As soon as I stepped under the big top that was Trapeze School New York, my mood changed from excitement to anxiety. Training equipment lined the canvas walls, and it was bright in there, unlike the burlesque ambiance of the real circus. And the main attraction was going to be me. My gaze ascended the ladder and focused on the platform from which I would be expected to dive.

I had always enjoyed the circus, but somehow with my arrival at the trapeze class, the pleasant childhood memory of majestically dressed monkeys throwing circus peanuts and excrement at my dad was instantly replaced with a less favorable flashback to high school gym. To you, this kind of physical challenge may sound like no more than a wimpy man’s nod to the extreme sports craze. But I was never any good at gym, and I was never any good at heights either.

Our test run, which took place on a bar only six feet off the ground, was a difficult maneuver. I had envisioned something closer to the Tweety Bird design: sitting relaxed on the bar, hands lightly gripping the cables to my sides, possibly whistling.

“Hut!” the instructor bellowed, as I swung through the air from the real trapeze. I became aware that I was yelling, but it was a call of freedom.

“When can I go again?” I asked after my dismount.

Trapeze was an exalting step to overcoming my fears. I got to fly through the air like a bird, even though the bird I most closely resembled was a penguin holding a sandbag.

I would suggest this activity to athletic types as well as couch potatoes. There are now more than 50 trapeze schools nationwide and classes are open to anyone who’s not pregnant and willing to plunk down a hundred bucks for a two-hour lesson.

Location:
Tribeca, New York, United States

Other Activity

Travel Skills: None

By Erika Cann

I enjoy gettin' dirty and exploring just as much as I embrace decadence and sloth. In regard to travel, I'm up for anything. Unfortunately, I have...

Created: 06 Jan 2008

Updated: 14 Nov 2008