A Trapeze Date

Over the past few years, I’ve become a lot more ballsy. There’s not a lot I won’t try.

Including, apparently, trapeze, which I tried yesterday…on a date. A first date.

I’d read about it on Ali’s blog and seen that Sex and the City episode. It sounded really freaking cool.

I reread Ali’s post before leaving and got a little more nervous than I had been, but still thought it’d be awesome and I wouldn’t be that scared.

I walked up to the class area at South Street Seaport and thought, “This? This doesn’t look that high. Whatever.”

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No big deal?

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While we were on the ground, they taught us how to climb the ladder (you have to belay yourself in) and about the tricks some of us we would be doing. When they first told us they were going to teach us about the climbing-the-ladder procedure, I was skeptical. Don’t you just put one foot up then another? Why did I need to be belayed? Then I stepped up on the ladder, which was not so steady, and was very very happy to be wearing such a sexy belt on a first date. Still, I wasn’t that nervous.

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Then I got up there, grabbed the bar, and got a little nervous. The first two times, I told them, I need a second, I need a second, before I actually jumped.

Once you were airborne, you were supposed to pick your knees up and loop them over the bar, and then let go and hang upside down from the bar.

Which would have been awesome, except in 3-4 tries, I never got my legs up. They said I didn’t put enough force in when I jumped off (BECAUSE I WAS TERRIFIED), so I didn’t have enough momentum. I think it’s definitely that, but also a combination of a weak core, tight legs from my run yesterday and everything happening so fast. The instructors are yelling instructions at you from below, and we’d gone over all the commands earlier, but my mind and my body just weren’t communicating yesterday. Actually, growing up, I was always TERRIBLE at listening to instructions of how to do any sort of movement. I’d hear what the instructor said, but my body just couldn’t translate. Which is why I stopped dancing at a very young age. That and the no rhythm.

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Oh look. My legs are up…but not over the bar.

The third time I climbed up to the platform, I freaked out. I got up there, put one hand on the bar, and was too scared to put the second one on. I was shaking standing up there but was too stubborn to climb back down. (Plus climbing down the ladder still seemed scarier than flying. ) I asked if someone else could go ahead of me, while I took a second to climb down. They tried to persuade me to just go, but…OH HELL NO.

I took a second to calm down and jumped again. It was still terrifying, but I was glad I told that inner voice to shut the hell up.

Take a look at the video below. I almost tagged it as comedy on YouTube because it’s pretty comedic how terrible I am at this.


My jelly core and arms were ridiculously sore today from all that hanging.
But I want to go back. I have a score to settle with getting my damn legs up onto the bar.
Have you ever tried trapeze? What’s the most interesting date you’ve been on? (Or married people, how’d you meet your significant other?)

33 comments on “A Trapeze Date

  1. Shauna@Pleasure, not Punishment

    That looks so scary and fun! I can’t believe how easy it was to do insane things on bars as a little girl and how much HARDER it is with an adult body.

    Okay…also, not to be a creeper but is it very nice to tell us that it’s a trapeze FIRST DATE and make no mention of the date part??

    Reply
    1. Theodora

      @Shauna@Pleasure, not Punishment: Seriously! I did gymnastics as a kid and wasn’t great at the uneven bars, but definitely not as terribly awkward as I was yesterday.

      And as far as the date…I knew someone would comment something like that! I don’t mind talking about what we did (because it was too cool not to), but since my blog is nowhere near anonymous, I’d like to protect his privacy.

      Reply
  2. Linda

    You almost did it! That counts. That’s amazing. That always looks like so much fun, but also terrifying. You get a lot of credit for just trying.
    I hope the rest of the date went well. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Gia

    You rock!! I have been wanting to do trapeze SO badly but I cant find anyone to go with! I am IN for your comeback swing …

    Reply
  4. Alison @ The Peacock Diaries

    Aww, the video is cute. While I watched it I sang Michelle Branch’s “Breathe” to give it that boost of Carrie Bradshaw charm.

    It does seem like fun, but it is clear I would need to work on some upper body strength first!

    Reply
  5. Mary Lynne

    Great job for not backing down! And I’m impressed you went on a date there. How’d your date do on the trapeze?
    I did a class a few years ago and it was a blast. I didn’t listen very well to the instructors either, it’s like they weren’t loud enough. I even freaked out the senior instructor because I let go of the bar at the wrong time and went flying towards the end of the net. I didn’t realize it until he was screaming at me when I got out of the net. I was sore for days!

    Reply
  6. Mom

    Ok, so I have to comment on my daughter’s blog about this,
    Theodora, I can say yes, you never listened to instructions or rules always did it your way but seeing you up there terrified me. You tried Karate, ballet, jazz,sking ,and Tennis classesjust to name a few as a child but your feet were always on the ground,
    this time you pushed that envelope
    I’ve always been proud of you whatever you have done, but would you mind bringing it down and notch, so I can have a little less worrying,

    Love YOU
    Mom

    Reply
  7. Anne

    Your second date has a tough act to follow. How are you going to recreate that adrenaline? Maybe some skydiving? Or alligator wrestling? Or wearing Red Sox gear to a Yankees bar?

    Reply
  8. Dori

    I’ve wanted to try this for awhile but like you, I know I’d be terrified once I got up there. I don’t like heights or falling sensations. I can’t go on rollercoasters. I know this is different, but you know.

    Very fun date idea though! How did that plan come about?

    Reply
  9. Emily N

    Wow! That is so exciting. That Sex and the City episode always made me want to try it as well. We actually drove by it near the campus of the University of Cincinnati a few weeks back and I totally would have done it on the spot had I not been coming home from a wedding (and therefore in a little dress and heels.)

    Reply
  10. Sam @ Better With Sprinkles

    When I was about 10, my mom took me on a trip to the Bahamas (she’s a travel agent so she goes on trips often – this one they wanted to show the agents the Kids Club at the Club Med there so they had a bring a child under 12) where I got to be in a circus – style performance on a small trapeze. They took us out to the big one once (the same sort as you were doing) and oh my goodness, I loved it. Really want to do it again one day!

    Reply
  11. Cassandra

    That’s so awesome! My friends and I are taking a trapeze class two weeks from now, so it’s nice to have an idea of what to expect. And I hope the date part of it went well!

    And I absolutely love your mom’s comment. Too cute!

    Reply
  12. Victoria

    I think fun, fabulous dates are great! My husband and I met at a dive bar in Savannah and our first date sucked. Like he was sick, we stayed out for all of 30 minutes, but he didn’t want to not go on the date… and the rest is lovey dovey history 🙂

    I really want to try a trapeze class, we don’t have it down here. But I keep my eye on ATL’s groupons for a class!

    Reply
  13. Lemon

    A. I have NO core and can trapeze so that’s not the problem… try again, you might surprise yourself.
    B. How was the date?!?

    Reply
  14. MegG

    That is a very unique first date idea, I kind of love it. I went with 2 friends of mine two years ago and was TERRIFIED at first! I’ve become a little afraid of heights as I’ve gotten older, and at the time I had NO arm strength so actually grabbing the bar was very difficult for me. I think you just need to get that first little hop off the platform in and you’ll be good! (that little hop takes a lot though, I know!!)

    I’ve had pretty boring first dates as far as I can remember, my husband and I met through our running club. He asked me out to sushi and then we took a walk to a park I didn’t know about about in a nice neighborhood in Seattle. About 2 years later we got engaged in that park and 6 months after that we got married there. So I guess that’s kind of unique.

    Reply
  15. Elle

    Oh my gosh! It’s so incredible that you did this for a first date. I’m also really uncoordinated and terrified of heights (where I can legitimately fall — balconies with railings, I’m fine; open platform, I’m a quivering mess). I wouldn’t have been able to do even half as much if I had been you. Brava!

    Reply
  16. Helen

    I LOVE that SATC episode!

    “She flies through the air….with the greatest of ease….”

    Fantastic first date – better than mine and my husbands where we went for chinese food and all I could eat was half a bowl of egg drop soup as I was so nervous….

    Reply

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