My main purpose for my Senior Project was to learn how to perform on the Aerial Silks (also called the tissu or fabric). In reality, I learned so much more about the world of aerial acrobatics than my narrow definition. I expected the rope burn and sore muscles, but I was not expecting the mental tests of the project. I am happy to say that I have been able to overcome many of them, from strength and confidence issues to fear of heights. Not only did I learn 26 different moves on the silks, but I also learned 22 different moves on the corde lisse (rope), 46 different moves on the static trapeze (non-moving trapeze), and 6 on the hoop. I am very proud of my accomplishments both physically and mentally.
Because of my unusual choice in Senior Project experience, I feel as though a whole new world of opportunity has been given to me. I used to think the aerial performing arts were available only to those performers who began at professional acrobatic gyms at young ages, all destined to perform in Cirque du Soleil. Through my time at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, I have met many talented performers who have started later in life, but are in performing troupes and who have tried out for the Cirque.
Learning how to perform on various aerial apparatuses like the static trapeze, hoop, corde lisse, and fabric, are definitely not something that the average person would be able to find in a gym class, or a fitness gym for that matter. I used to think there was a wide divide, between the clowns and tight rope walkers of the average Barnum & Bailey’s Circus and the graceful aerial acrobats of the Cirque du Soleil. However, the accessibility of something I previously considered so out of the ordinary, has really changed my perspective on those performers, from untouchables to average people simply doing what they love, just like me. Although I do not see this as a future career path for me, I do see it as a fun way to get and stay in shape as well as to experience the euphoric adrenaline rush of performing.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Twenty Classes Down... - May 25, 2009
Today, I went into the studio with Shmulie Shmaters. She helped me to create a routine, which will be featured in my actual presentation. We also took pictures or some moves that I knew. It was fun, and definately rewarding to see how I looked in the various positions.
My routine consisted of several variations on the "arch thru", "stag thru", "squat down", "split down", "waist block" and "part 2" and "part 3" and the "teddy bear drop" into "double crochet to double crucifix". We set the routine to some slower salsa music.
Shmulie also took some pictures of me doing the individual moves, amoung others like the "inverted hang", "inverted splits", and the "between the silks birdsnest".
All in all it was successful, and Shmulie really was a great help.
My routine consisted of several variations on the "arch thru", "stag thru", "squat down", "split down", "waist block" and "part 2" and "part 3" and the "teddy bear drop" into "double crochet to double crucifix". We set the routine to some slower salsa music.
Shmulie also took some pictures of me doing the individual moves, amoung others like the "inverted hang", "inverted splits", and the "between the silks birdsnest".
All in all it was successful, and Shmulie really was a great help.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Reflection Journal: Day 18
Question: What important learning occurred in the last 5 days?
Answer: I am answering the question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials B (1st and 2nd sessions), Aerial Conditioning, and Intermediate/Advanced Aerials classes, April 19th – May 25th. Besides the obvious answers of greater strength, flexibility and knowledge of moves, I think that I have learned how to take criticism and build on it, how to persevere even when the moves seem too scary or tough, and how to maintain a positive attitude even when we are doing repetitive reviews or conditioning. The ability to take criticism, perseverance, and maintaining a positive attitude are all attributes that are as highly valued as skill in the work place. Of course I knew how to do all these things before I decided to send myself flying through the air, but it does seem to take on a new meaning when the only thing between your face and the floor is a thin trapeze bar or a piece of fabric no thicker than a nice pair of Soffe shorts.
No one is perfect, and I certainly am not now nor was I when I first began learning the moves. Everyone from instructors to fellow students will tell you what you are doing wrong, and to a certain degree how you can make it better. It truly builds self confidence when you see or feel yourself do a move correctly. It feels even better when the person who previously told you that what you were doing did not look so pretty, is now telling you that it looks elegant and beautiful. Their critiquing of my moves certainly stung a bit when I knew that I was working so hard at doing them. But by allowing myself to take a step back, I realized that they were telling me so that I can improve and not continue down a path of ugly tricks. I became reliant on whether my moves were deemed pretty or try-it-again-different.
Along the same line is my development of greater perseverance. It is hard being scared, or in pain or weak or being told that my hard work did not turn out so well week after week. I had to learn how to internalize those upset emotions, and to continue building and working on my skills so that I could get better. If I let myself sink into self annoyance and frustration, the cycle would only continue. I used the negative energies and feedback as inspiration to do better next week.
Also continuing in the same vein is my increased positive attitude. If you let all the dissatisfactions get to you, then you will get no where. I had to remind myself to stay positive. When doing the strengthening exercises, I counted up for the first eight, and then chanted “two left…one left…GO FOR THE GOLD!”. It really helped keep me motivated when the count to ten repetitions seemed endless. It I had not been able to stay so positive, I probably would have become discouraged with my progress and the class, and overall would not have had as much fun during my senior project as I did.
Answer: I am answering the question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials B (1st and 2nd sessions), Aerial Conditioning, and Intermediate/Advanced Aerials classes, April 19th – May 25th. Besides the obvious answers of greater strength, flexibility and knowledge of moves, I think that I have learned how to take criticism and build on it, how to persevere even when the moves seem too scary or tough, and how to maintain a positive attitude even when we are doing repetitive reviews or conditioning. The ability to take criticism, perseverance, and maintaining a positive attitude are all attributes that are as highly valued as skill in the work place. Of course I knew how to do all these things before I decided to send myself flying through the air, but it does seem to take on a new meaning when the only thing between your face and the floor is a thin trapeze bar or a piece of fabric no thicker than a nice pair of Soffe shorts.
No one is perfect, and I certainly am not now nor was I when I first began learning the moves. Everyone from instructors to fellow students will tell you what you are doing wrong, and to a certain degree how you can make it better. It truly builds self confidence when you see or feel yourself do a move correctly. It feels even better when the person who previously told you that what you were doing did not look so pretty, is now telling you that it looks elegant and beautiful. Their critiquing of my moves certainly stung a bit when I knew that I was working so hard at doing them. But by allowing myself to take a step back, I realized that they were telling me so that I can improve and not continue down a path of ugly tricks. I became reliant on whether my moves were deemed pretty or try-it-again-different.
Along the same line is my development of greater perseverance. It is hard being scared, or in pain or weak or being told that my hard work did not turn out so well week after week. I had to learn how to internalize those upset emotions, and to continue building and working on my skills so that I could get better. If I let myself sink into self annoyance and frustration, the cycle would only continue. I used the negative energies and feedback as inspiration to do better next week.
Also continuing in the same vein is my increased positive attitude. If you let all the dissatisfactions get to you, then you will get no where. I had to remind myself to stay positive. When doing the strengthening exercises, I counted up for the first eight, and then chanted “two left…one left…GO FOR THE GOLD!”. It really helped keep me motivated when the count to ten repetitions seemed endless. It I had not been able to stay so positive, I probably would have become discouraged with my progress and the class, and overall would not have had as much fun during my senior project as I did.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Nineteen Classes Old and Still Young – May 21, 2009
Shana was present for todays class. I quickly found out, that while she is good at breaking moves down for beginners, she doesn’t tolerate messiness when you can do better. I learned that fairly quickly, and had to remind myself not to take it personally, she just wants me to perform the tricks to the best of my ability and make them look pretty and effortless.
Today, we climbed on both feet on the corde lisse, did the “foot block” moves: “elbow lean away”, “1-hand hang”, “squat”, “back arch”, “thigh side lean”, “back of knee hang”, and “trapezius angel”; the “waist block” moves: “part 2”, “part 3”, and “flyer; and “upside-down descent” into the “½ roll”. But today was not just some review day, we also learned “cross legs” and part 1 of the “arrow sequence”. Oh, and did I mention that we also attempted all of these moves on our bad side (my left foot). Let’s just say that there was lots of messiness and room to improve. The “cross legs” is a variation on the “trapezius angel” and the part 1 of the “arrow sequence” begins in the “trapezius angel”. Basically, you do a big straddle and hook your foot onto the rope above your head. Let me tell you as someone who was definitely not ready for that type of stretch, your hamstrings certainly will not thank you in the immediate future. I was not doing it right because I kept bringing my legs closer together on the way up. If it is done correctly, your body shifts just a little bit, and your legs stay straight. Due to lack of experience, I accidentally bent my legs and had quite an ordeal trying to get out of the move without falling onto the ground.
On the trapeze, we did one gigantic review. The problem with the moves I was doing was that I was not extending my body enough. If I remembered to point my toes more often and arched my back a little more, I could have appeared so much longer. Also, part of the performance is so that the audience can see the moves. Shana reminded us that along with extending ourselves, slowly down and holding the various moves would also give them more control and would in turn look prettier.
To review, we did the “rock and roll”, “stag”, “tuck up on ropes” and “birds nest”. We then moved onto the “mermaid sequence”: “mermaid”, “½ angel”, “back angel”, “one-hand one-foot”, “one-knee one-elbow”, and “candlestick”. We did the sitting moves “trapezius angel” into “splits” (it was fast and fun), and “gazelles”. We also tried the “split leg rotation” to remount the trapeze after the “trapezius angel” into “splits”. The “split leg rotation” resembled a “monkey roll”, but instead of both legs hugging the bar, only one leg did, while the other kicked the body around into an upright position. We also worked on our “birds nest from sitting” and “side pose”. “Side pose” is a move where you stand on one leg, on one side and curve your neck around the rope. Pretty simple. And just like Shana wanted us to do on the corde lisse, we tried it again on our weaker side. Of course it was harder, but not impossible.
Although much of the day was review, unlike with previous teachers, Shana truly critiqued our moves and told us exactly what we were doing that kept it from being perfect and beautiful. I think her class is going to be challenging, but hopefully I will learn the grace and gain the strength and flexibility to make it look effortless and graceful.
Today, we climbed on both feet on the corde lisse, did the “foot block” moves: “elbow lean away”, “1-hand hang”, “squat”, “back arch”, “thigh side lean”, “back of knee hang”, and “trapezius angel”; the “waist block” moves: “part 2”, “part 3”, and “flyer; and “upside-down descent” into the “½ roll”. But today was not just some review day, we also learned “cross legs” and part 1 of the “arrow sequence”. Oh, and did I mention that we also attempted all of these moves on our bad side (my left foot). Let’s just say that there was lots of messiness and room to improve. The “cross legs” is a variation on the “trapezius angel” and the part 1 of the “arrow sequence” begins in the “trapezius angel”. Basically, you do a big straddle and hook your foot onto the rope above your head. Let me tell you as someone who was definitely not ready for that type of stretch, your hamstrings certainly will not thank you in the immediate future. I was not doing it right because I kept bringing my legs closer together on the way up. If it is done correctly, your body shifts just a little bit, and your legs stay straight. Due to lack of experience, I accidentally bent my legs and had quite an ordeal trying to get out of the move without falling onto the ground.
On the trapeze, we did one gigantic review. The problem with the moves I was doing was that I was not extending my body enough. If I remembered to point my toes more often and arched my back a little more, I could have appeared so much longer. Also, part of the performance is so that the audience can see the moves. Shana reminded us that along with extending ourselves, slowly down and holding the various moves would also give them more control and would in turn look prettier.
To review, we did the “rock and roll”, “stag”, “tuck up on ropes” and “birds nest”. We then moved onto the “mermaid sequence”: “mermaid”, “½ angel”, “back angel”, “one-hand one-foot”, “one-knee one-elbow”, and “candlestick”. We did the sitting moves “trapezius angel” into “splits” (it was fast and fun), and “gazelles”. We also tried the “split leg rotation” to remount the trapeze after the “trapezius angel” into “splits”. The “split leg rotation” resembled a “monkey roll”, but instead of both legs hugging the bar, only one leg did, while the other kicked the body around into an upright position. We also worked on our “birds nest from sitting” and “side pose”. “Side pose” is a move where you stand on one leg, on one side and curve your neck around the rope. Pretty simple. And just like Shana wanted us to do on the corde lisse, we tried it again on our weaker side. Of course it was harder, but not impossible.
Although much of the day was review, unlike with previous teachers, Shana truly critiqued our moves and told us exactly what we were doing that kept it from being perfect and beautiful. I think her class is going to be challenging, but hopefully I will learn the grace and gain the strength and flexibility to make it look effortless and graceful.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Eighteen Chai!!! – May 18, 2009
Today, Kate was absent, so Kitsie (who is in both my Aerial Conditioning and my Intermediate/Advanced classes) taught the Beginner Aerials B today. My back is still sore from the last class, but hey, you move on and deal with the pain. This past weekend, in fact Saturday night, my friends Laura and Sarah went with me to see the Barnum & Bailey Circus – Zing, Zang, Zoom. It was definitely fun to watch and I got excited because some of the move the performers did on the silks, I knew variations on. Yay!Today, we climbed on both feet on the corde lisse. We also did the “foot block” moves: “elbow lean away”, “1-hand hang”, “squat”, “back arch”, “thigh side lean” and the “back of knee hang”. We did the “waist block” moves: “part 2”, “part 3”, and “flyer”. After that little review, we learned the “Christ moves #1 & #2”. They are variations on the “trapezius angel”, but without the “foot block”.
On the trapeze, we did the “rock and roll”, and then in order we did: the “stag”, “tuck up on ropes” and “birds nest”. We then moved onto the “mermaid sequence”: “mermaid”, “½ angel”, “back angel”, “one-hand one-foot”, “one-knee one-elbow”, “candlestick” and “fireman’s hang”. After that, we did the sitting moves “splits”, “trapezius angel”, “gazelles”, “crucifix”, “upside-down X”, “coffin” and “tree creature”.
We finished with the usual toughening and strengthening exercises. Today, I managed two pull ups on my own and three tuck ups. I guess the three class overload schedule was beginning to work.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Reflection Journal: Day 12
Question: How did the experiences during the last 5 days help me achieve goals I established re: my area of interest?
Answer: I am answering this question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials A and Beginner Aerials B classes, February 15th – April 12th. The past few days, I have learned a total of 16 new moves on the corde lisse, 14 new moves on the fabric, and 30 new moves on the trapeze, for a grand total of 60 new moves. Every new move that I learn and every conditioning exercise brings me closer to my goals. I have become more aware of my body, where they are in space when I am upside down, how to stay tight during drops, and how to know when I have gone far enough in a stretch. Every new move added to my repertoire is one that I can use in a future routine. Every time I practice a move or work on a conditioning exercise, I become more aware of how something is supposed to feel when it is done correctly. When I look at pictures of myself or watch myself in the mirror, I learn to recognize how my body looks and what makes it more beautiful and what makes it uglier. Ultimately, I would like to get back in shape and create a routine that shows off my moves. I think that these past seven classes have shown that I am making great strides toward my goal.
Answer: I am answering this question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials A and Beginner Aerials B classes, February 15th – April 12th. The past few days, I have learned a total of 16 new moves on the corde lisse, 14 new moves on the fabric, and 30 new moves on the trapeze, for a grand total of 60 new moves. Every new move that I learn and every conditioning exercise brings me closer to my goals. I have become more aware of my body, where they are in space when I am upside down, how to stay tight during drops, and how to know when I have gone far enough in a stretch. Every new move added to my repertoire is one that I can use in a future routine. Every time I practice a move or work on a conditioning exercise, I become more aware of how something is supposed to feel when it is done correctly. When I look at pictures of myself or watch myself in the mirror, I learn to recognize how my body looks and what makes it more beautiful and what makes it uglier. Ultimately, I would like to get back in shape and create a routine that shows off my moves. I think that these past seven classes have shown that I am making great strides toward my goal.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Seventeenth Class – Mary 14, 2009
I have decided that it really isn’t necessary for me to describe my Aerial Conditioning class, for the purpose of my Senior Project. If it becomes apparent that I am learning a significant number of tricks to warrant a write up, I will, but as for now, I will only be summarizing my Beginner Aerials B and Intermediate/Advanced classes.
Tonight was the first night of my Intermediate/Advanced Aerials class. Shana Kennedy, the owner of The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, is my teacher. I was told that she is the best at breaking down the more complicated moves, so that is why I signed up for her class. I feel confident with the basic moves, but for the more advanced ones, I’m not so full-speed-ahead.
But today, Shana was out of town, so my Monday night instructor, Kate, was our teacher.
We spent the entire time on the fabric. My favorite. Clearly Kate and I were off to a good start since she bypassed all the parts I don’t like and went straight for the ones I do. After climbing with our left and right foot, we
learned a new climb, the straddle climb. In this video, the girl goes up a few climbs. This will explain the move much better than I can, I’m sure. We followed that up with the “waist block”, “part 2”, “part 3”, and “flyer”. From the waist block, we learned a move called the “secretary”, which involves a wrap that starts from the “waist block”, and ends with you sitting on the silks as if you were sitting at a desk. The other move we learned doesn’t have a formal name, but Kate likes to call it the sumo wrestler because of the way the fabric ties around your legs. This is a picture of a similar move. In the “sumo” move though, there is an extra wrap around the groin. Cool stuff.
From the “upside-down descent”, we worked on “upside-down T” and “frog”.
Because I was sore and tired from the Aerial Conditioning class, and I somehow managed to injure my back doing the "upside-down X" during my Beginner Aerials B class, I was not able to do as many tuck ups as I had on Monday. I only managed 1 alone before requiring help. Hey, at least I tried and in the future, I will be able to do more because of my temporary pain right now.
Tonight was the first night of my Intermediate/Advanced Aerials class. Shana Kennedy, the owner of The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, is my teacher. I was told that she is the best at breaking down the more complicated moves, so that is why I signed up for her class. I feel confident with the basic moves, but for the more advanced ones, I’m not so full-speed-ahead.
But today, Shana was out of town, so my Monday night instructor, Kate, was our teacher.
We spent the entire time on the fabric. My favorite. Clearly Kate and I were off to a good start since she bypassed all the parts I don’t like and went straight for the ones I do. After climbing with our left and right foot, we
learned a new climb, the straddle climb. In this video, the girl goes up a few climbs. This will explain the move much better than I can, I’m sure. We followed that up with the “waist block”, “part 2”, “part 3”, and “flyer”. From the waist block, we learned a move called the “secretary”, which involves a wrap that starts from the “waist block”, and ends with you sitting on the silks as if you were sitting at a desk. The other move we learned doesn’t have a formal name, but Kate likes to call it the sumo wrestler because of the way the fabric ties around your legs. This is a picture of a similar move. In the “sumo” move though, there is an extra wrap around the groin. Cool stuff.From the “upside-down descent”, we worked on “upside-down T” and “frog”.
Because I was sore and tired from the Aerial Conditioning class, and I somehow managed to injure my back doing the "upside-down X" during my Beginner Aerials B class, I was not able to do as many tuck ups as I had on Monday. I only managed 1 alone before requiring help. Hey, at least I tried and in the future, I will be able to do more because of my temporary pain right now.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sweet Sixteen – May 11, 2009
There was a week in between the end of classes and the beginning of the new session devoted to performances. Many of my fellow aerial students and Shmulie Shmaters performed. Most people said their best performance was the 9:00 PM show, and that they made more mistakes during the 7:00 PM show.
Looking back on my progress from my Beginner Aerials B class, I learned 10 new moves on the corde lisse, 5 new moves on the fabric, and 28 new moves on the static trapeze. These additions brought my total to 20 moves on the corde lisse, 16 moves on the fabric and 41 moves learned on the trapeze; for a grand total of 77 moves on the aerial apparatuses. That’s a pretty big accomplishment seeing as I knew 0 moves as of 17 weeks ago.
For this session, I decided to take three classes, the Beginner Aerials B on Monday nights at 7:00PM, Aerial Conditioning on Wednesday nights at 6:30PM, and Intermediate/Advanced Aerials on Thursday nights at 7:30 PM. I wanted to get my hours up for senior project, and I also wanted to learn some cool new moves. However, I didn’t feel totally confident to take an Intermediate/Advanced class without the backup support of taking another round of Beginner Aerial B for move review and extra practice and Aerial Conditioning for strengthening. I think it is a good combination, but sometimes, I get tired or sore during the Intermediate/Advanced class because of my Aerial Conditioning class from the night before.
Since it was the first class, my new instructor, Kate, wanted to see where everyone was as far as knowing and mastering moves. On the corde lisse, we climbed with both feet and then set to work reviewing. We did the “foot block” moves: “elbow lean away”, “1-hand hang”, “squat”, “back arch”, “thigh side lean” and the “back of knee hang”. We also did the “waist block” “upside-down descent”, and the “½ roll” out of the “upside-down descent”.
We did a similar review of the basic moves on the trapeze. Starting with the “rock and roll”, in order, we did the “stag”, “tuck up on ropes” and “birds nest”. We then moved onto the “mermaid sequence”: “mermaid”, “½ angel”, “back angel”, “one-hand one-foot”, “one-knee one-elbow”, “candlestick” and “fireman’s hang” (different from candlestick only in foot placement). After that, we did the sitting moves “trapezius angel”, “coffin” and “tree creature”. We finished with an “up and over” to a “front balance”. We did in about an hour, what took me two sessions of classes to learn and develop. Talk about going fast on your first day.
The only new move we learned was the “star”. It looks like “splits between the ropes”, but instead of a classic split, you do a straddle split. Pretty simple.
The class ended with the same “toughening” and “strengthening” exercises as the previous two sessions. Just like Jackie, Kate wanted us to try to do the “strengthening” moves on our own. I managed one pull-up by myself and three tuck ups. Not too bad for a fairly recent beginner, but I knew that I wanted to be able to do more.
Looking back on my progress from my Beginner Aerials B class, I learned 10 new moves on the corde lisse, 5 new moves on the fabric, and 28 new moves on the static trapeze. These additions brought my total to 20 moves on the corde lisse, 16 moves on the fabric and 41 moves learned on the trapeze; for a grand total of 77 moves on the aerial apparatuses. That’s a pretty big accomplishment seeing as I knew 0 moves as of 17 weeks ago.
For this session, I decided to take three classes, the Beginner Aerials B on Monday nights at 7:00PM, Aerial Conditioning on Wednesday nights at 6:30PM, and Intermediate/Advanced Aerials on Thursday nights at 7:30 PM. I wanted to get my hours up for senior project, and I also wanted to learn some cool new moves. However, I didn’t feel totally confident to take an Intermediate/Advanced class without the backup support of taking another round of Beginner Aerial B for move review and extra practice and Aerial Conditioning for strengthening. I think it is a good combination, but sometimes, I get tired or sore during the Intermediate/Advanced class because of my Aerial Conditioning class from the night before.
Since it was the first class, my new instructor, Kate, wanted to see where everyone was as far as knowing and mastering moves. On the corde lisse, we climbed with both feet and then set to work reviewing. We did the “foot block” moves: “elbow lean away”, “1-hand hang”, “squat”, “back arch”, “thigh side lean” and the “back of knee hang”. We also did the “waist block” “upside-down descent”, and the “½ roll” out of the “upside-down descent”.
We did a similar review of the basic moves on the trapeze. Starting with the “rock and roll”, in order, we did the “stag”, “tuck up on ropes” and “birds nest”. We then moved onto the “mermaid sequence”: “mermaid”, “½ angel”, “back angel”, “one-hand one-foot”, “one-knee one-elbow”, “candlestick” and “fireman’s hang” (different from candlestick only in foot placement). After that, we did the sitting moves “trapezius angel”, “coffin” and “tree creature”. We finished with an “up and over” to a “front balance”. We did in about an hour, what took me two sessions of classes to learn and develop. Talk about going fast on your first day.
The only new move we learned was the “star”. It looks like “splits between the ropes”, but instead of a classic split, you do a straddle split. Pretty simple.
The class ended with the same “toughening” and “strengthening” exercises as the previous two sessions. Just like Jackie, Kate wanted us to try to do the “strengthening” moves on our own. I managed one pull-up by myself and three tuck ups. Not too bad for a fairly recent beginner, but I knew that I wanted to be able to do more.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Reflection Journal: Day 6
Question: What did I learn about myself that was significant re: my strengths, weaknesses, fears, fears overcome, etc.?
Answer: I am answering this question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials A class, January 4th – February 8th. The main thing that I learned was that I was no longer strong. Where had all my strength and flexibility from years of gymnastics, field hockey, track and crew gone? It was just about a year since the last time that I had rowed in a boat, but I didn’t realize that my strength and flexibility would decay so quickly. My abs were still strong, but I no longer had the “ridge”. I also realized that I had a lingering fear of heights. Simple things like climbing to the top of the rope scared me. My apparent lack of strength combined with not used to being that high off the ground, definitely kept me nervous. But I also realized that I have this great inner strength. I don’t measure my success by what pant size I wear or my weight, because that it all relative. I measure my success in how well I perform and how much of my own body weight I can lift. Even if things are looking as if I might have to quit, I am determined to work harder until I can accomplish my goals. I know that if I continue doing pushups, pull-ups, tuck-ups, and sit-ups that I will get stronger. I know that if I make the effort to stretch everyday, I will get more flexible. I know that if I continue to climb that rope, and set small goals like making it one step higher, that eventually, I will reach the top. I know that is how I can overcome my deficiencies.
Answer: I am answering this question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials A class, January 4th – February 8th. The main thing that I learned was that I was no longer strong. Where had all my strength and flexibility from years of gymnastics, field hockey, track and crew gone? It was just about a year since the last time that I had rowed in a boat, but I didn’t realize that my strength and flexibility would decay so quickly. My abs were still strong, but I no longer had the “ridge”. I also realized that I had a lingering fear of heights. Simple things like climbing to the top of the rope scared me. My apparent lack of strength combined with not used to being that high off the ground, definitely kept me nervous. But I also realized that I have this great inner strength. I don’t measure my success by what pant size I wear or my weight, because that it all relative. I measure my success in how well I perform and how much of my own body weight I can lift. Even if things are looking as if I might have to quit, I am determined to work harder until I can accomplish my goals. I know that if I continue doing pushups, pull-ups, tuck-ups, and sit-ups that I will get stronger. I know that if I make the effort to stretch everyday, I will get more flexible. I know that if I continue to climb that rope, and set small goals like making it one step higher, that eventually, I will reach the top. I know that is how I can overcome my deficiencies.
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