Student of the Month

Bumbershoot actually made my decision to move to St. Louis. I'd quietly been on the fence about moving and when a friend invited me to Try It Out Trapeze, there was no looking back. It's something so out of the ordinary and has unique challenges I wanted that as part of my life. As soon as I got down here I signed up for my first session and went to the Valentine's Showcase to see all the cool stuff I'd hopefully eventually do.

Static trapeze. Rope is calling to me though and I tried a silks trick at Showcase practice once that had me laughing my head off. The coaches got my wrapping correct and I ran around in a circle with another student until the velocity almost completely took me off my feet. I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. That's what aerial does for me. Even at the Try It Out class one of the coaches asked if I just smiled all the time. And no, I don't!

The progression of tricks. I skateboarded for a long time and this is the closest thing I've found to that mindset. Trying the same thing over and over until you get it. Learning pinwheels isn't that much different from learning how to kickflip. And it's so rewording when you finally nail it. And then when you can do it all the time. And then when you combine it with something else or the coach shows you how to take it to another level. You don't just accomplish trapeze and then you're done. It's all these smaller accomplishments that pile up and the opportunities never end.

I'm finally done testing for my Series 7 and 66 financial licenses so I suddenly have free time again. I like creative writing a lot, and reading a lot goes along with that. I don't play bass guitar well but it's fun. I've always gone to little concerts around town and St Louis has great local music. I love discovering new bands and new things to listen to.

Chocolate. Anything chocolate. I've been trying to temper it lately but a meal doesn't really feel like it's done unless I've had chocolate.

Sometimes I almost take tricks personally and won't let them get to me. Gazelle took so long to get. Pullovers too. But I did them over and over and over. Now I tell myself that it's one class at a time. One trick at a time. One step at a time. It can be disappointing when you don't get something but it's usually not a mystery why you didn't. Work the lats more at the gym. Stretch more. You're never stranded. You always have a way to go.

Double wrapped angel is my absolute favorite. It's one of the few drops we have with trapeze and it's this leap of faith almost. You fall backward and flip over twice. The world is turns into a big jumble and it's such a rush. My least favorite is probably foot flag. The rope usually doesn't feel very good to me in that trick.

I'd go with April. She would figure out a way to get an aerial rig up and running with palm trees, coconuts and twine.

At the Holiday Showcase I dressed up in these goofy pyjamas and played an over-excited kid getting a trapeze for Christmas. It was a really short piece and very high energy. I had a good time with but I didn't think it was anything special. After I performed it in front of a crowd of strangers for the first time I did a polite little bow and thought "Okay, at least it was short." The crowd was so loud! I had no idea it would get that response. I think you can see me say "Really?" and look kind of confused before I bowed again and went backstage. That's a moment that will stay with me for a long time.