This past Friday April 9th, the Activity Bubble team decided to challenge themselves by attending a Flying Trapeze class at the Toronto School of Circus Arts. As they entered the class and looked up to the platform they would be jumping off, a feeling of shock and fear tickled down their spines. The class was filled with about 30 people who varied in ages and experiences. As they waited for their turn, their hands began to sweat, their under arms and face as well… actually a lot of sweating was happening at that point.
The class started off with the instructor using a volunteer to demonstrate basic techniques and safety procedures. After all, the height of the platform is about 2 stories above the ground. The instructor was very upbeat and friendly which helped ease the tension amongst the crowd.
When it was finally Moe’s turn, she slowly climbed up the wobbly ladder. Her heart raced and the thoughts that suddenly came to her mind were, “What did I get myself into?”, “Was I capable of doing the requested tricks?”, “What if I fall down?”, “Will I die?”, “Can the net break?”… all while she smiled and looked brave in front of the clapping audience. From below, the rest of the team cheered and called out her name in support as they videotaped her endeavor.
Rather than telling the story, here is a short clip of her experience.
Her thoughts after the jump. “I felt like a kid again. I was experiencing joy, happiness, and reflecting back to a point when there were no worries or stress. It is definitely an experience that one should try out.”
However, not everyone had a smooth experience. Another participant ended up twisting his arms as he raised his legs too far. He ended up falling face first on the net and scratching the side of his face. The employees immediately attended to him with a fresh cool cloth which eased most of the stinging. Here is a shot we captured of the aftermath. The incident was also caught on video and can be viewed under Flying Trapeze Fall. When asked if he would come again he cheerfully said “Oh of course!”
Venue: Toronto School of Circus Arts
Date and Price: Drop in class held most Fridays @ 7pm (Registration starts @ 6:30pm) $25.00 per person.
Areas of the body worked out: Arms, hands, abs, coordination and self confidence.