January: Adventure & Sunshine - Goodbye London, G'day Sydney!

When I arrived in Sydney on the morning of 10^th January I was a bit of a wreck: I hadn't realised just how much of a difference there would be between visiting Australia on holiday, and moving to Australia. Despite the fact I have no idea how long I'll stay here, people have been saying goodbye to me as if it was forever! It was an emotional journey...I began to feel very English and nostalgic within minutes of reaching the departure lounge. And after three days in Kuala Lumpur feeling jetlagged, hot, tired, and just a little bit lonely – well, thank goodness I had Sarah and baby James waiting for me in the arrivals hall!

Two weeks in I'm feeling much better. I've kept myself very busy, diving straight in to the circus scene. I've blagged two free tickets to circus shows (Circus Oz & Empire), visited two flying trapeze rigs, one aerial space for a 'Sticky pole' lesson (very disappointing and messy version of Chinese Pole, but the only one in Sydney apparently!) and Circus Avalon in Newcastle – who I was just visiting to see a performance and talk shop with the director, but ended up performing with in the afternoon show - amazing! After being introduced on stage by the compere, he asked me why I had moved to Australia? My answer, on the spot, was 'Adventure and Sunshine' :) . I wore a borrowed outfit and had had about 30 seconds to try the trapeze bar and rehearse a few moves - and am happy to say I managed to pull off a reasonable version of my Bristol routine. It was a great way to meet the Avalon folk, and I am officially now a member! The only problem is distance, Newcastle being a three hour train ride away from Sydney, but at least they have a proper Chinese Pole!

I have also met some wonderful people here already. A great flying crew at Circus Arts Sydney, who also love a bit of Acro on the beach (or anywhere, in fact) – and with whom I'm training up to do the lines and catch with.

I've also met most of the Circus Oz cast (who kindly got me the comp tkt!) who are over from Melbourne for the Sydney Festival. I'm hearing more and more that Melbourne and Brisbane are the places to be for circus, and with little prospect of a paid circus job showing itself (so far) in Sydney, I'm wondering how long I should stay here, and where I should base myself, or whether I will get a circus job at all: I've already felt quite daunted by meeting some seriously skilled and professional performers with years of circus school behind them. Tomorrow, however, brings me my first paid job in circus – a very glamorous role helping to take down the Circus Oz big top!

Aerial Photoshoot (Hoop, Silks, Chinese Pole)

With big thanks to Rachel Mayes who helped me create these on the last day of term when we were all knackered!

Week 11: Looking Back & Looking Forward

11 weeks at Circomedia have come to an end. I can't believe just how fast it went. I can't believe I won't be going in on Monday 6^th January, and catching up with everyone before cracking on with another term's hard work. Turns out three months just wasn't enough to achieve everything I wanted to achieve. I certainly do feel stronger and fitter, and my trapeze technique has definitely improved, but I don't have a portfolio of perfectly polished acts across the disciplines that I thought I would come out with! But I'm not complaining because these three months have given me more than I ever conceived of. I didn't really know what to expect from circus school - and every minute of it has been a joy. Every day provided new surprises and moments I'll never forget, and I've absorbed and gained so much else aside from pure technique and strength training – in movement, theatre, performance, creativity and friendships that will last a lifetime. Which is the Circomedia experience, its forte. A BIG thank you to all of you, my teachers and friends who made it so special.

I do also wonder to what extent the part of me that wants to stay at school simply wants to continue deferring the real decisions: the hard work and potential disappointments involved in trying to find work in the circus world; of potentially compromising my ideals in the need to earn money. But at the same time I am excited to be moving on. I certainly couldn't at this stage go back to my 'old' life, where I fear my new experiences and plans could be drowned by all the hustle and bustle and pressures of London living. Yet whilst it seems so natural to me now, that of course I want to stay in the circus world, when I think back to my trepidation and doubts before coming to Circomedia, I realise just how much I have achieved. And I feel proud of myself. I have not simply 'survived' physically (which was a worry!) - I have flourished and want more.

So...next stop Australia - in under two weeks! My ticket is one way (it made economical sense, but felt quite different pyschologically to buying a return!) and takes me to Sydney. I've sent a few probing messages and emails to friends of friends out there working in circus, but I think it will be a lot easier to network and get to know the scene once I've arrived. I'd love to find work performing, but if I can't do that, or if it's only sporadic (at festivals, parties etc.), then I'd at least like to keep up my training - ideally by taking on some teaching work, which would give me access to a training space. But if it takes me some time to find my feet, who cares? Because it's hot and sunny :) and there's a whole country out there to explore, with many great experiences along the way!

Static Trapeze Performance at Picton Street Xmas Fayre

Trendy Picton Street in Bristol hosts a Christmas Fayre each year with craft stalls, food, drink and performances from musicians, dancers and circus artists. A couple of us from Circomedia decided to sign up for the experience, and despite only having a couple of days following our own Christmas show last week to come up with material, everyone created some beautiful pieces: Holly and Micci with fire, Rach on aerial hoop and fire-hoop, Sudhira on rope and myself on trapeze. The crowds were great and the weather held out until two minutes after we finished!

Doubles Trapeze Act for Circomedia 1st yr Christmas Show

This is a video of my Doubles Trapeze Act with Milena - filmed in the Kingswood South Wing studio

Week 10: The Christmas Show

Last night was the Christmas Show and I am SO happy to have been a part of it, alongside all my lovely, beautiful and talented new Circomedia friends :)

It was so much fun and so great to have the chance to show off all our hard work to friends and family. In the show were pieces that have been devised over the past few weeks: aerial, physical theatre, E&M, acro and movement.

The aerial pieces were devised using The Elements as a theme. About two weeks ago Milena and I discovered how much fun doubles trapeze is so we decided to create something together. Our element was air, and we tried to capture this in our movement and transitions as well as tricks. The Circomedia Church was a perfect venue to perform our dreamlike sequence.

I was also in a group piece for E&M....there were a couple of drops but we like to think we styled them out!

It's impossible to describe in words just how fabulous the show was, how proud I am of everyone - and of myself :) Thank you so much to friends and family who were able to come and support. It was so great to know you were there in the audience - and to finally have the opportunity to show you why on earth I 'gave it all up' and moved to Bristol! I hope the passion and joy I have for circus came through in my performance, and you could see how alive I felt, how much I love it, and how happy it makes me to do it.

Here are a few more pics to give you a taster of the rest of the show...

Week 8: A Room Full of Candles

Just a word about our Physical Theatre classes. A topic I think I've neglected a little because it's not my passion and I didn't choose to specialise in it. Nevertheless we still have a couple of classes in it per week (whether you've chosen it or not). Which I'm grateful for, because in the last couple of weeks we have been having a whale of a time. We have been portraying the Elements. Yes that's right, walking around the room like Earth, Air, Water or Fire. Capturing a way of moving that reflects each of these, for example: earth as solid, air as floaty, water as flowing and fire as crackling and bursting. My favourite moment was when we all stood together and were 'candles'. Open, shining faces, slightly bobbing to and fro atop our grounded bodies. It was so cute! (Doing fireworks was also fun, but rather more mental!)

And it's really interesting to see how simple things like this can translate in to theatre and character. For example: using earthy qualities to portray authoritative characters like bouncers or policemen; airy qualities to portray dreamers, open or spiritual characters. A few people have asked what Physical Theatre is, compared to just 'Theatre'. Physical Theatre aims to portray its meaning (a story, a moral, anything) primarily through movement of the body instead of dialogue. So you have to be very physically aware of yourself, your posture, every little movement and what they imply to the audience: what you can make them imply.

We have also looked at Masks. And had the privilege of seeing our director bring in and work with a number of masks he has made over the years. It was great to see him in his element.

 
It's fascinating to see a group of people you know all wearing Neutral Masks and yet somehow still portraying different characteristics. Learning to be neutral before overlaying the intended detail is a definite skill.

Despite not taking Physical Theatre as a specialisation, I am really enjoying the process of learning to appreciate more the value and impact of physicality and precision of movement in performance – and hope to translate that in to my own pieces. Our Christmas show will be themed around the Elements...so you'll be hearing more of this!