Dancing on air
ClaireSawers takes an aerial dance class and comes over all dizzy
‘m-dropping in to the Drill Hall
off Edinburgh‘s Leith Walk to
learn the ropes —- and ribbons and knots + of aerial dance. a graceful fusion of circus tricks. gymnastics and dance. In the rehearsal studio. two low-slung trapezes are swinging from metal beams on the ceiling. and a pair of long. slippery silks lie curled on a crash mat next to them. After a thorough limber up — my eyes stretch wide when the other girls oh-so-casually splay their legs out in the splits and rest their foreheads on the floorboards — we take to the bar.
Like most of the moves I learn. there‘s a fair amount of strain and pain behind the light-as-a-feather moves. and it takes muscles and elegance to do it with flair. But with Danuta’s help. we gradually turn my swinging monkey style into something a wee bit more polished. ()nce l’ve swung my legs up onto the bar. I drop my hands and hang upside down fora few seconds. I‘m too chuffed with myself to notice the glowing pain behind my knees. As one of the other girls tells me. ‘lt gets easier once you‘ve killed a few nerve endings in your hands and joints.‘ The other dancers work on standing-up somersaults on the trapeze. or sit-ups dangling from their knees while I leam the bird‘s nest. This means pointing my nose to the ground. clinging upside- down to the bar. arching my back and coiling my ankles round the
r... grip.» ' ("N 'r. r. r
Acro-balance
Also known as two-people using each other like a climbing frame. this is the human handstand stuff often seen in circuses or at the bottom of the Mound in the Edinburgh Festival. lan Henderson leads acro-balance workshops. and also teaches circus skills and aerial dance. See www. edinburghperformerscom. or call 07971 105 862.
18 THE LIST 24 Apr—8 May 2008
‘THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF STRAIN AND PAIN BEHIND THE MOVES'
Adult Gymnastics
Beginners‘ classes start with floor work and build up to vault and trampette. Laura Campbell teaches adult gymnastics at Musselburgh Sports Centre. Fridays 4.30—6pm. Email gingerlauraca@hotmail.com or call 07896 695 481. Bellahouston Leisure Centre, Glasgow, runs adult gymnastics classes, Sundays 6- 7.30pm. Tel: 0141 276 0767.
ropes. My arms wobble. my T—shin wraps around my chin. but I manage. and the upturned me is
grinning like a five-year-old. After
a go at the mermaid. which is a horizontal stretch on the beam (my siren was too busy drowning to look alluring) it was time to swap
Circus Skills
Learn the basics of the big top. with lessons in juggling. trapeze. stilt- walking and clowning. Te POOKa. Edinburgh. is running beginners' circus classes in May and June. See www.tepooka. org. or call 0131 228 4567. The Arches. Glasgow. is running a Circus Summer School. 14-19 July. See www.thearches. co.uk, or call 0141 565 1000.
AERIAL DANCE
What you need Leggings and a T—shirt that can be tucked in! Calories burned 200 per hour. Muscles used Arms. shoulders and stomach.
Who should do it Anyone wanting a graceful way to tone up. Who should avoid it Hand models. or those with vertigo. Origins Aerial dance began in the States in the 70s as a fusion of gymnastics. dance and circus skills. Now it's gaining in popularity: variations involving mountaineering equipment. bungee ropes and builder's scaffolding have been emerging across the world. Details Beginners aerial dance classes are available Wednesdays. 8—9.30pm at Out of the Blue. Drill Hall. Dalmeny Street. Edinburgl'i. A five-week block of classes costs $60. See www.aerialdariceco.uk or call 07989 978 598. Spinal Chord run beginners' classes and workshops at Landsdowne Parish Church. Great Western Road. Glasgow. See www.spinalchordcom or call 07863 132 481.
to silks. a shift up a gear in terms of difficulty and muscle power. The slinky leotard ladies in those BBC i—dents make it look easy when they trickle down a red ribbon. but the reality involves a whole lot more sweat and rope burns. or ‘barbecued ribs‘ as my silks teacher. lan Henderson. calls it. I start with the foot climb. pulling my body up the silk with my arms. then standing on the material twisted round my feet to get higher. After several failed attempts. I let someone else practise their double ankle hang. which involves tying a series of sailors knots around your ankles in mid-air. then letting go. A trick for another day. I think.
I can see how addictive the other girls find it. and although they show me calloused hands and friction burned feel. they are obviously hooked.
After almost two hours. l‘ve foot- climbed a few metres into the air up a bit of silk. and done my best impression of a flying trapeze showgirl. minus the spray-on lycra and concrete biceps. ()bviously real progress requires a lot of practise. and blisters. but the beginner's buzz felt good. and it was fun running away to the circus for the night.