Some Call it Circus, I Call it Home

How I became part of a circus family and have never looked back!

Photo: Alloy Images

Four years ago, on April 1, 2016, I took my very first aerial silks class! My entire life, I have never considered myself strong, and I used to frequently say, “There's no way I can do that. I have no upper body strength.” Taking that first class, I discovered that everything I knew about ballet could be transferred onto silks. It was basically dancing in the air. I delved into training after that and learned quickly. I became strong for the first time in my life. 6 months later, I moved to LA for work and met the circus community there including my circus family, Aeriform Arts. The circus community is small. It seems that everyone somehow knows each other. What I was drawn to most was the amazing amount of support and inclusivity of the aerial community. Aerialists are some of the kindest people I have ever met. They are ready to cheer you on at the smallest milestones because they know just how hard it is!

Bruises Ain't No Thang!

To clarify, when I say that I learned quickly, it doesn't mean that any of it was easy. Aerial is painful, challenging, and extremely terrifying. Did I mention that I am afraid of heights? Yes, I am afraid of heights and somehow, I still manage to drop from the ceiling, which can sometimes give you a huge bruise that lasts a week or two. Also, if you don't train frequently enough, and thanks to self-quarantine this is a lot of aerialists' current plights, you can lose all that strength quickly. So if aerial comes with all of these disclaimers, then why do people like myself do it?

“What I was drawn to most was the amazing amount of support and inclusivity of the aerial community. Aerialists are some of the kindest people I have ever met. They are ready to cheer you on at the smallest milestones because they know just how hard it is!

Well, I do it because I am still to this day surprised at myself. Before I became an aerialist, I had never before realized that I was capable of the strength, agility, and fearlessness required of the circus arts. In fact, if someone had told me that one day I would be a circus freak, I would have laughed. Now, circus is a huge part of my life.

#circuseverydamnday

Circus communities are body-positive. Circus communities allow for a lot of creativity, self-expression, and empowerment. Give it a try sometime and see how it goes! Let your freak flag fly! You just might find the crew you have always been waiting for, just like I did!

Photo: George Simian