This weekend I ran away to join the circus. Just kidding, but I did get a little taste of the thrill of acrobatics at Bumbershoot Aerial Arts. The Bumbershoot is a studio dedicated strictly to aerial arts, described as “physical movement, often dance-like or acrobatic in nature, performed while suspended in the air.” The Bumbershoot, located on Gravois Avenue downtown, offers classes and workshops on a variety of apparatuses including trapeze, silks, rope and hoops.

On Saturday, the Bumbershoot co-hosted a one-time beginner’s workshop with Lululemon in which novice students could get a fun introduction to trapeze and silks. I’ll admit that the last time I engaged in any acrobatic activity was when I fell off the jungle gym in third grade, so this was definitely an adventurous activity out of my comfort zone.

All the teachers, however, were so patient and helpful that every member of the workshop was able to complete tricks on each apparatus. What a rewarding feeling to be dangling from a trapeze by your feet or spinning upside down from silks within your first 1 1/2 hours. I should also mention that a teacher was spotting each student on the apparatus—this was quite reassuring (and I probably would have had a third-grade repeat without it).

At the end of the workshop, the teachers performed on both the silks and the trapeze as a demonstration of what is possible after years of training. I can’t really explain exactly what they did, but it was elegant, beautiful and incredible, and kind of like seeing Cirque du Soleil up close.

Want to pop your bubble? Good news—the Bumbershoot offers a variety of six-week classes on different apparatuses, with different focuses, etc., as well as private lessons and some workshops. A full schedule with class descriptions is available on its website.

If you’re looking for an adventurous activity, a new type of workout or considering joining the circus, go check out the Bumbershoot!

Additionally, as I mentioned above, this workshop was co-sponsored by the local Lululemon store (located on Maryland Avenue in the Central West End), which meant that this workshop was free for all who signed up. It frequently subsidizes these types of fitness classes at different gyms or studios around St. Louis as well as offers classes at the store. If you’re interested in exploring the fitness community in St. Louis or trying something new, I recommend checking out Bumbershoot’s Facebook page for updates.