are quite thin.  

Review: 

From the moment that I wrote to this school to taking her class, the owner has been amazing.  Stefany answered my e-mails quickly, made every effort to welcome me to her community and was very patient with my family when they came over to the studio to watch me strut my stuff.  This is a small school in which the owner is operating like a one-woman show where she wears the hat of an owner, admin, web tech, instructor and performer.  As if she’s not busy enough, she is also running for the House of Representatives.  What a lovely and inspiring woman!

Besides the drop-in, I would strongly recommend paying the instructor in cash at the facility instead of registering online.  It’s easy and less confusing for visitors who are staying temporarily.  Plus, if you are only attending classes one or two times then you don’t need to pay the AMAC membership fee.  I took two silks class and a drop-in.  The warm-up was nice and brief.  It included leg swings, arm circles, pushups, leg crosses, splits and pigeons.  Afterwards, there was 1 climb of bicycle and 2 climbs each for French (or standard) and Russian.   Cool down is optional and in your own time.  The class environment is less structural, quite social and relaxed.

The tricky part about drop-in classes or multi-level classes is that everyone is going at a different pace.  So, Stefany teaches different moves to different people.  This is great for the student as they are being challenged; tough for the instructor in relations to class management.  Although the class can take up to 10 people, I notice that not everyone will come in.  Also, there’s a tendency that a few people will be late, which does happen as traffic is unpredictable.  So, latecomers will have to do the warm-ups on their own.

At the time of writing, the school is looking for another location in Anchorage.  They do rent a place in Eagle River, but you will need to drive there if you don’t live in Eagle River.  The bus is not reliable and does not offer an evening service.     

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Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong – Aerial Arts Academy

Ceiling height:   approximately 13 feet tall

Address:           G/F Capri Building, 130 Austin Road

Cost:                  300 HKD for a 1 hour drop-in

E-mail:               info@aerialartsacademy.com

Rigging:

In plain sight, the rigging points are bolted to the ceiling as there are no beams to support the rigging.  There are 4 screws bolted to the rigging plate.  Strongly recommend using the crash mat as the floor is polished concrete.  Crash mats are thin (about 3-5 inches thick).  Space is 18 x 20 feet.  Since the building is concrete, the company tries to maximize the number of rigging points (there are at least 6 points) and makes sure that the dancing poles are not in the way.   For such a small space, they can fit so many equipments.

Review: 

When I booked this class via e-mail, the response was quick and they were accommodating when I wanted to pay cash.  I took two silks class: A beginner class with Kathy and an all-level class with Stephanie.   The classes are in English and the warm-up was good.  We did a yoga-like workout, with some mobility and stretching exercises and then warm-up on the equipment.

It has been many years since I’ve been to Hong Kong.  Back then, the highest height in Hong Kong for an aerial class was 11 feet.  So, 13 feet is an improvement.  In addition, the real estate prices in HK is so insane that I’m lucky that I’m only paying about $50 Canadian for a 1-hour class.  I would hate to think what the cost of classes in Hong Kong will be like in 10 years.

An hour class is quite short.  After half an hour warm-up, plus skills.  Cooling down will only be 5 minutes and includes the time we have to put away the equipment.  Since many of the students are experienced, the instructor maximizes the time by teaching a short sequence after a review of moves and gives time for students to figure the sequence out.  The classes went well, but I’m more concern about the mats being too thin for less experienced students.  Especially, when the flooring is concrete. 

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the only thing is constant is change

This article was originally a review for Kaicetos Circus in the Dominican Republic.  A few of my students really like Paul who ran the school for many years.  When I was finally available, I thought the beach and sun would do me good and decided to check out Cabarete on August 12, 2016.  

Unfortunately, I was too late.  Due to personal reasons, Paul had left Caberete and moved back to the US.  I had arrived in the middle of a transition of ownership.  Some of his instructors were still teaching the classes while one of his students was managing the school before the new owners arrived.

I was able to get a few flying trapeze lessons and silks lessons from the lovely instructors who remain in the Dominican Republic.  This experience reminded me a few things about time:

1) time never waits for anyone

This was on my bucket list for a few years.  I simply waited too long and ended up arriving at the end of the life cycle for Kaicetos Circus.  Definitely a reminder of Carpe Diem.

2) with enough time, sand and humidity can rust any equipment and rot any mats

At the time, the old facility that houses the silks and hoop was getting run down due to weather conditions.  With what I had seen what Mother Nature can do, my fantasy of having a beachside circus studio was shot down by reality.

3) cherish the moment for it will not always happen again 

I thought about how Paul made a positive impact on many circus lovers.  This is a constant reminder of the importance to relish the fragments of joy and happiness. 

In my blogs, the viewpoints that I have with the schools are temporary as there is always a constant change in either instructors, equipment improvements, renovations and etc.   Nevertheless, I feel that there is some benefit in my writing as it will give you a direction to your circus practice.

Keep in mind.  Although a good thing has an expiry date, there is the rebirth.  I read good things about the new school,  Extreme Circus.  Perhaps, one day, I might visit again.