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I am a woman that can do 10 pull ups and climb 30 feet up a piece of nylon fabric. How did I train to do this? Here’s my story.
It started in my 20’s which had been all about exploring performance art and neo-contemporary dance as a means of expressing the intense emotions, desires, and fears that were surging through me. At some point, dancing was no longer enough. I wanted a physical experience that matched the passion I had inside. I found it at the local community circus.
In 1999 I took my first aerial class, and I was immediately humbled. When it was my turn to climb the rope, my body that had been training in dance and yoga for many years, couldn’t do it. My arms wouldn’t pull my bodyweight, and I could barely hold on for more than 5 seconds.
How did I get from that 5 second hold to becoming a professional aerialist?
Passion, discipline, willpower and the love of the journey (life metaphor implied).
I trained hard every day for years. I celebrated each step, each challenge. I grieved and breathed through the injuries and setbacks, and I triumphed the achievements big and small. I found my inner warrior, and I didn’t give up.
It worked! I got stronger. My body adjusted to the workload. My confidence rose and I started exploring the movement and all the possibilities of expressing my stories, feelings and passions though these “tricks” that I had mastered. I wrote about my deepest fears. I practiced to all kinds of music. I created personal metaphors that no one else would understand. I brought my heart and soul into it. When I performed, I gave all of it to my audience, and they felt it. I touched people.
After 16 years of training, exploring, performing and teaching all things body, my passion still lies in pushing limits and experiencing life deeply. Now I am focusing on helping others find their bodies their limits, their expression, and full potential to Live Big!
I love pushing people’s edges as much as I love witnessing people open into tears and spontaneous laughter. Everything goes in the circus.
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