Get Your Body Ready to Return to Circus!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

First of all, did anyone make those cookies from this past week? If you haven’t yet, you’re missing out! Now onto the real stuff. As of now, Akrosphere is all set to start back for summer on June 1st! Yahoo!!! We are so excited by this possibility and are pretty sure you guys are too! 

Did you now that when you stop exercising you are telling your body that you don’t need to use certain muscles anymore? Even just taking two weeks off can be bad for your strength, and we’ve been gone for a bit longer than two weeks. We know circus work takes a lot of strength, and that you haven’t been able to climb on the actual apparatuses, but FEAR NOT! The muscles that you use for all of your circus training can all be worked on at home! 

Lucky for you guys, we have developed the Zoom class schedule so that everyone can work on the strength and flexibility needed for you to be successful in your circus class. We want to remind you that classes are no longer broken up by level, and you can join EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK! That means that if you are very busy on Monday, because of virtual schooling or doing all your chores we’re sure you’re helping your parents with each day, you’ll still have five other opportunities to join a virtual class throughout the week. We strongly encourage everyone one to join! We know working out is hard, but we promise this will help when you transition back into your regular circus class. 

Now we don’t want to set you up to fail, so if you really aren’t able to join any zoom classes, here are some exercises you can do at home on your own. Before you start your strength training, do some cardio for 5 minutes. That can be jumping jacks, running, or even dancing! Once you’re warm, you can get started with the following exercises:

  • Plank – A huge component of circus training is core strength, and what better way to work on that than the mighty plank? There are so many benefits to holding a plank! It strengthens your core, helps give you better posture, reduces back pain, and gives you better movement and coordination. All from just one exercise! You see why it’s considered one of the best exercises you could do for your body! How to: Get on your elbows with your feet out behind you. Keep your chest and abdominals strong, your thighs activated, and avoid sagging or hiking up the hips. Basically, keep a straight line all the way from your head to your heels. Make sure your nose is right above your hands. Hold for at least 30 seconds. 
  • Circus Push Ups – If you’ve ever tried climbing a silk, or a rope, or even just holing on to a trapeze, you know that a lot of upper body strength is required. Push ups are great for building your chest, biceps, triceps, and core. So many muscles are benefitting from a simple push up! Now, you notice I’m calling them “circus” push ups. All that means is that instead of having your elbows go out to the sides, you want to keep them close to your body to really focus on those triceps. How to: Start in that plank position from above; see, you’re already halfway there! Lower your body and then push it back up! Sounds easy, but make sure you maintain your plank position the ENTIRE time! You can always go on your knees or put your hands on a raised surface to make it a little easier. Don’t forget to keep those elbows in! Do 10.
  • Squats – You think circus and aerial, and you automatically think about strong arms and core, but to be a great performer, you need a well rounded body! And did you know that squats don’t just help strengthen your legs? Yes, you feel it in your legs, but they are such an intense exercise, that they help release hormones that can help your other muscles continue to work and grow! How to: Start by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Put your arms out in front of your body to help with balance. Start lowering your body by not just bending your knees, but by pushing your knees out to the sides. Keep your chest up throughout the whole exercise, and push your hips back to make sure that most of your weight is on your heels. Once you’ve gotten to your lowest point, push back up, again making sure your chest is staying up. Do 10.
  • Burpee – Now we’re putting it all together! Most people don’t particularly love them *points finger at self,* but burpees are amazing for the body! Not only do they make you stronger, by working on so many different muscles, but they work your cardiovascular endurance, too! It’s an all-in-one, full body exercise! Who doesn’t want that? How to: Start by standing up straight. Then, lower into a squat and place your hands on the floor. Jump your feet back into plank position, and you know what comes next: circus push up! Remember to squeeze everything! Return your feet to squat position and immediately jump in the air as high as you can! To make it more fun, do them with a partner and give each other a high 10 every time you jump! For any kids reading this, I’m sure your parents would love to do some burpees with you! Do 10.
  • STRETCHING! – You probably thought that this would all be about strength, but you also lose flexibility when you don’t train it in a while, which makes it just as important to practice. Stretching keeps your muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Flexible muscles allow you to maintain range of motion in the joints. Without it, your muscles can shorten and become tight, which could lead to injury, and we do not want that! How to: Make sure you are warm! Cold muscles do not want to stretch! Hold each position for at least 30 seconds; it takes some time for tissues to lengthen safely. Make sure you hold and not bounce. You want to feel the stretch. If you feel pain, you’ve gone too far, so go back to the point where you are feeling the stretch. Finally, relax and breathe! Stretching is not always pleasurable, but breathe through it and when you’re done, you’ll feel amazing!

We would love for you all to be able to join the Zoom classes every day, but we know that’s not always possible. On the days you can’t join us, get your body moving with this routine. If you have time, do it twice or even three times! We want you guys to be super strong when we see you again, so no excuses!

Before I go, I wanted to give a few Zoom updates!

  • Like I mentioned last month, the longer we do this, the more we learn what works and what doesn’t. While it seems like most of you are enjoying the workouts, the hangouts happen to be “not that cool.” Hangouts will no longer be happening during May. If anyone wishes to speak to a coach, please email us and we can get some communication going.
  • Strength classes will be happening Monday-Friday from 6-7pm. Body Movement will also be happening on Saturdays at 1pm.
  • We will continue to hold weekly raffles! After we pick the name for the April prize, all names will be thrown out! That means you need to join us in May for a chance at winning. We will be raffling out an Akrosphere tank top for the first two weeks, and a private lesson will be the May grand prize!
  • Since we are so close to returning, we really want to make sure that we can get your strength exactly where it needs to be. We ask that when you join us for a Zoom class, you please make yourself visible so that your coach can ensure you are doing all of the exercises properly and can give you corrections if necessary. This way we can all ensure everybody is safe.

That was a ton of information, I know, but that’s all I got for now. As always, if anyone has any questions, please email and let me know—I’m here to help! I am keeping my fingers crossed for our return in June! See you guys (hopefully) soon!

Catch you next time!

Mar

You Deserve a Treat: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever

Hello everyone and happy… what day is it again??

Well, like promised, I want to share with you the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have found! I usually try to find delicious, healthy recipes for you guys, but this has to be shared! First, however, in true recipe fashion, a story of how it came to be. I know you know that all recipes online now start with a story; mine will at least be very short!

My husband and I are on quarantine time and quarantine rules, which basically means that I pretty much only check the clock so I know when to teach Zoom classes. Besides that, we do what the quarantine tells us! PJs all day? Yes. French fries and queso for dinner? Yes. Cookies for breakfast? YESSS! I promise you these are all based on real life occurrences of the past WEEK. So unhealthy, but alas, this is life now.

Anywho, I found myself seriously craving cookie dough, which of course we do not have because we’ve only been “essential” shopping. Also, it was way past curfew, so I couldn’t just go buy some. I tried to think of other things, but I couldn’t! Well, I’ve figured out what it means to be a real adult: having all of the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch at midnight already in your pantry. We didn’t have chocolate chips, but Nik’s mom sent us an Easter basket, so I thought I could just crush some chocolate eggs (it worked!). I figured we might as well bake the cookies if we were going to go through all this trouble, so I asked Nik to find the quickest recipe online and we stumbled upon GOLD! Let me tell you, these were amazing! We only made half a batch, and I am so thankful because we would still be eating cookies. 

Before I present you with the recipe, I strongly suggest going on the website and reading all the helpful notes here: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever. The most important one being “DO NOT over-bake these chocolate chip cookies! These chocolate chip cookies will not look done when you pull them out of the oven, and that is GOOD.”

I also want to preface by saying that I am not a great baker. I am the master of burning cookies because they just don’t look ready yet! I kid you not (and my sister loves to tell this story) there was a time I pulled completely burnt cookies out of the oven and upon setting them on the counter one of the burst aflame. I wish I was lying. So please take the doughy looking cookies out when the recipe suggests. I beg you! 

Get ready for your life to change:

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder. Set aside.
  • Cream together butter and sugars until combined.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
  • Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
  • Add 12 oz package of chocolate chips and mix well.
  • Roll 2-3 TBS (depending on how large you like your cookies) of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets. (alternately, use a small cookie scoop to make your cookies)!
  • Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just BARELY starting to turn brown.
  • Let them sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Again, here is the website: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever.

I dare you to find an easy, more delicious recipe! But if you have it, please share!

Speaking of sharing, home recipes are how I’m keeping my sanity! All recipes suggestions are welcome! I also have an instant pot and an air fryer, so if any of you are looking for ideas, I have some too!

Hoping you have all found a way to stay sane and safe!

Catch you next time!

Mar

Online Classes for April: We’re Switching it UP!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

Akrosphere will not be going on Spring Break! Instead, we will continue with our online content, since we know you can’t actually go anywhere fun for the break and will be stuck at home all the days. After a few weeks of the online classes, we have seen what works and what doesn’t. That means we are going to focus more on the live Zoom classes! We have changed the schedule and structure of classes, so take a look at everything we have have to offer for this month: April Calendar

As you can see, the classes aren’t based by level so much as before, so this means you can join us for an activity EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK! Let’s break these classes down:

-Fun Workout: This will be a fun, lighter day of conditioning, mainly geared towards our younger students. We hope all of our other students will join as well as a good warm up for the rest of the week.

-Open Level Conditioning: This conditioning class is open to all levels and all ages! The coach will provide modifications so that the exercises are ones that everyone can do.

-Juggling!: We decided it would be a great idea to incorporate a ground apparatus that you can do safely from your home! If you don’t have juggling balls, don’t worry! You can use any 3 balls of similar size and weight around your home. On Tuesday, April 14th, we will be making a juggling ball craft during the Hangout, so you can follow along and make your own!

-Target Strength: If you’re looking to get even stronger than when you were in the gym, this is the class for you! In this class we will be using a variety of equipment, like bands, pull-up bars, and exercise balls! This class is geared towards our level 2 and above, but again, any lower levels that want to join can definitely do so and do modified exercises. Akronauts and Circus Kids will need help from a parent.

-Core and Stretch: This class will start with a focused 20 minutes of core and end with some stretching. During the stretching we will focus on flexibility that you will need for your apparatuses, as well as muscle release with foam rollers and therapy balls. 

-Body Movement: We have loved the structure of this class, so it will be the same as it has been!

One of the new things we are introducing are half hour Hangouts! These will be an opportunity for you to go in and just chat and catch up with your friends, since you haven’t seen each other in a while! A coach will always be there to moderate each session. 

-The blue Hangouts will be for ages 11 and up (basically this is all level 1, Cirque Combo, and older Homeschool Combo students). There will be an optional arts and crafts activity that you can choose to do or not. Completely up to you! It’s a hangout with your friends, so we want you to have fun!

-The green Hangouts will be for ages 10 and under (all Akronauts, Circus Kids, and younger Homeschool Combo students). Again, this will be mostly to just talk and catch up with friends, but we are encouraging the little ones to find and print a coloring page from our online content, so they have an activity to do with their friends!

-Company Hangouts will be just for Company students. These will get a special password so that those students can join each week. Be on the lookout for an email that will explain what to expect, along with additional instructions.

Supply List

We have compiled a list of the things you will need to join us:

Blue Hangouts:

  • April 14th: Juggling Balls: 9 balloons, 3 ziplock bags, 1 and a half cups of uncooked rice, scissors.
  • Aril 21st: Sock Poi: 2 long tube socks (one pair), 2 balls (you can use the juggling balls you previously created, or tennis balls, or even make balls out of socks!).
  • April 28th: Making Rope: yarn, scissors, and 1 small piece of duct tape to hold the yarn down. If you don’t have the tape, no worries, you can tie the yarn to a door knob, or chair, it just needs to stay in place.

Green Hangouts:

  • Any coloring pages from our previous online content, which you can find here: Online Circus!

Red Target Strength (all links are clickable and will take you to Amazon):

Purple Core and Stretch:

ZOOM INSTRUCTIONS:

Zoom now requires a password to join all classes. Our meeting ID is still the same: 573-387-5152. Our password is 004024.

All classes will have the same meeting ID and password. If this changes we will let you know!

*The Company students Hangout will have a special password.

I know we just fed you A TON of information, so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out and ask! We want everyone to stay strong and ready to get back in the air when we can finally come back into the gym. You have no idea how much we all miss teaching you!

Catch you next week!

Mar

Quarantine Activities!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

Today I want to talk about fun, indoor quarantine activities! We have been putting out a lot circus content (which I love), but I thought it would be fun to come up with some fun, non-circus specific things. 

Here are some fun activities you can create with stuff you already have at home:

-Build a Fort: Grab some pillows, blankets, and the nearest couch, and build a fort! Turn off all the lights and bring in a flashlight and you can make shadow puppets. Here are some fun ones: How to Make Shadow Puppets With Your Hands.

-Obstacle Course: You might need some parental help to create a fun and SAFE course in your home. Again, the great thing is that you can do this with items you already have! If you’re not sure of what obstacles to create, here are some ideas:

  • crawl under a row of chairs,
  • jump over a wooden spoon,
  • toss a bean bag, or ball of socks into a laundry basket,
  • bear walk from one place to the next,
  • jump rope while singing the chorus of your favorite song. The possibilities and obstacles are endless!

-Treasure Hunt: Parent participation will be needed for this one, too. Create clues and lead your kid towards the ultimate prize! Not sure how to create clues? The following link is a great source with 30 easy riddles to guide them through the house: Indoor Treasure Hunt for Children. 

-Escape Room: If you have already done the treasure hunt, and are looking for something that’s more of a challenge, you can make an escape room! You’ll also need help from a parent for this activity. The only thing you might need that you may not have at home are a few different locks. For the clues and puzzles, you can incorporate some math and even spelling challenges, and they won’t even realize they’re working because they’re having so much fun! I know I wouldn’t know where to start to make a room, so I found a blog online that explains exactly how one mom created an escape room for her kids. You can find it here: Make Your Own Escape Room Challenge for Kids.

I hope these activities help cure some of the boredom in your house, but if all else fails, crank up some music and have a DANCE PARTY!!!!!

Catch you next week!

Mar

The Online Curriculum is HERE!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

The Online Curriculum starts tomorrow, Monday, March 23rd!!! Each day we will have a multitude of activities, like crafts, workshops, and fun tutorials!

BUT the best part of it will be the live Zoom class we will offer in the afternoons at 6pm. Each day we will teach for a different level so that everyone can have their weekly class. The schedule is as follows:

Monday: Akronauts and Circus Kids

Tuesday: All Level 1

Wednesday: All Level 2

Thursday: All Level 3 & 4

Saturday: Body Movement. This class is open to all levels! These will be recorded ahead of time, so that you can pause and find different props around the house as Jen helps you start to explore the emotions and movement needed to create your own performance piece! (Akronauts and Circus Kids will need some grownup assistance.)

As you see, each day will be broken up by level, but you can still join us on all the days! If anything is too tricky, simply modify with an exercise from class that you already know. Another cool thing is that you don’t have to do the activities alone! We want to encourage you to workout with a friend, or neighbor, or your brothers and sisters, or even your parents! If you’re practicing social distancing with a friend, you can always send them the links to the activities, so that they can have some fun at home, too!

How it Works

Each day we will email a link to the live Zoom meeting so that you can join us in the afternoons at 6pm. You don’t even need to download the app, just click the link! The rest of the content will be updated daily on our website. And please check it out–we have found SO MANY cool videos and activities for everyone to do! You can find everything here: Circus at Home. If you forget or lose this link, simply go to Akrosphere.com and click the blue “Online Circus!” tab at the top. 

We don’t get to see you in person, but we would love to see what you’re working on, so send us what you’re doing! Email us pictures and videos or tag us on Facebook or Instagram so that we can repost your work on our feed and stories! 

I hope everyone has been staying home safe and healthy and I cannot wait to see everyone back in the gym once this is all over.

Catch you next week!

Mar

Bet You Didn’t Know: Coach Michael!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

This week’s interview is with Coach Michael! 

What is your name, position, and how long have you been working at Akrosphere?

Michael Edwards – Coach, Akme Instant Circus Company Co-Director, Akrosphere Camp Director, and Ace/Ayco certified trainer. I have been coaching at Akrosphere for about three years.

What is your apparatus of choice?

Duo Trapeze all day every day!

What is your background?

My background is circus and aerial arts. I started cirque when I was 11 years old. I actually was drawn to juggling first, although in the program I started in you did everything. I learned to juggle three balls in one day and clubs in one week because it was something that just clicked for me.  I started because my parents signed me up for a summer camp.  

What was your first circus job?

My first circus job was over 17 years ago. I did some juggling for an event and I just loved it.

Any difficulties in your training/working?

The biggest difficulty has been my leg injury. I was in my late twenties when my doctors found out I had serious damage to my hip due to tennis as a teenager. It’s been a huge struggle for me, however it’s the main reason I have focused on coaching and being the best coach I can be.

Despite difficulties, why do you love it?

Circus arts has so many amazing parts to it. It’s hard to just say one. I guess I love circus arts because it challenges you, mentally and physically. It inspires you to be a better version of yourself everyday. In circus and aerial arts there’s always a way to improve, there’s always something new to discover or learn, and you can express who you are. Cirque praises you for being the person you are no matter how weird that is!

Words of encouragement for our students?

Dude circus is hard! Work hard and commit to it. Your hard work will show. There’s no limit to what you can do if you work hard enough. Also, ask your coaches how to improve. If you speak up we can help you be the best circus artist you can be!

If you’ve been keeping up with these interviews, I feel like there is a common theme with how hard circus is, but that if you continue to try and work hard, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I feel so cheesy as I write this, but it’s so true! Coach Michael couldn’t have said it any better. Next week you’ll get to know a bit more about Coach Sarah! 

Catch you next week!

Mar

Bet You Didn’t Know: Coach Connie!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

This week it’s time for Coach Connie! She’s the other instructor who will be helping with Tawni’s classes while she is out of town, and she is absolutely amazing!!

What is your name, position, and how long have you been working at Akrosphere?

My name is Constance but my friends call me Connie!  I am a guest instructor at Akrosphere covering for Tawni while she is away on her big adventure!

What is your apparatus of choice?

I am a multi-disciplinarian and perform on silks, pole, lyra, rope, spanish web, and loop straps.  I also work on duo trapeze, duo rope, and duo lyra.  My favourite apparatus is rope, but I definitely waver back and forth as to what I’m doing most depending on my work and inspiration.

What is your background?

I grew up as a dancer specializing in ballet, and when I was 18 I met a magician by happenstance.  I became his assistant performing gigs, big and small, around the southeast.  I learned a lot about the stage as well as began working as a fire performer.  From there, my circus career grew fairly organically and in my 20s I discovered my love of aerial arts.

What was your first circus job? 

My first circus job was as a magician’s assistant.  I don’t recall the exact performance, it’s been so long now, but I was the girl in the box that was to be cut in half.  As not to give away any secrets and keep the magic alive, I will just say that I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to do my part quickly enough and would ruin the whole show, but I did it and we worked together for many shows!

Any difficulties in your training/working?

The biggest difficulty is that there is never enough time, but I think that’s true for any career.  It’s hard to fit in all the training, nutrition, recovery, administrative work, etc. especially once you’re working.

Despite difficulties, why do you love it?

I love the challenge and I like to see how far I can go.  I love connecting with an audience and sharing that big exciting moment.  You can feel it in a room!  I also love to be on the road and travel; with this work I see so many awesome places and meet so many interesting people.

Words of encouragement for our students?

Just remember why you are doing this.  There will be days when you’re tired, and sore, and just don’t feel like it, but if you remember the joy of why you started and what you are in this for, you will enjoy the journey.

A magician’s assistant! I didn’t know I had a dream job, but apparently that’s it! We’re back for classes this week, and I can’t wait for everyone to meet Coach Connie!

Catch you next week!

Mar

Bet You Didn’t Know: Coach Shannon!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

And now we have Coach Shannon! Many of you might not know her yet, but she is one of the coaches who will be helping with Tawni’s classes while she is out of town. 

What is your name, position, and how long have you been working at Akrosphere?

My name is Shannon Stanley and I am substituting Tawni’s Wednesday night 7:00 and 8:00 classes while she is out being awesome. I will be conducting these classes through May.

What is your apparatus of choice?

I tend to bounce around on “anything that’s vertical”. Silks, sling, and straps are my main loves. 

What is your background?

I am a classically trained ballet dancer. I began my training at 3 and became professional when I was 14. When I chose a career change, I wanted to stay in shape with a hobby in which I could use my knowledge and experience, so I started training silks. That quickly grew to other apparatuses and another career change to professional aerialist. 

What was your first circus job? 

My first circus job was a private gig with an Atlanta celebrity. I know I was nervous, but I had been performing for so long it wasn’t so much being in front of people that was scary, it’s that I thought I would second guess myself with my wraps. Once I got up there every doubt went away. I had trained for this. I knew what I was doing. After, I felt energized and started thinking seriously about performing professionally again. 

Any difficulties in your training/working?

Isn’t training in general hard enough?! I have gone through invasive surgery and the balance between personal and professional life especially when that means traveling and being away from your family for long periods of time. Trying to stay humble when strength declines and staying focused on short term goals. 

Despite difficulties, why do you love it?

Because there is no greater feeling than flying through the air! It NEVER gets easy! There will always be another hurdle, another movement, another fear to keep me going forward. 

Words of encouragement for our students?

Stay focused on your goals you set for yourself. Don’t let anyone else set goals for you.  Support each other in class, pay to see your peers perform, and promote each other’s accomplishments. That is the only way circus can grow and evolve. 

Doesn’t Coach Shannon sound great! We haven’t talked much, but she seems very knowledgeable and sweet! I cant wait for you all to meet her!

Catch you next week!

Mar

Bet You Didn’t Know: Coach Jen!

Hello everyone and happy Monday!

You think you know your coaches! Gee, I thought I knew everything about our coaches, but boy was I so wrong! A few weeks ago I teased that we would have some coach blogs coming out soon and the day is finally here! Our first blog is with Jen, Studio Director and Cyr wheel extraordinaire! Get ready to be impressed!

What is your name, position, and how long have you been working at Akrosphere?

My full name is Jennifer Lee MacQueen. I am the Head Monkey Wrangler also known as owner, Cyr wheel coach, therapist, surrogate mother, psychologist, depends on who you talk to. 

What is your apparatus of choice?

Cyr wheel, or more commonly knows as the cry wheel. I have done some training on silks and rope. 

Why Cyr wheel over silks and rope?

Rope was much happier that silks, but Cyr wheel took over my life. If I have any time to train, I am going to do Cyr. As I got better, my time became more precious and that’s where I wanted to put all my time. 

When did you start training circus? 

(She laughs.) I started… ok… here we go. At age 2, I saw the Nicholas brothers in Stormy Weather and I told my mom that’s what I wanted to do. We found Bill Feney, who taught tap and acrobatics out of his basement (age 3). I had a love of tap and acrobatics until I started getting more serious about gymnastics. I was competing at the Elite level by the early 80s. In 1985, I blew out both knees. I was so upset! It happened just before the Chunichi Cup in Japan. So, I became dancer. I did musical theater and rhythm tap and ended up working with Nicholas brothers! I then decided to move to New York to work with master tap dancers before they died. 

Years later, it was time to have my kid, so I moved to Atlanta to be closer to my mom. Three weeks before giving birth, something felt wrong with my back. I went to the doctor and found I had 30 stress fractures in my back, ankles, and wrists. Then, my back broke! I wasn’t able to walk and I lost the use of my right leg. After five years, I was finally able to get back surgery, but I was told I would never be able to walk again. So I said: challenge accepted! After much rehab, I was able to walk again, but I was told I needed to find something that would help strengthen my core. My leg was still giving out, but my arms worked, so I started taking silks. I was 40 or 41 at the time. In two months I dropped 36 pounds, all due to circus training. 

Three weeks into silks, I met Bobby Cookson. That started my love of Cyr wheel and it’s been a part of my life ever since. 

(Jen takes a break here to say) Tawni is flossing right now. Let the record show. 

Breaking my back started circus. And I’m so happy it did. I never intended to open a studio, or take Cyr wheel. I was going to do musical theater and it just took over my life…. YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD!!!! I had one leg that didn’t work. 

What was your first circus job? 

For my first Cyr performance I was terrified because the floor was terrible. It was an ice rink! Not with ice, but it might as well have been. There was a very shiny and highly polished floor. When I was warming up, the Cyr wheel slipped out and I landed flat on my stomach. I couldn’t do any part of the act I choreographed. I ended up making it up as I went while still trying to hit all the musical cues. It was fun, but scary to not be able to train your apparatus and for Cyr wheel, the floor is half of the apparatus. I had been performing all of my life with gymnasts and dance, so I was used to being in front of people, I just didn’t want to eat it! The performance was Dante’s Inferno. I was the third circle of hell: gluttony and addiction. The people were so kind to get the floor so beautiful for us… it just wasn’t great for me.

Any difficulties in your training/working?

Life gets in the way of living. I’m a single mom running a business and many times I have just two hours for training. When I get those to hours, I then usually have to attend to other things!

The older you get, the less you bounce when you fall. Twenty year olds can get back up. For a 48-year-old, it’ll take a week to get things working the way I want them to sometimes. I just don’t recover from bangs and falls sometimes. 

I am not self coached, like many people would think. Coaching is crucial, and my coaches work in Montreal. They come down here, I go up there, but it’s not like having a coach in the room to see me and make a correction every single time. I also can’t get spotted, so there’s much more falling. It’s a big frustration, but nothing to be done about it. I send videos to my coaches, and if something is going wrong, that can help me not kill myself. I improve at a much slower rate. 

Despite difficulties, why do you love it?

I can’t imagine life without it. Somebody once told me that as an actor, if you can imagine yourself doing anything else, you should go do that thing. The same applies to circus. I do this because… I don’t want to say I have to, but I have to to maintain my inner level of happiness. I NEED my wheel if I’m stressed or if I have a bad day. It’s like a good dance partner, but less talkative. The Cyr wheel is my boyfriend—it does as many chores as a boyfriend, but listens better.

Words of encouragement for our students?

One of my coaches told me this and I laughed and didn’t believe them: the things you’re working on today will be tomorrow’s warm up. I never thought there was a day when coins would be an easy thing and now they’re part of my basic warm up. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. All the skills are just words. Once that word is in your vocabulary you can speak much more eloquently. You can express yourself and make others feel and experience. You work to build skills to tell a story to make others think and feel. AND THAT is worth all the work in the world. 

And there you have it! Did you know how hard Jen had to work to get to where she is today?! I had no idea! I already thought she was amazing, but I am looking at her with brand new eyes. Next up, a coach we all know and love: Tawni!!!

Catch you next week!

Mar

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

Today, I want to talk about the ABUSE we put our bodies through. Circus is not easy, by any means! We are constantly sore or hurting from scrapes, cuts, or burns, and let’s not forget about injuries! 

In circus, pain is part of the game, especially now that we have all come back from a two week break! As you know, we begin each class with a warm up and end with a cool down, and we throw in some strength training in between. We do this to get your bodies ready and prevent injury, but it CAN NOT end there! While stretching and conditioning are very important to your practice, there is a lot more that needs to happen to make sure we can prevent a lot of these pains. That is why it is imperative that you also focus on recovery and rehabilitation. 

First, consider thermotherapy! That’s just a fancy way of saying heating and icing. Heat helps soothe stiff joints and relax muscles, while cold helps numb sharp pain and reduce inflammation. The great thing about thermotherapy is that it is very simple; you can sit for 15-20 minutes and just apply the heat or ice to the troubled area. 

Next, an epsom salt bath! What could be more relaxing than soaking in a tub for half an hour? Take a good book with you and you’re all set. Epsom salts have been used for hundreds of years to help reduce aches and pains. They work by breaking down into magnesium and sulfate that go into your body through your skin to help relax muscles and stiff joints. There are many other benefits to taking an epsom salt bath, and while many of them are considered “folk remedies” sitting in a warm bath won’t hurt you and can definitely help reduce stress!

Have you ever had a knot in your back, or your neck, or any other body part? We have foam rollers and massage balls available for any students to try at our gym either before or after class. These are great for target relief! Don’t know how to use one? Ask our teachers and they will be more than happy to lie on the floor with you and teach you some techniques, while working on our own bodies! 

The worst sort of pains we can encounter are injuries! If something feels weird, please always speak to your teacher so that we can take the measures necessary to prevent it from getting worse. I do have to say, though, that while we have been through many injuries ourselves, we are not qualified to diagnose anything. It is important that you go to a professional and seek help! Whether that means going to the doctor to get an Xray, or to a chiropractor to help get all the kinks out, we want you to do whatever possible to get the best treatment.

Finally, and I think the most important thing to mention is to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Your body is your best source of communication when it comes to aches and pains. Sure, being sore is a way to know that your muscles are getting stronger, but you need to now your limits. Knowing when to stop will ensure that you do not make it into injury territory. And if you are sore, use any of the techniques I mentioned above to make your body go back to feeling as good as it possibly can.

Let’s stay healthy!

Catch you next week!

Mar