sny spotlight: Trapeze School New York

West St between Piers 34 and 26
New York, NY 10014

Hours: seasonal

Price: $45 - $65/class

Phone: 917-797-1872



For anyone who's ever contemplated running away to join Cirque du Soleil, there's a new way to fly downtown. Located on the Hudson River waterfront, Trapeze School New York offers classes in single and doubles flying trapeze as well as in the more esoteric arts of vertical rope, tissue, Spanish web, trampoline and juggling. Adrenaline junkies ages six and up can learn the basic swing, the building block of all trapeze tricks. From there, you can advance to take offs, bird's nests, knee swings and splits, eventually working your way up to the hard-core stuff, like flying between trapezes with a partner and catching them.

Don't worry, there's a net and safety precautions galore for all aerial artists-in-training. The school is the only one of its kind in town, and as such, often features guest instruction from world-class trapeze artists, stunt artists and other performers. Besides being an exhilarating cardio and strength-training workout, Trapeze School's stunning views make it an ideal spot for extreme dating, and its perfect safety record makes it a birthday party destination. Most classes are mixed-level, so check the website for times and advanced class schedules. -- Erin Franzman

http://www.trapezeschool.com

That's So New York