Week Three!!

During the weekend Caroline and Meredith decided that we should rent a wheelchair and go to the park (we went to the Egyptian museum as well). I've been rather frustrated at this point with not being able to go anywhere or do anything so thank you so much ladies for making my life so much better!!

Caroline was nice enough to go out and get me my very own new journal. It is beautiful!!

Day Eight

Acting with Raymond

We used a newspaper as an object today in class. We passed the paper using the body of the other partner and then using the spaces the partner had in their poses. We worked with different rhythms and approaches to our partners. The silence is just as important as the movement. It requires varying durations and poses as well. NEVER lose the tension in the body, even when in neutral. We worked a lot with the fragility of the object.

Day Nine

Physical Preparation with Fabio

Ankle strengthening exercises – standing with both legs bent – one knee up – knees together – hands on waist – close eyes – now open your eyes and jump – after the jump re-close your eyes

Day Ten

Physical Preparation with Fabio

Running – skip with one foot then switch – kick gluts with one foot then switch – skip with one foot, kick gluts with other foot then switch – one arm on heart the other around then switch – arms up in front then out to sides then back and down – leg in front, leg in back, now skip skip – up with knees in circle

Walking – regular – on toes – on heels – on outsides – on insides

Day Eleven

Nothing new to note

Day Twelve

Acrobatics with Fabio

Capovolte – open middle – vertical – over one arm – sideways role from sitting – from one knee to the side, go down on elbow first, end on opposite knee – backwards, over one side, fish -- *decide where you head wants to be before you start the movement*

Hand down, one leg up and straight, jump to the side – now keep going without changing leg or hand (front – back – front – back) – bend knees in between – now add butterfly jump after front – back

Butterfly – up down fast – keep torso parallel to the ground

Put hands where the feet were, turn in air, then put feet back where the hands are now (mano mano piede piede) – body stays in one place – keep butt high – force yourself to stay in that position

X roll

Arms wheel forward, go down so the arms walk backwards, feet go down to stomach – don’t block the movement – legs up to land on feet – hands not in a line – legs step back

Macachi – sit one leg bent (foot on ground) other leg straight out – arm over bent leg is straight over that leg – straight arm and leg twist ¼ at the same time – push with foot and push up bacino – land on feet in ¼ turn

The first week after the ankle

Notable pictures from the second week of circus school. Thank you to Louise Mellor for taking all the pics and letting me use her camera to take pictures!!

Here I am giving advice since I can't walk. This is right after I had the real cast put on that morning.
My favorite picture of Tay Tay.... we call him Perez!!

Katie walking across the tight rope.... our teacher Dario is in the background rooting her on!
Bob's hanging pose...
William, Brian and Louise on the tissue.

Let me just preface this by saying these are the weeks following the vicious ankle breaking. I am counting down the days I have left at this point with my cast on. A whole new start to circus school.

Day One

With Elena we learned some new climbs and falls on the tissue. First, use B climbing method (right leg passes in front of the tissue for one wrap around, then the other foot pinches the tissue on top of the foot underneath). Now you get both feet under the tissue and bend knees to the right while moving the tissue around the foot and pinch again. Next you put your hands through the middle moving your shoulders to the front. Grab right tissue with your left hand and left tissue with your right. Pull tissue into a cross on your back below your shoulder blades. Make sure the tissue is around your thighs. Then your head goes down towards the floor with legs out. Now from the ornament position you fall back and tissue holds feet.

Day Two

Preparazione Fisico got crazy today!! Always begins with different runs, normal, A in-out, skip, one step in front one step in back, walk on tiptoes. Stretch Achilles, now bend back knee, then stretch thigh. Lines are intense – knees up front forward, feet hit glutes, one short one long leg (deer jump), long long long long, jumps feet together arms circle back and up, quattro zampe forwards and backwards, hands on ground – legs in A position – jump forward hands then legs (legs stay straight), plank down roll over back plank up, plank walk forwards and backwards. Next we worked on more stretching and prep. Candle up to the middle then down into a stretch over straight legs, cobra plank, headstands.

Acrobatics with Matteo – Begins with capovolta from standing (STO DURO!!!!); Preparation for Flic Flac.

Aeree with Elena – Work on the trapeze:

First you airplane onto the bar then flip forward and legs wrap around ropes. Reach up and grab ropes, pull yourself up so that the bar is in front of your bacino. Reach high while pulling bacino forward hands go out. Keep closed, do NOT straighten legs, sit back and grab bar while you scende (stringi abdominals).

Acting with Raymonde

Point of contact –

Move around shirt, move around hand, move around finger – move like a predator around finger

Walk neutral – no sounds on the ground – finger emerges – suspicion moves you around with the whole body

Couple work – SILENCE!! Take – move – give – silence! MAXIMUM!! – PRECISION all body in minimum, no stereotypical gestures – DENTRO TUTTO IL CORPO!!

Day Three

Preparazione Fisico with Matteo

Pretty much the same. We added some lunges and sagitale lunges.

Stretching on the bars –

Legs together with hands behind bar, head to feet while partner holds hands. Now feel open, arms between legs head down. Last, hands up and open, you go upside down and slide down between arms.

Acrobatics with Matteo

Trampoline work – walk, lunge, block, 1 2 3 knees to chest, feet to glutes, jump scissor, toe touch arms between legs, capovolta – normal, small push (tuffino), push land on back and return to standing, backwards normal, now land on back and then over feet,.

Day Four

Preparazione fisico was about the same. Some different things added to bar work – with elbows bent hold bar elbows near chest stay teas and swing, hang off bar and pull knees to chest.

Aeree with Elena

The first real drop we learned starts with open legs, right leg in front of the tissue the left leg prende il tessuto per fare il diaper – next step turn over so you are hanging and put it around front – now wrap it around the leg and around the stomach. That is when you let go and roll down the tissue.

Acting with Raymonde

Strike a pose and push with all of the body. Hands straight – one hand for action and the other for feeling

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I ran out of paper at this point but most of these exercises are repeated on Friday. I don’t have as many notes for acting because I am usually able to participate in either a chair or on the floor. I wasn’t able to participate in many of the other classes the first week but as I continue I am able to do more. I had to stay as still as possible so that the injury was not aggravated. It was quite frustrating. That weekend I laid low. I stayed with my foot up and went out only to do laundry with Caroline and Meredith (or as I call them – the most wonderful girls in the world for constantly being there to help me out).