“Ready… Up. Swing your legs forward, backward, forward… Tuck your knees up… And let go.”
As my natural instincts took over, my first reaction was to swing my legs forward when the momentum of the rest of my body flung forward and to swing my legs backward when my body flung backward, but when swinging trapeze, the basic form is just the opposite. Having just jumped off a platform several feet from the ground while swinging through the air on a trapeze bar, I hesitated a little bit on my first try. On my second try, I did a back flip off the bar. On my third, I did a “knee-hang.” And by the end of the class, I did a “knee-hang” catch with one of the instructors. Yes, I felt like I was in Cirque du Soleil.
I have to say, taking a swinging trapeze class is something I never imagined myself doing or even imagined having the opportunity to do. Thanks to SwingIt Trapeze I was able to experience something new and exhilarating.
SwingIt Trapeze is a local trapeze school, which hosts weekly classes, open to the public, at OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. They offer one-time beginner classes as well as one-time-returning trapeze classes. They even offer advanced classes for anyone who would like to continue perfecting the sport. The company has been performing at the Orange County fairgrounds for the last couple of years, but in November 2013, they decided to start offering classes to share their skills with the public. Owners Nick Selvy and Brian Kirch have been in the entertainment and circus business for many years. They have developed a unique team of other experienced performers to help run the school.
Whether you are looking for a new hobby, a new way to work out (it really works every muscle group) or if you’re just feeling a little adventurous, I definitely recommend taking one of these classes. If I could give you one piece of advice for taking the class, it would be to make sure you listen to your instructor’s call-outs, because timing is everything.
