In-Depth Post #5

From my last blog post, I’ve tried to maximize the continuation of my learning at home.  I have been continuing to stretch and exercise daily, and have signed myself up for some additional aerial conditioning and flexibility classes. Also, Kimmie and I have scheduled an upcoming online meeting where I can ask her questions about her career and why she chose to focus on aerial hoop.  I still don’t have too much that I can talk about, but I will probably provide an additional update to this post once I’ve had my online meeting.  

For my at-home exercises, I’ve been focusing on building up flexibility in my back and splits, and have been working on strengthening my back muscles, abs, and hamstrings. 

Here are the final two parts of the video I uploaded for my fourth blog post:

Post #5 Questions

  1. What kinds of learning opportunities does the mentor provide to expose you to new learning?

When we were still having lessons, Kimmie made sure to move towards my goal of learning 15 different poses at a reasonable pace, while also giving me time to expand on skills surrounding pre-existing poses.  During some of our meetings, we would advance onto new poses, but during others we would work on my style, flexibility, and ability to form a routine from some poses that I knew.  

  1. What kinds of learning opportunities exist to reinforce new learning?

As of now, Kimmie and I haven’t been in contact with each other as much due to quarantine.  However, we have scheduled an online meeting for this Sunday (April 19), where I can update Kimmie on how I’ve been working around not having access to a circus gym.  Our meeting will also serve as a time for me to ask Kimmie more questions on how she discovered aerial hoop and why she chose to teach circus classes.  

  1. What kinds of opportunities exist that might accelerate learning?

Separate from my meetings with Kimmie, I’ve also signed myself up for an online aerial conditioning class and a flexibility/stretching class.  This will help me stay limber and exercise the muscles that I would normally use for aerial hoop. In addition to keeping up my skills, these classes are also a fun way to exercise during quarantine and have taught me many new stretches and exercises that I can use to build an at-home workout.  

  1. When you get together what do you talk about?

There are a handful of topics Kimmie and I discuss when we have a meeting.  We discuss ways to improve on existing skills, and techniques, stretches, and exercises that can be done both on and off the hoop that would allow me to do so.  We also discuss routine-building, and how to fluidly transition between two drastically different poses. During my online meeting with Kimmie, I plan to ask her more about professional jobs that involve circus (performers, instructors).  

  1. What is going particularly well in your mentoring relationship right now?

Prior to this blog entry, I was feeling a little lost with how to continue working on in-depth without Kimmie.  But I will now have a chance to speak with her, so I feel that I can continue a slightly adapted version of my in-depth project.  Additionally, as I’ve mentioned before, Kimmie and I have maintained a good, friendly relationship and she has been very kind and patient towards me throughout this project.  

  1. What are you learning about one another?

I have learned a lot about Kimmie throughout the mentoring process.  For one, I’ve noticed that she seems to have a good eye for detail and has the ability to perfect a pose that I’m doing by pointing out minor mistakes in my form.  I’ve also learned that Kimmie is quite a dog person, as she owns two dogs that she brings to the gym (the dogs are familiar with the other instructors, and seem to enjoy watching everyone or playing tug-of-war with people training at the gym). 

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One Comment

  1. You are being flexible and adaptable. Not a pun! Keep it going.

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