Flying from a Crane

I have just returned from a fun filled week working on the finale act of the closing ceremony of a big event.

A team of 6 core aerialists from the amazing Incandescence Circus Theatre, and 14 local performers teamed up to be taken 40metres up in the air and create an aerial spectacular.  It was a fabulous finale to a wonderful event.

 Me in rehearsals

The Social Club - Komedia - Bath

Last week me and Lisa took our duo Kurve to The Social Club at Komedia in Bath.  I also performed my solo Diamonds act here.

I rarely do cabarets because the pay is far less than my normal rates, but me and Lisa needed our act videoed and so it was the perfect occasion.

Our acts both had tremendous feedback and wow's, and one movement/dance specialist in the audience described our duo act as being like 'a beautiful moving visual sculpture'.

It was a really really wonderful night full of super acts and fabulous fun.  Anyone living in the Bristol/Bath area i strongly recommend you get yourself to this one when it is next held in March!!!

Happy Halloween

     

Me and Ky doing some bendy acro

Me and Ky decided to create some awesomeness :-)

(I hadn't actually warmed up my back yet in either of these as the main backbending stuff comes later on in class)

Photoshoot With Nick Delaney

I have some beautiful new images from Nick Delaney (www.nickdelaney.com).  Nick is a fabulous photographer who I highly recommend to anyone needing photos.

F1 Grand Prix Singapore

I have just returned from Singapore where I performed with the fabulous Incandescence for the F1 Grand Prix.  It was so fun I think i may just class it as one of my favourite events I have done and I have done a lot of events!

It is an absolute pleasure to be part of Incandescence's amazing shows, Satya who is at the core of Incandescence knows exactly how to make a show look beautiful and how she puts the shows together, costumes them, the music, the lighting, everything, it just works.  In Singapore we performed 3 different 20 minute shows - Night Circus, Cirque Surreal, and Masquerade.  The shows went down extremely well and we also had the pleasure of performing to the Royal Family of Brunei.

To add to the wonderful shows that we did then we were also in the most amazing hotel where our balcony overlooked a large chunk of the racetrack, the racing was absolutely amazing to see live :-)

Manchester Trafford Centre Contortion

This month I travelled up north to Manchester's Trafford Centre.  I performed 4 ambient sets of contortion around the shopping mall to entertain the shoppers.  It was very enjoyable :-)

Cool Picture

I saw this photo online, it is kind of cool!!!  I think it might be from the ICC but am unsure, but anyhow here it is :-)

Bikram Highbury and Islington Equity Card Offer

If you have an Equity Card (www.equity.org.uk), then you can get a lovely discount on classes at Bikram Highbury and Islington.

Why I Love Yoga

I love yoga, it is something that from February this year I picked it up again and I now go every day when I can.  I primarily go to Bikram Yoga, mainly at Bikram Highbury and Islington.  There are many more benefits than I am going to list here, but here are a few reasons why I love it.

1. Flexibility: Yoga has taught me a different way of stretching, I am beginning to open up my whole spine, and I am beginning to hinge a lot less through a few vertebrae meaning my stretching is becoming healthier.  It also stretches both sides, in the past although I have always worked both sides i have always worked one side far more, gymnastics training is so one sided and so i am a lot more developed on one side compared to the other, this is now beginning to even out a bit, again leading to healthier bending.  It is also nice when i have had a hard week just to give my body a gentler stretch, things like camel posture in the beginners series feel sooooooo good!  Also, believe it or not my hamstrings are actually quite tight, but through yoga they are lengthening.  I have also never before touched lateral hip rotation, I never realised how seriously lacking i am in this movement until i began yoga, i can not tell you how weird my hips currently feel as they begin to access movement previously unknown to them, and now I am stretching out those impossibly tight muscles then i am sure i will reap the benefits.  And lastly, however flexible you are there is always that bit further you can go, I have postures that elude me and one day I would like to be able to do them :-)  And also, it is not just about how bendy you are, it is about how the postures make you feel, all those lovely benefits you get from them :-)
    
   
   
2. Stength: I love Bikram Yoga for it's strengthening aspects.  In combination with my flexibiity work it keeps my body healthy and strong.  
   
   (Eagle on a snow ball. Photo from 2010 hence the wrong arm to leg, whoops!)
   
   
   Click the below link to read the rest of this post, it began to get a bit long :-)

The physio geek inside me... an interesting article on spine injuries and backbending

Here is a really very good and interesting article, basically it sums a lot of things up to do with backbending and spine injuries, and is a really excellent and informative read.  Because it was so good I felt I should share it, as the more information that is out there to educate people then the better.  It is written with regards to rhythmic gymnasts but I tihnk much of the information can be transferred to a variety of backbending activities.

Click here for the article

 

Ooh and interestingly the MRI above is my spine from a few years ago when I was in Love Never Dies, so interesting to see your own actual anatomy!  I had what turned out to be a soft tissue injury and so this is a healthy spine MRI.

Shambala Festival 2013

Shambala is one of my very favourite festivals.  It is set in a beautiful location near Market Harborough.  I didn't know who any of the bands were (I never do!) but I danced along to some absolutely mind blowing music all festival.  I got to catch up with a lot of my performer friends.  And the whole festival is a sparkly sequinned place full of fun and amazingness.  

Last year I performed as part of the Kamikaze Cabaret, which the photo in the programme above was from.  But this year I brought my whole new fabulous 'Diamonds' act to the Social Club Cabaret.  It went beautifully and got marvellous feedback.  I have no official photos but here are a few from my phone.

Future Posts

I have so much i wish to write and share with people on this blog, from ways to better your handstands, increase your flexibility, to anatomy of the spine when backbending, to injuries and injury prevention, as well as all my usual types of posts about all my gigs and my random kershazzle.  I qualified as a physiotherapist prior to becoming a professional performer, and the geek in me is massively interested in anatomy and physiology and injury prevention.  If there is anything specific you would like to read about in the future let me know :-)

Don't compare yourself to others

There will always be someone who is younger, bendier, stronger, technically better than you are.  Don't compare yourself with others, be happy with who you are today.  We always strive to be better, that is ok, but be your own competition.  Someone who has more skills than you, they may lack in many other areas.  Onstage we just show what we are good at, but everyone has their weaknesses whether they are on display or not.

I write this firstly because it is true and makes you a happier person, and secondly because the circus world is becoming inundated with new people at the moment, and there are some people who i have seen/heard berating others who have done nothing nasty to that person, sometimes publicly on social media.  Never speak bad of others if they have done nothing wrong to you, blowing out someone else's flame does not make your's shine any brighter.  Respect each other and our different talents and abilities, everyone has their strengths and you can learn from each and every person you meet.  Everyone has had and is on their own journey.

Have fun, it's a pretty world if you let it be.

Picture: Michael Josephson

Looking For a Male Base...

I am looking for a male base who would be interested in creating a male/female acrobatic/adagio act with me.  They need to be London based, have experience of acro and performing, in shape, a full time performer, and preferably above 5'7.

Contact: dancingupsidedown@gmail.com

Natural History Museum - Duo Acrobalance

This week me and Lisa performed our very fantastic duo acrobalance act at the Natural History Museum at a corporate event.  The Natural History Museum is such a fabulously beautiful venue and it is always a pleasure when I get to perform there.  We wore beautiful sparkly animal print costumes and had our hair and make up done by the fabulous Wendy Olver.  Just some snaps from mobile phones, one of our performance, and the others are of backstage stretching/warming up for the event, we would have done some more duo balance'y photos but most of our photos were us taking photos of each other :-)

London Photoshoot with Michael Palmer

This time last year I rushed back to London from being away on a gig and I did a photoshoot with the fabulous Michael Palmer (www.michaelpalmer.com).  I have worked with Michael a few times now, he is great to work with and he always manages to get absolutely awesome images.  Partly my fault but I just got the images last week.  I had many favourite images as per usual but after narrowing it down then here are my three favourites :-)

Ezmeralda's Night Circus - Video :-)

This video from the fabulous Incandescence's Ezmeralda's Night Circus premiered at Glastonbury 2013 is a must watch!!!  It features me handbalancing + doing my duo with Lisa.  It is a very fun show to be a part of, it is a brilliant show to watch, and as from the video you can tell how much i LOVE diamonds!!! :-)

A few video stills from my new showreel coming soon...

Pictures are video stills taken from a video taken during a shoot for @AcrobaticArts 2012

Flexibility, Contortion, Handbalance Lessons in N15

Over in N15 (Seven Sisters/Tottenham Hale) I have a lovely gorgeous facility where I am able to offer tuition in handbalance and flexibility.  I can offer 1:1s and 2:1s mon-fri between 10am-6pm.  Contact for more details (dancingupsidedown@gmail.com).

I am a:

• 8+ years of full time professional performing experience, performing worldwide at large events and in shows.
• Full Public Liability Insurance up to £10,000,000
• Full Enhanced CRB checked, plus completed child protection course
• Have taught all ages from primary school children to adults
• Have a 2.1 BSc (hons) degree in Physiotherapy from Leeds Metropolitan University
• I have a vast knowledge of anatomy in relation to flexibility. 
• Fully qualified British Gymnastics coach with 10yrs coaching experience
• I regularly teach in a gymnastics club and frequently update my teaching knowledge by my work with other coaches, attending British Gymnastics coaching courses and conferences, and by my own research.  
• I can teach the technical side (specific moves and technique).
• I can teach the creative side (making the technical bits more interesting).
• I work with both professional performers, people wishing to learn for fun, and people wanting to gain flexibility/handstands to enhance their other activities.

Harrods - 2013

During July I worked a lovely day in Harrod's Childrenswear department performing acrobatics, contortion, and handstands.  Here are some pictures from the day :-)

Glastonbury 2013 - Pictures

See Incandescence's FB page for more photos - click here

But here are a few of my favourite photos of me :-)

Please do not use any of these photos without permission.  

Solo 'Diamonds' Act 

Duo Acrobalance Act