Grounding - Not Grounded

3/19/2026 |

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

I remember my first aerial lesson at the New England Center for Circus Arts-the attempts to climb, the feel of the ropes in my hands, the soreness that lasted for DAYS. Aerials were a new fresh love that I poured all of my heart into. But before I learned to fly, I first learned to stilt-walk, cartwheel and juggle.

My circus career began at the Children’s Circus of Middletown, where I played the part of a cartwheeling starfish at just 6 years old. Soon I was jumping on trampolines, clowning around and walking on stilts. As a youth, I lived for the great heights, the elaborate costumes and the infusion of dance, story telling and ensemble work. It was through this camp that I met Heidi and Joel, whose infusion of fire, object manipulation and equilibristics gave me a broader view of the circus I thought I already knew.

The beauty of circus, or learning any new skill or artform really, is that once you’ve unlocked the first door, you find out just how much more there is to explore. For me, acrobatics expanded from cartwheels to hand balancing to aerial acrobatics. Splits were no longer enough-now I needed bridges and soon contortion and eventually mobility. As my focus transferred to new skills and my body transformed, I spent less time on my earlier pursuits.

Now, later in life, I see those early floor circus skills as what they truly are: grounding. The core acrobatic skills I developed through childhood circus and dance still inform my body awareness in the air and on the floor. Hand balance and flexibility provide a stable routine to pick up when I haven’t trained in a while or am coming back from injury. Juggling has been a constant source of joy for me, providing challenges for my hands and mind while I’ve rehabbed injuries. And stilt walking, well, that will always be a staple for me. Beautiful costumes, the awe of faces in the crowd and the chance to dance!

I love ground circus. It has provided me new excitement and possibility through all seasons of my life. It’s accessible, I can pick up a ball and juggle almost anywhere (and often times with friends), inside or out. At any point in my life whether it be new circus endeavors, injury rehab or general exercise, ground circus has been there. It informs my high-level skills and tricks or simply juggling with friends or stretching at the end of the day.

Share this: