My first flying trapeze show!

So - last week I got to be in a flying trapeze show for the very first time. It was the holiday showcase at the Espana Strep Trapeze Academy in Brooklyn. The lineup included the kid advanced fly team (they are amaaaazin), the staff fly team (#goals) and a few aerial acts. And then there were us. The workshop students. We were gathered from the different workshops since not everyone who do the workshops wanted to/could participate. They split us into two groups - the ones who were doing tricks in lines and the ones who was doing things out of safety lines. I was in the OOL group. And oh my, was I nervous! I had no idea how this was going to go with the adrenaline, lights, all that jazz. All I wanted was to catch my trick and return to the board. Not too much to ask, right? As the show was starting the butterfly colony in my stomach was going crazy. Ahhhhh! And then... we were up. We were five flyers in my group and I think only one of my fellow flyers had ever been in a show. So we were not quite sure what to expect. We knew what tricks we were throwing and stuff but the order of our warm up swings, dismounts, what to DO, where to STAND when we were waiting up on the board.. we had really no idea. Learning as we go I guess. Luckily we had one of our wonderful instructors Al up on the board with us to keep us behaving up there ;)

When the lights came up and it was time for my warm up swing (whip turnaround) I was suddenly not that nervous anymore. I mean, whatever happens happens, right? I made it back on my second swing after the turnaround - got a little wonky but I was expecting that so it was ok. After we finished our warm up swings, it was time to catch. Patrick called my ready-hep and off the board I went. And we caught the trick (whip to plance). And got back to the return bar. It was soooo not pretty (so many little kicks on that return hehehe) but I did get back to the board on the first swing. YES! And after that I could relax since it was only the dismount left. And I was not to nervous about that one. 
Everyone of us (who was returning) made it back to the board. Success! After I did my dismount (pelican) I felt so extremely happy and proud. When I started flying in April (or maybe it was like the verrrry end of March - can´t remember) I had no idea it would become such a passion and obsession for me. And here I am - a little more than 8 months after my first knee hang - performing in my first show.  And I can't thank the instructors at ESTA enough for all their hard work and passion for what they do. Can't wait to keep flying and improving in the new year!

Here is a little video:




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