Do You Know the Difference Between a Contortionist and an Aerialist?

I had lunch plans today with a contortionist who attends Ecole Nationale de Cirque here in Montreal. That's because I'm doing preliminary research for a new YA manuscript set at a circus school.

As you can expect, I learned a lot in a couple of hours! The first thing I learned is the difference between a contortionist and an aerialist. My new friend, it turns out, is an aerialist -- meaning she performs acrobatics in the air.

Today, I only saw her perform at the table of the vegetarian restaurant we went to! Because she was wearing a skirt, her acrobatics were limited to arm movements. Check out today's pic for a demonstration -- can YOU do that?

So, I bet you want to know some of the interesting stuff she told me. One is that circus students live in a bubble. "We eat, breathe and sleep circus," were her words. Another thing she told me that I found cool and intriguing is that circus students don't see the world the way the rest of us do. "We don't see things as obstacles, like a table or a chair. We see it as something we can play on." THAT MADE ME HAPPY -- both because it helps me understand the circus world a little better -- and also because it's an endorsement of PLAY (something I'm a great fan of.)

Okay, off I go to have dinner with two writer friends, Lori Weber and Jane Barclay. Then tomorrow, I am transformed back into a pumpkin  (did I really say pumpkin?!) ... I meant to say TEACHER. I'll be back to teaching full-time at Marianopolis College. As you can imagine, I'll have loads to blog about over the next 15 weeks.

Next time you see a table or a chair, dear blog reader, try to see it in a new way. I know I'm going to try!