NECCA day 1

So, we've had a couple days at NECCA to get acquainted with the space, and today we had our first rope lesson, but I'll get to that in a bit.

First, I want to show you where I live, because it is awesome.

The lake outside my house

Yep, that's Lake Pleasant, and it is well named, that's for sure. While I took this picture, I was sitting in a little wooden box on one side of The Bridge of Names

Every single one of those slats of wood has a name on it, everybody from Picasso to V. Van Gogh to Bob Dylan to MLK, JFK, and RFK (those three all on one slat) and a whole bunch of people who I have no idea who they are, but I'm sure they are all fascinating.

That's the whole 360 view from my little box, and I absolutely love it - it's where I go to eat my breakfast. I get to listen to the birds and the bugs and the wind and the water. It's about as serene a scene as one could imagine.

So that's where I live. Yes, it is awesome.
TRAINING
So we are in this big building that used to be a cotton mill, and aside from the circus center, there is a pottery room, a dance company, a toymaker and a whole bunch of other stuff.
Including this particular item.

This guy is up on a wall in the hallway outside of NECCA and his head/body (not including tentacles) are about as big as I am. I just thought he was way cool.

So in the actual studio, there are lots of cool things, like

ALL OF THE APPARATUSES!
Also, they have

German wheels! But I won't get a chance to use them, but still, cool to know they have them. Also, not pictured are Roue Cyr (Cyr Wheel)

So we did a rope class, and we went back to basics, which both Emilie and I needed a lot - anyone can teach you a trick, but only a true professional can point out the flaws in basics. So that went well, we will hopefully have video of us on the rope once we get a little bit more into it and start doing things that are interesting to people other than me.

In the meantime, while Emilie was doing her contortion class (that's what she's doing with Bill, pictured above - it's not a massage, it's contortion class, I promise) I went into the side room and got up to some shenanigans.

First of all, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen, and I need one in my house.

And by need, I mean as soon as I get a house, I am going to build one - looks pretty easy, just some screws in the floor, a couple tiny pulleys and some nice lengths of rope.

Also in that room, I was working on handstands and decided to film them for your pleasure, but also so I can see how I'm doing (it isn't exactly easy to look in a mirror while handstanding)

This is a weird little tuck thing I've been working on, it has a ways to go yet, but I'm well on my way.

I've also been working on a back bend while doing a handstand, and again, I'm well on my way, but still a long way to go.

So that's what's up in terms of what I'm doing, but while I was there, I had the pleasure of seeing some of the other people studying there do some of their things, including Aimee (my handstand teacher) and her flyer doing some duet work.

So that's all the updates and pictures and videos that I have for now, aside from the thunderstorm that we had to run through to get dinner tonight. I've never eaten dinner while literally dripping water before.

Ah well - we have this weekend off, then straps and handstands next week!