Gorilla Circus Trapeze School; She flies through the air….
Who would have guessed that there’s a trapeze and circus school in London !! Gorilla Circus Trapeze School operates out of Regents Park from May to September, and indoors during the winter months.
As soon as Abbi found this out, resistance was futile. Following a recent trip to Giffords Circus, she became obsessed with becoming a trapeze artist. Our attempts to build her our own DIY Trapeze do not seem to have diminished this desire. So after persistent pestering, a place was booked.
Gorilla Circus Classes
Classes are small (around 10 maximum) and there wasn’t much availability when I looked, but luckily we found a class that suited. There was only 1 space left in the class, so Jamie and I just had to spectate. No complaints there!
So we pitched up to the park on a sunny August day, ready to ooh and ahh at Abbis circus skills. The class was made up of mix of ages; Children of 8/9 years old up to adult. There was a range of experience in the group too, though most people were beginners, taking their first class.
The class lasts around 2 hours. The lovely instructors take the class through safety instructions, and some limbering up before they do some practise swinging on a trapeze around 5 ft off the groud. Each of the class are given a turn at this height to practice getting up on to the bar, and releasing their hands.
And then almost immediately, its time to climb up the very high steps to the platform.
She Flies Through The Air…
A volunteer is asked to go first. I hold my breath, as I watch Abbi climb up those rickety steps first!
The safety harness is clipped to her waist band, before the instructor pull the trapeze back.
And holds the waste band while she leans out.
She steps off the platform.
To be honest the photos taken on my camera phone, really don’t show how fantastic this was. Over the course of two hours, the class each have an couple of turns swinging on the trapeze, releasing their hands to swing upside down by they knees, and then dismounting with a back flip. I fully expect a couple of people to wimp out, but everyone does it it – though the kids are definitely more guns ho, and definitely more supple.
For the last “swing” each of the day, the participants that can easily manage the knee swing and dismount, they are invited to do a transfer upside down into the hands of one of the instructors. Hopefully this video demonstrates this better than I am explaining it.
Abbi loved her session at Gorilla Circus. Though she would have enjoyed it much more if she could have done it with a friends, as there is quite a lot of waiting around for your turn. The instructors are lovely, and really encouraging. Abbi assures me its actually very easy.
If you fancy getting your swing on, contact GorillaCircus.com for booking and details.