Hello my name is Xylia and I’m a circus addict. Well more of an aerial performing addict…

I came to circus by chance. I was part of a dance troupe and was also an avid vertical dance student but I was looking for other skills to add to my repertoire. I heard about circus introduction days that were taking place at a London circus school and I signed up. I tried a variety of different circus skills including the flying trapeze, juggling, stilt walking, acrobalance and tightrope walking but fell in love with the static trapeze – straight away. I put my name on a waiting list and it took a year for me to be be given a place but I have to say that it was really worth the wait. I fell in love instantly.

Some 3 years later and I’m still hung up on circus, fitting in classes around my full-time work. Although my main practice is in static trapeze I have also taken classes in cerceau, corde lisse, silk sling and the swinging trapeze at schools across London which include, The Circus Space, Aircraft Circus (The Hangar), My Aerial Home and Gorilla Circus. I’m not a professional aerialist, I’ve never performed – although I plan to in a low key way very soon – and I feel as if I still have more to learn so that I become better but I’m up for the challenge.

Through my blog I hope to share various tips, history and my expansive love for all things aerial, for all things circus. Maybe I can even tempt a few of you over to the other side with me – the circus side…. See you there!

Photo credit: ”Circus Alphabet”, Whitman Tell-A-Tale Book, 1954. Illustrations by Patric Hudson

However in my case it’s more a matter of swinging through the air like a slightly physically and mentally defunct monkey.  I know I keep saying it, but my all-time fave is pole, but more recently I’ve branched out into other aerials, just because the opportunity’s been there.

My latest thing is trapeze.  I did a drop in course last year for five weeks in Surrey, but it didn’t really work out because the girl who was meant to be teaching ended up having to go and perform in a circus (seriously) and she was replaced with a fill-in who was okay, but who sadly didn’t speak any English.  That was kind of a draw-back because my French is practically non-existent, so communication was, um, limited.  Plus it was scary – the trapezes were super-high and the teacher couldn’t really explain to me how I needed to position my body, so I was in constant terror of falling off.  Especially on the occasions where her face went gray and slack and she shrieked “Non non!!” … even I can work out that that meant I was probably doing something wrong.

However, my gorgeous aerial sidekick Claire, who’d attended the same course with the same dire results, found a Groupon deal for a beginners’ course in Kent at My Aerial Home, and we finally got to start there a few weeks ago.

Now I have to say, the first lesson was a disaster!!  Haha!  I’ve always been taught that when doing aerial stuff you have to find the way to do it that’s right for you – that is, not everyone’s built the same and because we all move differently, we all have different ways of getting into moves, holding onto the equipment, coming down etc.  However, at My Aerial Home, where the teachers come from a yoga background, it is nothing like that and it’s all about doing it in one particular style.  Sadly, that wasn’t my style!!  Therefore, I had pretty mixed feelings after the first lesson.

In the second lesson though, that all changed.  Mostly, this was because of Gazelle.  I’d learned this at Surrey but I’d never ever been able to do it because it’s absolutely terrifying and I’d been convinced I was going to die.  The best I ever got to it, after five weeks of struggling, was here:

Note the death grip on my knee and the rigid neck, hahahahah!

In my second week, however, on my new course we learned the same move.  My heart absolutely sank, as I knew how scary it was and I also knew that I was bl00dy awful at it!  But … we got taught an incredibly technical way to get into it.  To my absolute shock, I got it on the first go!!:

WOW!  Check me out!

Consequently, I began to think there might be something in this whole technical, step-by-step, do-it-one-way-only kinda method.  Even though I came to that conclusion sulkily and resentfully.  With my bottom lip stuck out in a serious pout.  I am a Virgo, we do not like to have to change our minds!!!!

Now, however, having just completed week 4 (of 6) I’m totally of the view that … gasp … I was completely wrong the first lesson and the technical way is best for this particular skill.   I’m shocked by how much I’ve managed to learn in the last four weeks and I’ve loved it!  Now I’m planning on doing an aerial hoops course down there as well, because I love hoops but I’ve only really played around with it.  My other gorgeous sidekick Sarah is keen as well (which is scary as she’s loads better than me!) so it’s gonna be awesome!

In the meantime, here’s what I’ve learned in four weeks (three really, as last night was a round-up) at trapeze:

I’ll keep you posted on how my final two weeks go, and also what I decide to do after that … an intermediate course looks likely ’cause I’m loving it right now!

Does anyone have any suggestions for other aerial stuff?  I’m not keen on silks (having tried it, been terrible, and bruised for about six weeks afterwards) but I love anything that’s got a good solid bar to hold on to!  I’d love to hear any other stories of aerials and suggestions!

xxx

PS – one other thing about trapeze is that apparently it makes you lose loads of weight.  One of the girls on my course has been doing it two months and reckons she’s lost two dress sizes just by doing it four times a week!  I am hopeful for the future!!