Since I've been living here in Miami, my life has been severely lacking in two areas:
- Circus activities
- Bartending activities
I miss bartending but I've kinda just let that one go because I know that the hours really conflict with family life no matter how much happier I'd be behind a bar than behind a desk. I'm still adjusting to dealing with it no matter how much I say I'm gonna let it go. It's in my blood! It's one of very few things that I'm really good at. Behind the bar, I'm in the ZONE baby! Gimme a bar 5 folks deep and I'm in heaven. Oh yeah, but please don't double sit me if I'm waiting tables because I'll be in the weeds faster than you can 86 your special menu item, IHOP.
Now circus, on the other hand, once that gets in your blood, you're never getting rid of it. Not that I want to. The circus community in south Florida is really taking hold and growing by leaps and bounds. Let's see, we've got:
- The Flying Trapeze School - a bunch of really cool folks that I've had the pleasure of flying with once. Only once because, well, it's not cheap and no matter how much I love it, there are other things that I have to put ahead of it.
- FlySpace at Animate Objects - I haven't been to visit them (yet) because they're so far SOUTH! But, on the up side, they are moving their space further north so I hope to have the time (and money) to start visiting them soon too. They do a lot of performing around the area. Good stuff.
- Circ X – Circ X does TONS of stuff and not just circus. They've got performances weekly. I can only wish to have that much talent. I'm too shy to even talk to her on Myspace since she's got about 10,000 times the experience I do.
- Tony's Circus – Wow! I didn't know about this one until I googled circus stuff. Holy Hand Balancing Batman! They inspire me to stretch. 🙂
- Florida Circus School – So, apparently, they've been here for about a year and a half, but I just found out about them through a newspaper article. Gave them a call recently to find out that they too are awesome and in my price range AND offer up a first lesson for free. And there's a teeny tiny possibility that if I can get my lazy ass back into circus shape that I might be able to perform with them or give them a hand teaching.
All in all, these things make me sooo happy. Now if I could just hit the lottery to have enough time and money to do all this circus stuff…just imagine!
With all of this great stuff in mind, I tried to do some stretching last night. Imagine my surprise when I was closer to the split that I've never been able to do than I've ever been before. The awesomeness abounds. I'm working more stretching into the daily routine so I can be at my circus best. Poor Lovey knew he was getting involved with an ex-circus freak, I hope he can handle the current one. HEP!
So, then, mark my words. Come December, one of two things will be going on for me. I will have either, ahem, enhanced my cleavage as a 35th b-day present to myself, or I will be performing. Ask me then which one, lol.
That is a lot of circus activity. I never was much for the circus and then Nathan came along and we started making it out every year. What a blast. I really don't like the new B&B layout, though – which is funny, having not gone in 35 years, but we went once for the 3 rings and it was terrific, then the next year it was all video and theme based. Just not the same. I'd rather be overwhelmed than spoon-fed.
A luuurrrve me some circus. And it's great for the little ones. To be honest, I've never seen B&B. I thought about it the last time they were in Miami but just skipped it. I'm spoiled and I only want to see the aerial acts anyways. For critters, I'll go to the zoo.
It sucks that they're letting technology take over. Circus as circus is pure and beautiful just as it is. Sure add some music, but let the artist's artistry shine through. Of course, I'm a biased opinion. 🙂
this post reminded me that my pole instructor found an aerial hoop class in LA. So i looked it up and, sure enough, they teach all the aerial circus arts – trapeze, hoop, web, tissu, etc.No pricing info. And since my instructor is already schedule for a class, I'm going to let her check it out first. But I'm 1 step closer to getting my Cirque on!
California is a hotbed of circus activity. I'm not sure why people gravitate to the west coast to start up their cool circus schools. Even with all the good stuff going on here in Florida now, I'm still jealous of the circus love that's in Cali.
I wouldn't even be able to guess (not that you asked me to, lol) at what classes might run out that way. I do know that there's a broad range here from under $20 an hour (SCORE!) to more than $40.
Keep me posted! Circus is like a certain potato chip where once you have one (or have done it once), you won't be able to stop. 🙂
Those prices would be totally reasonable to me. I pay $70/hr for one of my pole classes (and it ain't worth it). I'd love to be able to do the flying silks someday – but know that's really dangerous. Just attempting trapeze and hoops, even if only once, would be a blast!
OUCH! My last sessions were six sessions over six weeks for $255. Um, my super spidey math senses(!) say that it only equals about $42 bucks an hour. I enjoyed my classes a lot but probably not enough to pay more. Still have to get my own pole, dammit.
I've never done flying silks but I think that the only dangerous things are the ones you do in an unsafe manner. Just like on the flying trapeze, you start out (and stay a loooong time) in a harness before you go without it, there's ceratin to be a TON of training before they let you go flying around on some silks. But man that would be AWESOME! Sorry, I lost track of my thoughts. What I was trying to get to was that danger or no, there's a safe way for just about everything and if you put your mind to it, you can do it. 🙂
start that shit back up! both things. you could probably make more as a bartender than most jobs out there. haha! 😀
I read something about the flying silks being considered extra dangerous – I know 2 cirque performers have taken very serious falls. One returned to the show. One stopped performing.I don't imagine my 245lb fat ass flying solo in silks any time soon. LOL. Everyone at my balboa class is raving about hoops cause they just tried it and everyone looked like a natural. they insist that it's impossible to look bad. i intend to prove them wrong!Anyhoo… my classes all run different prices. The 1:1 I currently take is $70/hr (normally 75 but I buy in bulk). My preferred private instructor is $100/hr (for 1 or 2 people). I take a "group" class at $240 for 6 ea 1.5 hr classes – but I'm the only person who shows up so I'm getting privates at group rate. And S Factor is $440 for 8 ea 2hr sessions. My $70 classes would only be $30 if I could make it to her group class, but those start too early for my schedule.I need to add burlesque back into my schedule because that's really my long term goal – to perform comedic/retro striptease.
Yikes! Sucks to hear about anyone getting hurt. The more I think about it, the more I have to agree. I saw it live at La Nouba and it looks just plain crazy, but crazy fun. I have daredevil issues though, lol.
I've never done hoop (yet) but I think your friends might be right. Kiddo performed it and she has neither strength (kids are so lazy these days) or flexibility (seriously, can't touch the floor while standing with straight legs) so it can't be too bad.
Ohhh, I somehow didn't realize you meant one on ones. That's more normal pricing then. The group lesson that turns private happens a lot down here too. People are so flaky.
Totally awesome goal! You're gonna rock at it; get going!! 😀
here's nicole's (my 1:1 instructor) very very first time trying hoop (in her studio, courtesy of jenyne butterfly) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2bJAB1ZuYYi might be good at it, only because I have an extreme sense of balance. but i also have 245lbs of flab so, no matter how balanced I was, it would still look like a whale doing hoops! maybe i could get a costume & perform at sea world?!?i feel bad about going to the "group" classes which turn out to be solo. if i were the instructor, I'd cancel it or try to charge more. I'm extremely grateful to LeAnne for continuing to work with me at the lower rate.
thought you'd like this:http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/08/07/funny-pictures-kitteh-realizes-new-partner-not-so-gud-akshuly/
Personally, I think that you'd be good at pretty much anything that you decide you want to do. I think that if you got into some circus stuff that you'd get hooked. It's fantastic exercise as a bonus. Quit putting yourself down, chica! You're a beautiful woman!!
I offered to let the couple of classes go that I was the only one that showed, but the teacher/owner would have no part of it. I must have had my 'bartender' sign on because I learned more about her then than I every needed to know. 🙂
LOL Kitteh is fantastic!
well, you'd be wrong. however, I don't mind failing* and tend to have a pretty good time no matter what/how I'm doing!*my philosophy is: someone has to be the worst, why not me? I don't mind it and can't help thinking of how good it makes someone else feel for not being the worst.