Performance and Wellness

The flower in this picture really made me think of the perfect balance in nature and how us- so often fall out of balance not even knowing that the real tool to be able to get up and fly again is just to the reach of our hands-, by keeping an open mind and willingness to change.

This upcoming Tuesday May 24 at 7:30 pm I will be at the Lehigh Valley Sports Academy (see link below) for an Open House talk about the connection between performance and wellness adherence.


The focus will be on children, so parents, coaches and just about anybody who would like to learn about these concepts and how to work with them is welcome.

The goal of the talk is:
To provide knowledge regarding the performance and wellness interconnection
To provide the guideliens to identify signs of stress in your child
To provide behavioral strategies to address decreased perforamance in children
To allow parents to identify stregths in their children wellness status.

If you would like to deepen your knowledge about it, I will run two workshops within the next month, same time 7 :30 pm-same place.
The cost for this workshops is $30 and you can register in the following number: 610 2642208

June 7: Focused on Adults
June 28: Focused on Children

The aerial dance classes and workshops have been postponed until spring of 2012 due to my unexpected hernia -and I will keep you posted on the upcoming events related to body and mind psychology and prevention, of course always talking about the mental health from a strength based approach where the focus is on behavioral change and positive strategies to stay balance.

Have a great week.




http://www.lehighvalleysportsacademy.com/

Time to be grounded

March and April went fast and all the focus at School was in "Performing".
After an amazing round of student performances and a one of a kind experince at the Green Fairy cabaret , I think most of us feel like it is time to breath.

Being "grounded" again after a good time can feel wired for some of us, at the same time it gives you an opportunity to redefine and see where do you want to go: learn about movement, challenge your body, redirect the attention of our practice- the possibilitie are endless.

I think that is the spirit at the School keep moving and exploring and allow yourself to be proud not just the day of the "show" but every day that you face.

The day might be about driving, walking or breathing the air around you.
That energy that we put on the little things will help us to accomplish the big goals.....being a Show or a simple day between -you and you- grounded.

See you at the studio.

New Aerial Year

As the year keeps moving forward so does the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts.

New projects like the green Fairy Cabaret and upcoming student showcases start to swing with every days that goes by. A rehearsal , a new idea, a movement in the creation of a character.

Have you thought about what performances that you will be leading this year? in a figurative way of course...

Playing mom, worker, lover or a thief has a different meanings depending on who you are... and where you are, regardless of that, we all have an innate -power of performing to our best -
if we decide to do so. A healthier you a kind attitude or a different relationship means effort and work.

With that positive mindset is that we are starting the year or I am encouraging to do so.

At the studio performance has the power of surprising us and inspiring us and we will continue to work together as small pieces in this big idea of a circus community.

Come and continue to have fun in the air ....or the ground with us...

See you at the studio.

Creative Learning

Creative Learning , seems to be the best way to label what has been going on over the last year in the Aerial Prep class at the studio.

People from different background and ages have “jumped” into their fears and have been able to have some positive experiences with two of the most fun circus apparatus, fabric and trapeze. Some of the goals that people have share with me include, “fitness” ,“stress reduction”, “fun”, “challenge” and curiosity….at the end of 2 months usually half of the people stays for another session, half move on to try something else- once their fears have been vanished.

Aerials can be intimidating, hanging upside down, trusting your body to hold you 20 feet into the ceiling might seems like –not possible-, but it is. Most people start with some negative self talk “can not do that”- no way… however with time they change the way they talk to themselves. There is no magic here. Trial and error, trial and perseverance, trial and commitment. And every time I find myself at the end of the session with renewed hopes: hopes of change and learning; not just about aerials but about what you can and cant do if you set your body and your mind to do so.

The only constant that I know in life is change- and my practice as an instructor has been no exception. I will be starting one on one sessions and small group work starting in March in Philadelphia and Coopersburg. The goal: change- the tool: aerials.

I wish you flexibility, tolerance and perseverance for this 2011 in body- and mind.

See you at the studio.

Momentary Stop

October November and December, seemed like the blink of an eye.

We had a great workshop in October with Adam Woolley, the Phantastical Phanatical Cabaret in November
and a well deserved upcoming party for friends and staff members around the corner.

This year has been definitely a year of growth, our Director Shana Kennedy moved to Canada to join the Cirque Du Soleil venture TOTEM as a family, a new director Robin Marcotte has taken the lead with positivity and knowledge and as a circus family we continue to expand and face new challenges that we know (or I know) for sure we will be able to adjust too and support.

As I find myself teaching the last session of the season and the year, I can feel the urge to STOP.
STOP for a moment and look inside and out to see what the movement in my life and people's life brought...and I wonder...

What opportunities of growth will this next year bring?

Some growth in the circus language...will mean to learn a new trick,
some growth might mean a new sequence..
out of the ring...the studio or the apparatus.. .

Some growth might mean to learn to listen- not just to the trainer, partner or leader in your life- but listen to yourself.

In the middle of this season and the so common craze of motion -
I feel the need to stop: in the air or in the ground, to be able to look around - inside- and down... and see your entire self.

No tricks , pure you- unapologetic honest and free.

Have a good Holiday.
See you at the studio.

American Youth Circus Organization, two words.

One week after the America youth Circus Organization conference- and we are already getting ready for Florida in August of 2011- that is the definitely the spirit!

AYCO in two words this year at the New England Center for the Circus Arts would have to be the following: inspiring and innovative.

Inspiring because you keep seeing how the power of circus arts brings together people from different backgrounds , religions and places.

Innovative because for the first time an invitation was made to the "academia" to show the nose in the ring and take a look: the results (see detailed information at AYCO web page): participation in a circus arts program increased a sense of physical self -efficacy in Young teens. (Ooh!! and he term now- would be circademia)

As a preliminary study , I am happy to say that it showed us that journey has started, some people might like the idea of -showing with data- that what we do have a positive effect on youth- others might disagree, they want to keep the magic of the ways circus arts work their way into the human mind.

As a psychologist... and aerialist... I have not made my mind yet and I think that in the meantime my job is to spread the word, maybe collect some more data and fire up the debate so that people knows that we have more and more to talk about and play or re/play.

What I know for sure is that- because of who we are as unique individuals and as a whole community-beyond the red nose, the glitter, the juggling and the strong muscles we will find that no matter what the debate brings we will respect each other, value this upcoming "data" about circus and support the expansion of our field.

Today is "circademia" ...tomorrow it might be the hard core- science of- being happy....in other 4 words maybe: being at the circus.

See you in the air.
Enjoy the Fall.

Aerial Dance ...play time!

Dancing is built within us. from the very ancient civilizations to these days, being able to move your body to the beats of musical tones has been found allover the world.

There is no difference when you include an aerial apparatus in the equation of body and music.This past Monday a group of enthusiastic and graceful young women joined the aerial improv workshop. The aerial warm up (literally- we use the trapeze to warm up too :), allowed us to get to know each other a little and infused us with some needed energy that we were going to use for the rest 90 minutes.
"Driving" the apparatus, difference between tempos and exploration of the body in the single point trapeze described different moments of fun swinging, turning and ..yea hp getting dizzy too!!
However, all new things sometimes gives us that belly/head sensation... the deal with aerials is that in spite of that- you allow yourself to stop for a moment - and then continue -to try whatever "new trick or movement" that was making you dizzy, antsy or scared.

As we moved into learning some new vocabulary and rest our hands from all the gripping, I realized that all of this Jung women had something in common, they were just curious about the aerial dance-idea.
I hope they had a chance to try something new...or get a taste to pursue further curiosity, or maybe- at the same time -I hope that they just reconnected with something that they already knew they could do: just breath and move to the beat of their hearts, just now also -
in the air.

see you at the studio, it was a great day.