Student of the Month

I initially came to Bumbershoot on a kind of a "dare". A friend of mine had posted a somewhat cryptic Facebook post about "trapeze burns suck'ing" and I couldn't not ask what the heck that was about. She told me that if I really wanted to know, I needed to show up at a specific address, in workout clothes, at a specific time, with $25 in-hand. Didn't give me the web-site, anything, so I had no idea what I was getting into. I honestly don't know why I decided to go as it was VERY uncharacteristic for me, especially since I was in the midst of a divorce at the time and not exactly feeling real good about myself. But I guess I decided I had nothing else to lose, so I showed up, did a drop in on an aerial fitness class, got my butt thoroughly kicked and left thinking that was fun, but that I wouldn't be back. But as the rest of the week wore on, and my muscles continued to be sore (for a full 7 days), I had the constant reminder of how much fun it was, so after a few days I decided to take a chance, hit the web-site, and sign up. Of course everything was full (including the aerial fitness class), so my first real class was slings 1. Let's just say, in a battle between slings 1 and me, I did not come out the victor. But I did come out stronger and feeling the first confidence boost I had felt in years. That was 3 years ago now and I've been coming to the studio continuously ever since.

Trapeze wins in this category, but silks are a close second.

The environment, hands down. The people are amazing, and it's the one place I feel I can be myself and be accepted as such. You guys see the goofy side of me that always wants to come out and play, but doesn't get to very often outside of the studio. I'm usually very reserved (hard to imagine, I know).

For the most part I'm an engineer by day and a parent by night. When not doing those, I do some programming projects on the side, love working on cars and various home improvement projects either at my place or a family member's house, and when all else fails I read and (occasionally) pick up my old guitar and try to remember all the songs I used to know.

Anything with ice-cream and/or chocolate. If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would be Alton Brown's "chewy" chocolate chip cookies which I make several times a year when I feel like baking.

Not much because then people look at me funny and ask me why I'm talking to myself. Actually, my normal response to adversity is to buckle down, figure it out, and power through it. A tough day in class is still 100 times better than a tough day at work and here there are no deadlines. So I tend to shut-up my inner mouth (and occasionally my real mouth as well) and focus more and in the end I know that if I don't get it today, I'll try again at open and again next week until I get it.

Favorite trick is the Jesus drop, despite it (or because of) being removed from the curriculum recently. It's just a really fun trick, both in the setup and the execution, yet it's complicated enough to make me have to think. Least favorite is probably the seahorse on trapeze.

I'd have to say Sunny on this one. The way she approaches life, it would be impossible to ever feel "down" around her.

Not a specific memory, but more a group of them, and that's all of them related to the recent showcase. I've never done anything like that in my life before (the curse of the introvert) and the entire experience was like nothing I'd ever known or could have expected. Not really the performance itself (that part is a blur), but the countless opens leading up to it, seeing other people struggle as well, helping other people, getting help in return. Seeing everyone before the show looking just as nervous as I felt, and yet being there for one another, cheering each other on despite the obvious look of terror on some of their faces (and I'm sure mine as well) as they got ready to take their turn.