Archive for category: Blog

 

Happy Sunday everybody!

 

As most of you know, I had been doing a series on how to turn your circus training into a career in the future. With the Holidays, there have just been so many other fun things to write about that the series was put on pause. I had been using my own life experiences because I have had so many great opportunities performing, but believe it or not I am not the only performer out there. Crazy, I know! Just kidding! As you can tell by the title, this blog is going to be about working on a cruise. Now I have not worked on a cruise–something about living in a tiny room for months and months on end just doesn’t do it for me–but, someone we know and love has, and that is Coach Tawni. This blog is also not about her. I’m sorry I built it up, only to take it away, but you can be on the lookout for some specific coach blogs very soon!!!

You guys know me, and how I am always scouring the internet for other circus blogs. I just love to know what else is going on outside of our circus community. Well, I came across this article titled “A performer on the world’s largest cruise ship reveals how she got the gig, and what working at sea is really like.” And I thought “how perfect!” I love that I am able to share other people’s experiences because what we all go through auditioning to get a job can often be so similar. 

Her name is Ariana Mazzagatti and you can read all about her experience here: A performer on the world’s largest cruise ship reveals how she got the gig, and what working at sea is really like.

And if you’re already tired of reading, you can actually watch a video about it here: What it Takes to be a Cruise-Ship Performer. 

Maybe I’ve never said it outright, but I love talking and hearing about what you guys think about these blogs, and I love to answer any performing questions you might have. So please don’t be shy about emailing back or stopping me in the hallway to chat.

Can’t wait for classes to start back up tomorrow!!!

Catch you next week!

Mar

 

Happy Sunday everybody!

 

The Winter Showcase is upon us!!!! I wanted to talk about overcoming stage fright, but I was looking through old blogs, and I found one that Angelica had written, and I couldn’t say it better myself! Life is all about team work! So even though Angelica is living her best life, shout out to her for the assist!

 

“While some students live for the stage and always want to be the center of attention, many students are often overcome with stage fright.  And you know what?  You can still live for the stage and get butterflies before a show; I know that I do right before I perform!  “ARTSEDGE” reports that the “root of the nerves varies from child to child, whether it’s being afraid to make a mistake or embarrassed to perform in front of peers. But theater teachers agree that stage fright can be overcome for the vast majority of children.”

 

Here are a few tips for overcoming stage fright and how best to prepare for a show: 

 

-limit your sugar and caffeine intake the day of the show

-eat a healthy meal and keep a healthy snack on you 

-be well hydrated

-get enough sleep in the days/weeks leading up to the show

-breathe

-be prepared!!!  This means coming to Open Gym in the weeks leading up to the show to rehearse the sequence that will be performed in the show

-take notes in your notebook so that you know what the sequence is and can review it in your mind at home

-don’t focus on what could go wrong; instead, visualize your success!

-avoid thoughts that produce self doubt

-set an intention/goal with the performance that does not revolve around perfection.  

-shift the focus off of yourself and instead on your audience and their enjoyment throughout your performance (do you need to be perfect in order for your audience to enjoy themselves?  No, you don’t.)

-connect with your audience, smile, and slow down on stage

-connect with your peers backstage.  They’re most likely nervous too, so support each other!

-know that you are there to HAVE FUN.

 

And parents, I know that YOU want to see your children on stage, but please don’t push them to perform if they don’t want to.  Some children just love coming to classes and have no interest in performing; please respect that.  Don’t be the source of their future trauma (ie. “my parents MADE me do these stupid recitals when I was young, and I hated it”)…just don’t.  If your child wants to perform, they’ll let you know!  If they don’t want to perform, we still love them as students and want them to reap the most from coming to classes despite not performing.  And btw, parents, these tips aren’t just for our youthful students; you can totally use these tips too for presentations at work, etc.  You’re welcome!”

 

Happy Sunday everybody!

 

 

I’m taking a short break and not talking about my circus career this week, because Thanksgiving is this Thursday! I figured I would do a Thanksgiving related post. I’m very excited to be traveling to Orlando to spend time with my family and best friends.

If you know me, you know I like to workout every day and eat relatively healthy, but the holidays are a time of absolute weakness! My mom, sister, and I have a horrible sweet tooth, and we take advantage of the times we come together to try new dessert recipes. This year, though, everyone has been on a health kick. It all started because we were trying to look great for my wedding, but thankfully, everyone has stuck to a regular workout regimen. I don’t want to break our traditions, but I knew I could find a new dessert recipe that was a bit healthier, yet still delicious. I emphasize delicious because I did not want to make oatmeal-nut bars. I’m sure they would taste fine, but they seemed a bit too bland and boring for the occasion. I researched and came across this recipe for pumpkin cheesecake. I showed my mom and sister and they can’t wait to make it because it’s fall and “pumpkin flavor all the things!”

The recipe comes courtesy of Food Network Kitchen. They say it’a “lower-fat cheesecake that’s not low on flavor,” so I’m sure it’s going to be amazing! Here’s what it’ll look like when it’s done—hopefully! 

You can find the recipe at the following link: Pumpkin Cheesecake. Let me know if you try to make it!

Hope everyone has a great holiday close to your loved ones. 

Catch you next week!

Mar

 

Happy Sunday everybody!

 

By this point, you’ve read about all of the amazing opportunities I’ve had in my jobs, from being “discovered” while coaching, to working at Disney World, to traveling to incredible countries! Still, it wasn’t enough for me, which in retrospect, it should’ve been. But, like everyone, I had a dream to one day work for Cirque Du Soleil. 

Lucky for me, La Nouba was 20 minutes from my house, so they had auditions often enough in Orlando. Unlucky for me, I was a scaredy cat who hated auditioning and thought I would never be good enough to work for Cirque. Let me tell you, that is the wrong way of thinking! You never know what a show is looking for. There may be other performers out there who know more skills than you, but you might have that little extra something that a show needs. Anyway, I was scared and busy, so I figured it would never happen for me. 

If you remember from last week, I had joined the acro team Gym Crew. One of the guys from the team worked for La Nouba as a trampolinist. While they weren’t looking for anyone that fit my description in that show, he knew a casting director who was looking for a girl of my height for another show. He helped me put together an audition video (it’s how he got in, and another way that cirque accepts performers). Doing an audition video was great because I didn’t feel the pressure of having to prove my skills in front of a bunch of talented strangers. 

I submitted my video and forgot about it, thinking that nothing would ever come of it. One day, weeks later, I was working at Sea World when I got a call from an unknown number. This was before there were so many scam calls like there are now, so I picked up and it was a casting director for Cirque Du Soleil! They let me know that I was one of four girls who was qualified for the show, but that it was up to the artistic director to see which one of us looked like we fit the role the best. Not only had they seen my audition video, but they told me I was good enough to work for them! I was so excited! I tried not to get my hopes up, but of course failed, and started picturing how my life would change. Unfortunately, I was not chosen for the role, and it shattered me! I went back to feeling like I would never be good enough, even if that wasn’t the reason I didn’t get the job.

I was down on myself for a while, but eventually I had to snap out of it! I did that by continuing to train and becoming even stronger than I was then. You all know that eventually I got a contract for Le Reve, but for today, I’ll leave it here with my Cirque Du Soleil disappointment. Rejection is a big part of being a performer and we all have to work on ways to move past it so that we can open ourselves up to success.

Just remember kids, even Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team.

 

Catch you next week!

Mar

 

Happy Sunday everybody!

 

I wanted to start talking about what a future with circus can look like. Of course everyone has heard of Cirque Du Soleil! I know the big dream is to work in one of those huge shows, and I am so happy and proud of myself for working in Le Reve in Las Vegas, but believe it or not, huge shows are not the only career option available for circus performers! For the next few weeks, I’d like to talk about different job options so that I can start to put some ideas in your heads of what circus training can eventually turn into. 

I’d like to start with my story of how I got into performing. I don’t come from circus, but from gymnastics. When I was younger, there just weren’t the circus opportunities there are today. I did gymnastics for 10 years. When I was 17, I no longer loved competing and decided to quit. They put in your brain that ages 17 and 18 are way too old to do gymnastics, so I figured I was too old to do anything else. I had been coaching for a few years already, so I just took that more seriously. It looked great in my head—I was in my very early 20s, coaching the girls competitive team and was assistant manager at a gym. I thought my life was set. Boy, was I wrong! 

One day, I was finished teaching a class, when one of the dads approached me. While I didn’t know this particular dad, I was used to talking to parents after class, so I didn’t think much of it. He came up to me and said “Hi, so I manage a show at Sea World, and we’re looking for an aerialist, and I think you’d be great at it! Have you ever heard of cloud swing?” In my head I thought this was the weirdest man and weirdest conversation I had been a part of, and he could see it on my face. After a few minutes of chatting, he told me he’d bring me a video of the show the next time his daughter was in class, and that I could let him know if I was interested. Long story short, of course I was interested! I began training and learned the show! Here you can see me dressed as a bird on the cloud swing!

Thus began my time working at a live action show in a theme park! Depending on where you live, theme parks could be a great job option! My job at the Blue Horizons show was so much fun, but I worked part time. I had to find other part time jobs to fill my time. I started going to auditions and throughout the next couple of years became a Pearl Diver at Sea World, Marion at the Indiana Jones Show Epic Stunt Spectacular, and was hired to play Sarah Connor in the Terminator show at Universal! A lot of people who work at theme parks, at least in Orlando, have to find multiple theaters to work in to survive. I loved that I got to switch jobs every day because it made my life so fun! There are performers who get full time contracts though, and of course that is super nice! Even if you’re not close to a theme park, though, it can also work. I have a friend who was just in Japan for a year contract for a live action show, and she loved it! 

Not everyone has the luxury of having such an easy start like I did, but everyone’s experiences are different. The point of my story is that no matter where you are in life, circus can turn everything around! Theme park shows were not the only thing I did, so stay tuned next week as I introduce you guys to gig life!

 

Catch you next week!

Mar