Object Manipulation II: I Dropped the Ball!

Juggling. I can juggle responsibilities. I can juggle tasks. I can juggle a room full of kids asking me questions at the same time. What I can't do is juggle. It's hard!

On Tuesday afternoon, I had the opportunity to learn juggling from none other than Greg Tarlin. You may remember him from the blog post I wrote for Circus Sessions a while back. He's kind of a good juggler. Sort of amazing actually. And, I imagine he's a great teacher, but I am not a stellar student! Nope. No indeed.

For the past few Tuesday afternoons, I've been working with a group teaching them beginner aerial silks through the Talk to Youth Lately programme provided by Look Up Theatre's head mistress, Angola Murdoch. It's been an amazing experience on so many levels. I am so happy to working with the group and to finally be able to teach a bit of aerial. It's kinda been a dream of mine! Also, because it is a social circus group, I've been learning so much about dealing with mental illness and the struggles that the people in the group face on a daily basis. It's really very humbling to be a part of this and to learn from them as well.

This Tuesday was different though. Greg was there and Angola asked me if I'd like to learn how to juggle. Of course I said "yes!" and so it began. I was the only participant who had never ever juggled before. Some had only tried juggling a few times though, and it seemed like they had caught on, so I was confident I could too!

Don't get me wrong, Greg's instruction was clear and great and seemed to make perfect sense. We started with two balls, which aren't actually balls. They're like densely packed bean bags really. Greg's advice:

1. Hold your arms by your side and make a 90 degree angle at your elbows. Relax your shoulders (I think that's a thing, but mine can't/won't relax - Yikes!) and hold the balls in either hand.
2. Picture a square in front of you. Mark an imaginary X through the square. Easy enough!
3. Toss the balls to the opposite corner - so the ball in my left hand (which is my dominant hand for some reason when I play "sports" like golf, baseball and now juggling) is tossed to the top right corner.
4. When the first ball reaches the top of its arch, toss the second ball in to the opposite corner. Ideally, you catch both balls.

Doesn't that sound easy! It's only two balls! Honestly, I was tossing those balls all over the place. Too low, too high, too far in front, too far behind. And, I was catching very few. A third ball. Out of the question!

I thought I'd read somewhere when I was researching for my blog post that most people could learn to juggle in about an hour?! LIARS! Everyone was awesomely supportive though. As they tossed 3, 4 or 5 balls through the air, they told me how well I was progressing. Angola saw me struggling and told me it took her weeks of intense learning and practicing to learn to juggle.

The perfectionist in me was struggling. Do I give up because I'm bad? Do I push on and try to improve? What to do?!

Greg told me to push like any good coach would! Add a third ball, he said. Try the drop technique. Hey, I was already good at dropping the ball, so why not give said technique a try. All I had to do was throw the balls up in the air in the correct pattern - left, right left - and let them drop. Ideally, two will drop in front of me on my right fairly close to each other and one on the left. That's a pattern I can handle. And, I did. His advice - don't get stuck with two balls. Go back and forth and try to progress.

Stellar advice. Don't get stuck! I'm so happy that I was able to meet Greg in person after interviewing him over the internet. I'm happy I was finally able to try juggling. I will try again too. Some day, I might even be able to juggle more than a busy schedule!

Cheers,

Jackie

Contemporary Circus Arts Festival of Toronto: Day One Social Circus Discussion Panel

A couple of years ago, I started thinking about the future of my career. As a teacher, I was already burnt out after 5 years on the job. I still am. I don't enjoy going to work. Most days, I literally dread the idea of getting in the car and making that 40-minute commute north of the city. On really bad days, I get serious anxiety. I have even cried in the car in the parking lot before going into the building.

You might ask your, what's so bad about it? You get a sweet pay cheque and a pension when you're done. You have summers off. Your days start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. (in my dreams), so things are pretty darn good. From the outside, those are all great! I don't deny the fact that summers off are amazing. I am not one of those people that complain about pay. I am certainly not at the top of the pay grid, but I am comfortable. But, when you work with people, and children in particular, you run into all kinds of obstacles and red tape that have nothing to do with that cool stuff I just mentioned. And, those obstacles and red tape make my job so shitty.


Does that mean I don't want to teach any longer? Not necessarily. I just need to find my niche. I need to make the best of my situation. So, going back to a couple of years ago again, I started thinking about how I could mix my love of circus with my day job. I had a very lofty dream of starting some sort of private arts school that would focus on core curriculum for half the day and then arts and physical education, including circus arts, for the other half of the day. I have the teaching know-how. I have some foundation in circus arts and many friends who have arts-based backgrounds. I am not a businessperson though and to start a private school, I would need to have a business plan and a substantial amount of start-up money. It seemed more than a bit daunting and I lost hope that I could ever pull something like this off.

Over time, my mind drifted back in that direction though. How can I make this work on a smaller scale? How can I combine my love of aerial arts and my background in teaching? Then, I started hearing about "social circus." Well, I didn't actually hear it being called that. What I did hear about was a woman in the Toronto-area that runs a programme called Talk to Youth Lately.

Angola Murdoch, founder and artistic director of Lookup Theatre, came into one of my silks classes to sub for my instructor, Natalie. In conversation, she brought up this programme and the amazing work that she is doing with youth aged 16 to 30 who suffer from mental health issues. I was instantly interested and wanted to speak with her more about this amazing work. She is based out of Owen Sound though in the summer months, my time off, so I didn't really have a chance to touch base with her and learn more.

I do want to learn more about these programmes though. And, there are many of them around Canada and around the world. I had to opportunity to begin my learning journey on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at a Social Circus Discussion Panel held by the organizers of the Contemporary Circus Arts Festival of Toronto. I can't wait to share more with you about this panel and all of the amazing things that they are doing. It really got my brain juices flowing!

Rebecca Leonard moderated the panel discussion. I have heard about this woman so frequently in the community, but I've never met her until now and I certainly didn't realize the extent of her work in social circus! The rest of the biographies I am going to borrow from the event details provided to me through CCAFT. "Social Circus arts have come alive in diverse communities for the past 19 years. CCAFT provides a rare opportunity to meet with some of the prominent groups who are doing groundbreaking work in social circus in Canada. We are delighted to have a full spectrum of  social circus models & practitioners on the panel including Anik Couture/Cirque du Monde-Cirque du Soleil’s Global Citizenship, Helen Donnelly/Sr. Therapeutic Clown practioner, Marsha Kennington, Social Circus instructor, Angola Murdoch/Talk to Youth Lately T.T.Y.L., and Neal Rempel/Circus, Art & Magic Partnership C.A.M.P. "

They said so many things that struck a chord with me. They are working with people in South Africa, Columbia, Mexico and right here in Canada. Their programmes provide those in need with an outlet to express and explore their issues through physical activity - the circus arts - and discussion with social workers and counselors. They provide instruction, equipment and sometimes just time off the streets. They work with the poor and needy, addicts, runaways and marginalized communities in places most of us would shy away from. Their successes are amazing. Their challenges many. But, they don't give up on these people. They work with them and try to create sustainable growth in communities and people long after they are gone. So inspiring!

When they opened the discussion up to the audience, I was so nervous to speak. I literally felt the heat rise in my cheeks. I blushed because I was so impressed by the people I was surrounded by! I had to ask them, "Where do you start?" It's a question that I've been struggling with. But, I got an answer. I hope that one day, sooner rather than later, I can connect with the National Circus School in Montreal and take their programme that instructs individuals in leading a circus programme in the  context of social education. I was provided the information and contacts, now all I have to do is take that step. Additionally, I plan on connecting with Angola and volunteering with her TTYL programme and see what it's all about and learn from her and the people she works with. 

The seed has been planted. Now, I need to nurture that seed. I need to move forward and learn and grow. Isn't that what it's all about? I've felt like my energy and creativity and drive has been stifled by the job I am in, but I am not a quitter. I am an adapter. I will adapt and make my situation better and in the process, hopefully make other people's situations a bit better too. My journey may not take me the same direction as the speakers I heard from yesterday. I see myself working with younger audiences. I see helping them to build strong physical and emotional foundations in themselves so that they may not have to face the challenges of the teens and young adults that others are working with now and, if they do face them, they are better equipped to deal with them. If you're a teacher, a performer, a social worker, or just a like-minded person, let's get together and talk and learn and grow something amazing together!

 

Cheers, Jackie