Circus - A Moving Meditation

2/19/2026 | Heidi Kirchofer

Category: circus, thrive movement studio, performance, lifestyle, movement, health, fitness, wellness

In several of my classes we have been working through pieces of a twisty sequence on lyra and trapeze. The real challenge for my students is the nuance that is required in their movements to make the choreography work. The sequence has general guidelines for hand height and firm guidelines for exact grip required to change directions or turn. But there are so many small things that need to happen so this sequence moves fluidly and feels comfortable. There are several moments where your hips have to come up and over the bar - requiring a participation of legs squeezing and driving down while the arms lift the body-allowing you to travel over the bar without bashing against it. Constant cueing of hand height and positioning of the head.

I just love the extreme attention that it requires. Simpy doing it again, again and again. In fact, I love that so much about circus, a moving meditation with a beautiful outcome. This sequence probably does not look challenging to the untrained eye, but for those of us who find ourselves in the air, we understand that it requires nuance and repetition. It is through our many attempts, our thoughtfulness through repetition, that we expand and grow.

The stillness of winter is perfect for this type of work. As our performance schedule slows down, my practice becomes reflective and intuitive, allowing myself the time to pay attention to subtle things like my grip. I savor this this time of year, where we hide out and create; planting the seeds to be stronger in the Spring. Ripe and ready to be run out into the world with renewed creativity and energetic summertime performances.

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