WHAT HORSEMANSHIP HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT CIRCUS TRAINING

Link to FULL PODCAST: https://soundcloud.com/heelhang/what-horsemanship-has-taught-me-about-circus-training

Prompt:

People are complex and our lives have many aspects. I wonder what other things have shaped how you all teach/learn/perform? What have the big lightbulb moments been? What life lessons did you learn elsewhere, that have made you the artist you are now?

In this session we discussed a wide range of outside experience that has impacted our circus (aerial) practice, but my talking points (and this entire idea) were inspired by my ongoing dedication to horse training. No horse experience is required to relate to the following...

Thoughts and Actions:

Things horses have taught me about aerial:

You need to be in love with the process not the outcome

There’s always more than one way to do anything

The details are matter, all of them. Because everything is cumulative- the good and the bad

The more repetition, the more progress

Without fundamentals, nothing advanced is possible

The slower you go the faster you get there

Nothing is more important than the exact moment you are in

Progress is measured in individual steps  not major milestones

Progress not perfection

Progress is not linear, it’s cumulative

The simpler the exercise the easier it is to identify issues and fix

People vastly underestimate the amount of repetition required to see improvement

Check in with how full the anxiety/stress cup is

Clear communication is KEY

If you are learning (teaching) it’s not rehearsing