Launching into the Unknown

It has begun.  On Monday morning I turned up with knees trembling at Circomedia, knowing nothing, fearing everything.  And so far, well, it's been rather good fun actually.  We are a group of 29, with a whole range of ages, experiences and interests.  We've had very informative and practical introductions to aerial, acrobalance, equilibristics and manipulation (that's juggling to me and you, or E & M, as I shall now refer to it in a very knowledgeable way), and also performance and conditioning classes.

Today was the dreaded fitness test.  I can't really get over to you through the medium of the blog exactly how scared I have been of this.  Before each student begins at Circomedia they are sent through a list of the fitness levels that the school wants you to have achieved prior to the start of the course.  This includes wondrous things such as the fact that you should be able to do 4 pull ups with you palms facing forward, 5 full tricep press ups and be able to straddle (open your legs whilst sitting) to an angle of 120 degrees.  Hmmm... easy for some, not so much for others.  However, Circomedia's attitude is that each student works within their own capabilities.  There are no good and bad results (at this stage).  Your scores are recorded and act as a benchmark you'll work with and be tested on again in the next six weeks to measure improvement.  Oh, and we also did a killer 20 minute circuit. I am feeling the burn.

In the afternoon Bim Mason, course director and co-founder of Circomedia, talked us through the different elements of the course.  He talked about the phrase 'running away with the circus' and told us that he used to not like it (good job he hasn't read this blog yet), as it infers that the circus is a place of dreams; or a romantic notion that people have of leaving the drudgery of their everyday life and starting over again.  Can I just say that I don't believe my everyday life was a drudge.  I rather enjoyed it actually - being in my lovely comfy house with my lovely comfy partner in Nottingham.  I miss it, I really do.  And what I'm doing here feels like the exact opposite of running away from something.  I feel like I am finally accepting that yes, I am going to be poor for the rest of my life.  And that's because there is simply nothing I can find that I want to do as much as this, and creativity is at the heart of that.