I thought about holding an informal competition among my friends to find the punchline to this joke...after realizing that my back injury is not just inflamed muscles but actually a bulging disc, I've been trying to keep my sense of humor about the irony of the situation: I'm hit with an injury that prevents me from training exactly that which I'm here to train!
Well, it turns out I don't need to hold the competition because the punchline has revealed itself to me:
-What do you call an injured contortionist?
-A bounce juggler.
Let me explain: My coach is one of the few coaches in Mongolia that teaches a multitude of circus arts, not just contortion. She has a trapeze and aerial fabric in her studio, and also teaches tap dance, hula hoop and juggling. I started bounce juggling when I got here and absolutely loved it! Something about juggling speaks to my focused personality, and since we use bouncy-balls training feels like playtime. About a week ago, my coach was commenting on how much I've learned and said that I'm ready to put together an act (Yikes! I don't feel ready at all!). She started daydreaming about what type of act to make, but we didn't follow through with it.
Well, just yesterday Bilgee told me that she found a performance for me, at one of her relative's wedding! Since my back is still healing, one of my classmates will do contortion, but I will have the opportunity to perform juggling.
Oh dear. Please keep in mind: I have only been juggling for two months! I thought very briefly about trying to weasel my way out of it- saying I'm too nervous, I don't feel ready - but I quickly reined that in. This is the type of experience I'm here to say "yes" to! If she thinks I'm ready to perform bounce juggling at a Mongolian wedding, then by golly... With only a week until the performance, we started choreographing yesterday ("we" because this will be a duo act with my 13-year-old classmate). The process has been great fun so far: it's nice to be working in collaboration with my classmate, experimenting with new tricks, encouraging each other, messing up together. I think I may be giving myself tendonitis from too much juggling, though, which feels like it should be the punchline of another joke (anyone want to finish that one for me?)
So there it is, folks: Next Friday, October 14th, 2011 will be my international juggling debut. Wish me luck!
I'll send you off with a cute, but unrelated, photo from training.
Good luck, Jacki!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to hearing more about your performance. Any pictures of bounce juggling?
Best wishes,
Alyce
Hi Jacki,
ReplyDeleteOur mutual Portland friend, Janet, introduced me to your blog. I just came back from a short trip to Inner Mongolia (and even shorter to outer Mongolia) so I have a real appreciation for the performance experience you must be getting. Also, heard it was your birthday and you got company- so good luck on all accounts!
Allie
Jacki-- do you know that the Pacific Rim program is in Mongolia right now? You should look them up (maybe you could email Prof. Elisabeth Benard, who is the director). I am so sorry you are injured. But typically, you are making the best of things. Take care, and heal quickly! Greta
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