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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2009)
OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/Bl/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE SEPTEMBERS 2009 3 5 J W VOICES rr 5 The Mon on the Flying Fabric «✓» * H o w I G o t R o p e d In to A e r ia l G y m n a s t ic s The thought first occurred to me at the 2008 Red Dress Party. As I watched the taut, muscular aerialist suspended 40 feet above without a safety net—supported only by two pieces of red silk—1 thought, “Damn. 1 want to look like that.” I’ve always based my life on the philoso phy that if you want what someone has, do what they do. There was just one problem: I had to get over my formative can’t-climb- the-rope-in-gym-class trauma. And since my usual workout routine focuses on looks rather than strength, I had no idea if I had what it took to scale silk. To find out, I attended an aerial acrobatics class at the A-WOL Dance Collective in Northeast Portland. Walking into the oversized warehouse, I felt an imme diate comfort and sense of familiarity—not because I was confident about what was go ing to happen, but because this was the very building where I’d seen the stunning aerialist perform at Red Dress. In fact, some of the platforms from prior Red Dress parties lie scattered around the floor. I was the first student to arrive. The teacher, 22-year-old Paulina Munoz, had a boyish figure and a Colgate smile. She got into aerial dance, she told me, because “I want to stay young.” “Me, too,” I said. OUT GOING by Floj/d Sklaver I told her my fifth grade gym horror story and she informed me that, “if you count on arm and upper body strength, you won’t last five minutes.” Another classmate arrived. She wore black tights with silvery details and said she dressed like a superhero so she could fly high. She also confirmed Paulina’s statement: “After the first class, my arms hurt so bad I couldn’t lift them.” Another A-WOL instruc tor, Amy Benton, told me about her first time. “The next day I couldn’t put my own clothes on,” she said. Class began with a series of moves that stretched not only my legs but my nerves. I remembered my yoga practice and took deep breaths, hoping to move oxygen to my tight muscles and slow my palpitating heart. I also reminded myself that while I wanted what Paulina had, she’s less than half my age, so I should adapt her warm-up routine for my seasoned body. As we stretched, the whir of welding equipment from the class next door S competed with the fusion teen times and I’ll reach the jazz emanating from the top. y> portable CD boom box. I repeated the maneuver until I was about halfway, After the warm up, I was holding onto the silk in a ready for a nap, but instead fetal-like position, looking* we proceeded to the aerial more like a chimpanzee in equipment. High above a tree than a gymnast. But I a large plywood platform didn’t quit. Banishing my el stood an enormous bridge —J ementary school memories, I crane. Suspended from it climbed higher and higher, were a trapeze bar, two aerial until finally, 50 feet up in silks and a rope that curled the air, I was able to touch on the floor to look like an the crane. Now I just had to_ upside-down question mark. get down—harder than you’d “What are you doing here?” imagine since the silk leaves it seemed to ask. burns on your hands if you I stepped up to a silk and just slide. faced it squarely, the way I Floyd overcomes the imagine a lion tamer does Still, I can’t wait to do it rope-climbing trauma of again. the first time he walks into his youth by getting aerial the circus ring. I grabbed the In the meantime, I’ll have with a lot of silk. black material and pulled it to make do by watching A- taut. I squatted slightly, then wrapped the WOL perform. Their next show is 8 p.m., silk around my left foot, placing my right on September 17-18 in the atrium of downtown’s top to hold the material tightly as I reached World Trade Center ($15, 503-936-7798 or above. Trying to remember Paulina’s instruc a-woldance.org). You can bet I’ll be there and tions, I propelled myself upward with my legs Out Going. J A F loyd S klaver is looking fo r new ad at the same time I pulled myself up with my arms. “So far, so good,” I thought, from about ventures a nd experiences. E m a il your ideas to 3 feet up. “Now I just need to repeat this fif floydsklaver@comcast. net. i ALL PURPLE STICKY PRODUCTS Visit our website for . m ore specials and events: www.taboovideo.com multichannel arcade • huge selection • magazines • lingerie • gift certificates available Taboo Vancouver 4811 NE 94th Ave. Vancouver WA 82nd Ave. Taboo 2330 SE 82nd Ave. Portland OR MLR Blvd. Taboo 237 SE MLK Blvd. Portland OR ( 360 ) 254-1126 ( 503 ) 777-6033 ( 503 ) 239-1678 '
