Been There/Done That

Trapeze Class

by Chad Crisp

Various dates, times and prices, Air Play, 6122 Greene St., 215-849-1991, www.airplaytrapeze.com

Air Play trapeze studio has a comforting motto for first-timers like myself: "Run away to the circus and still be home for dinner." Not only would I survive my first trapeze class, but I wouldn't have to dine on swords or flames. Owner Shana Kennedy, a professional aerialist who has performed all over the globe, has been sharing her knowledge of circus aerial skills to eager students of all skill levels for more than 13 years.

After warm-ups, Kennedy introduced the Corde Lisse, a fancy name for a rope hanging from the ceiling. With one leg wrapped around the rope and using both feet to push, I scurried up to the ceiling and safely slid back down to solid ground. From there we moved on to the slightly more daunting Static Trapeze. As we swayed about 6 feet off the ground, Kennedy taught us two basic tricks to add to our repertoire. The Bird's Nest involves hanging upside down with your hands on the bar and feet hooked around the ropes. For the Trapezius Angel, we had to straddle the bar with our legs and stretch out our arms.

As my post-class shaking limbs can attest, aerial training provides a serious workout while substituting the testosterone-fueled grunt fest of the typical gym with the skill, grace and fun of the circus arts. "I found upper-body strength to be an immensely empowering thing," says Kennedy, "and I have been very excited, ever since, to share this with others."