Student Highlight: Mason Parker
Could you introduce yourself?
Self employed artist from Massachusetts who makes stained glass sea creature lamps. I know basic juggling and am convinced that no coffee is better than lousy coffee.
Self employed artist from Massachusetts who makes stained glass sea creature lamps. I know basic juggling and am convinced that no coffee is better than lousy coffee.
How did you learn about aerial arts/circus?
It revealed itself when I was ready, in the form of a postcard I found in a bathroom of a coffee shop.
When did you start taking classes?
November 2012
What is your favorite aspect of aerial & circus classes?
Being able to do something I wasn’t able to do in the last class. How any success is always earned. New friends who like to party and have a good time.
Where do you see yourself going with this? Do you want to do more performance someday, or is this more of a fun recreational activity?
I am mostly done doing performances but will again if a theme comes up that inspires me enough. I want to be able to do a freestanding handstand someday and maybe even incorporate that into a performance. Overall, aerial is a fun way for me to stay to keep and grow physical and mental fitness.
Do you have a favorite apparatus? Why or why not?
I tried trapeze, it was enjoyable but I wasn’t getting as far as I wanted and switched over to silks. That has been my favorite apparatus since but hand stands is very portable with plenty of room for creativity and novelty.
What advice do you have for a potential student thinking about starting classes?
Show up for every class, 15 minutes early to get settled in is ideal. If you are out of shape take an aerial strength and conditioning class first. If you are already in shape understand that the brain/learning part is gradual but exponential. It took me months to learn how to do a basic catcher’s hang or a dance wrap, now I often can learn a complex trick the first or second time.
If you keep getting stuck with something, present the same question to a different instructor. They all have different personalities and pasts and one will inevitably explain what you need in a way you understand.
Read Maxwell Maltz’s book “Psycho Cybernetics”Studios vary radically in their feel, social dynamics, size, and perks (ie. bathrooms, lockers, refrigerators, etc…)
Try them all, sometimes you need more than one.