Trapeze
Modern circus started in the mid 1700’s, when Philip Astley needed to find a career for himself after leaving the British Army. He decided to put his horsemanship to good use by devising a show around riding and tricks performed on horseback. The concept proved successful and the show ran in London for several years. While the British concentrated on performing animals, the physical performance in circus was developed in France, and on November 12, 1859, Jules Leotard performs first flying trapeze circus act in Paris. He also designed garment that bears his name.
Flying trapeze is the form that most people think of when trapeze is mentioned. It is a bar, attached at each end to wires, which are then fixed to a central point in the ceiling of a building, or a suitably built frame. On a platform to one side stands the trapeze artist, the 'aerialist' who swings on the trapeze bar, backwards and forwards, sometimes letting go and flying to a catcher who is either on the opposite platform, in the case of “petit volante” form or else to another trapeze, in the case of 'high fly.'
There are other two other trapeze techniques besides flying, and they are swinging trapeze and static trapeze. They are mechanically different to flying trapeze in that the bar is suspended by ropes rather than wires, and the aerialist works on the ropes as well as the bar. Swinging trapeze, as the name suggests, involves a trapeze swinging back and forth, but unlike flying the performer climbs a rope to reach the bar, starts the swing themselves and performs solo. In static trapeze the performer climbs the rope to the bar, and the bar stays still while the artist manoeuvres themselves around the bar and the ropes.
Performances in all forms of trapeze are usually to music, closely choreographed
and are between around four and seven minutes long. They look graceful, elegant
and effortless. They are in fact one of the most physically demanding things you
could ever put your body through! Pretty much every major, and minor, muscle
group is engaged before you even climb the rope. Because you’re using your body
as an instrument of performance, everything from your toes to your fingertips
must be engaged. Stamina, strength and flexibility are all equally essential,
and although you’d think most of the work comes from the arms and shoulders, it
is your abdominal muscles that make it possible for your body to fulfil the
demands the discipline makes of it.
Trapeze is amazing. It is hard and potentially dangerous work, but if you make a commitment to the art you will be benefit from physical and emotional rewards unlike any others you have ever experienced. You will look and feel better than you have ever felt. If you would like to investigate trapeze and other sorts of circus training in more depth, you might be interested in the following links:
www.thecircusspace.co.ukwww.moiracampbell.com
www.circomedia.com
www.circusarts.org.uk
www.skylight-circus-arts.org.uk
By Antigone
Wimbledon 2005
What's happening in this years Wimbledon? Well, we are already almost half way through the tournament and the possible winners are starting to stand out.
It would probably be foolhardy to bet against Roger Federer gaining his third Wimbledon title. The placid and pleasant Swiss looks like establishing the same stranglehold on Wimbledon that Sampras had during the nineties and has so far proceeded quietly on his way without losing a set. There are other possibilities however.
Lleyton Hewitt always shines at Wimbledon, his gritty determination and speed around the court could easily be a threat to Federer, although injuries this year mean that he is short of match play.
Another possible contestant and my second favourite to win, is Andy Roddick. Roddick is tremendously powerful, with one of the best, if not the best serve in the game. Not only is it accurate, fast and hard, it is also varied. He can hit his serves flat, sliced or with a kick like a mule and it is very difficult for his opponent to tell what he is going to do until it is done. I have just watched Roddick playing the Italian ‘lucky loser’ Daniel Bracciali in his second round match and I am very impressed. Roddick is making very few mistakes and has that glazed look to his eyes that the top players often have when they are totally focussed. His serve is working perfectly; most of his service games are over in less than a minute. He is also clearly very hungry to win.
Marat Safin, the Australian Open Champion, is also having an impressive start to the tournament, but I would say that a victory for Safin, given his well known and often expressed dislike of grass is an outside chance, especially considering the fact that he is carrying an injury to his knee.
The women’s tournament is more open. The Williams sisters are both on course, although Serena is battling a painful ankle problem and seems unlikely to be a serious contender this year.
Maria Sharapova, last years Champion is looking very good and has had little trouble with her matches so far; she pushed aside Spain’s Nuria Llagostera Vives in fifty eight minutes with the loss of only four games. Her second round victory against Sesil Karatantcheva of Bulgaria was even more comprehensive; she lost only one game in a forty six minute rout providing unwitting support for those who still insist that women players don’t deserve to be paid the same as the men.
Lindsay Davenport is also in good form; the world number one often struggles with her weight and while she is never the quickest player round the court at any time, the 1999 Champion can sometimes look leaden. But this year she is trim and playing well and her third round opponent, Dinara Safina, sister of Marat, is unlikely to trouble her too much. I would like to see Davenport win; she receives much less publicity that other, more glamourous females in tennis, but is a fine player with an attractive game.
Unfortunately, her fourth round match brings her up against Kim Clijsters another fine player who is seeded rather low at fifteen. Clijsters is a player who I enjoy watching and that should be a good match, but a shame that one of them will be out at such a relatively early stage.
What about the British players? Well, as of today, the only Brit left in the tournament is the young Scot, Andrew Murray. Murray has played very well indeed so far, particularly in his match against the number fourteen seed Radek Stepanek, which no one expected him to win, least of all himself. Murray is by no means a natural grass court player, most of his training has taken place on Spanish hard courts, but you would never have guessed it from his performance in that match. He fully deserved his win, but in my opinion, his lack of big match experience and overall immaturity as a player means he is unlikely to get a great deal further in this tournament. His next opponent is David Nalbandian, the 2002 finalist.
Of course, sadly Tim Henman is out, making this the first Wimbledon in some years that he hasn’t graced the second week. I have a great deal of time for Tim, he is a fine player and while we berate him for never winning Wimbledon, we should remember that he has been consistently in the top ten players in the world for almost a decade. He is dedicated and hard working as well as talented and I hope he will be back next year.
So that’s the story so far, the parts I’m interested in anyway! My predictions are Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova repeating last years success. If I could choose, I would like Andy Roddick and Lindsay Davenport or Kim Clijsters to win, so they are my second choices. All we have to do now is watch and enjoy!
See www.wimbledon.org for daily updates and player profiles as well as the real time scoreboard for those of us who are stuck at work.
By Turtle Bean
Click here for Ready? Play, a personal account of what Wimbledon has meant to one of our contributors.