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(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Of all the random activities I could see myself enjoying but haven’t yet tried — horseback riding, for instance — flying through the air on a trapeze has never been included in that list. While it certainly sounds cool, it’s just not something I can picture myself signing up for. I think I’ll stick to reading about it, and also…watching it. Because, you see, a new trapeze school has opened in Washington, DC and their temporary location is outdoors (9th and H St NW), not far from my workplace.

It officially opened last weekend, but there wasn’t anybody there when I walked by yesterday morning and afternoon. The schedule is posted on their website, though, so I’m totally planning to walk by and check it out.

From what I’ve been able to tell, most trapeze classes are located in large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Even if you don’t live near any of those places, though, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re vacationing in one of those areas. It’s definitely not your normal tourist-type experience.

The price for a class in DC is between $45-$55 for a two-hour session, plus a one-time $20 registration fee. That could get pricey if you’re taking classes regularly, but it’s not bad at all if you’re just looking to try it out.

Apparently (and understandably), the most nerve-wracking experience is grasping the trapeze bar and leaping off the platform for the first time. The Trapeze School website has a good description of what to expect — and I must admit, they make the first swing sound pretty good.

It’s only the first time once. You’re finally standing on the platform 23 feet above the ground. You have the safety lines securely fastened to your belt, the instructor is holding you, and you are holding the bar. Leaning out over the edge of the platform, you may be eager to go or be wondering what the heck you’re doing up there. [...]

There may be one moment of fear just as you commit your body to the task. Once you’re off the platform it’s all bliss. You’ll swing back and forth a few times, perhaps swinging your legs a bit, but mostly enjoying the pleasure of flight. It is a feeling like no other and one that you will expand upon in future jumps.

In the Washington Post, Petula Dvorak says the Trapeze School Flies in the Face Of Capital’s Button-Down Ways.

The temporary location…will provide a sidewalk show for four months, during which time passersby will be able to watch Washingtonians scream for their lives as they swing high above an asphalt parking lot — and a safety net, of course.

[T]he school has already received calls from several white-shoe D.C. law firms interested in having their lawyers spend some non-billable hours fighting their demons en plein air.

Liebchen attended a trapeze class in Baltimore. She wasn’t happy with her first performance, but she’s looking forward to trying it again in DC.

Flying through the air, check. Greatest of ease, not so much. First, there was the little matter of climbing to the top platform, holding on to a deceptively heavy bar while leaning over the edge, and trusting the instructor to hold on to you by your belt. (Oh, hey trust issues. Haven’t seen you in a while — how’s it going?) [...]

Now that trapeze school is practically down the street (and a few metro stops away), I’ll be able to brush up on my maneuvers. My knee hook was getting a little rusty. Plus, it’s a great upper body workout (i.e. you’ll feel sore as hell the next day, but it’ll be completely worth it).

Angela was a little too comfortable with the supportive, burly arm of her instructor around her waist to want to let go for the first swing.

As I stood there trying not to ponder the abilities of a human body to withstand a fall from this height, I fancied myself floating gracefully and twirling effortlessly from bar to bar, a modern day Georgina of the Jungle. Then came the commands from the teacher below, “Ready… Set…” And next he would soon say “Hup” — but I didn’t want to hear the “hup” because “hup” meant burly arm would be gone, and it would be me, my death grip, a lot of momentum, a poor knowledge of physics but a keen understanding of what gravity does to a human brick. [...]

Then came the next command, “Let go with your hands.” To which I actually responded “I don’t want to.” The teacher repeated the command. I repeated my refusal. This went on for a while until I finally complied. I think I tasted my spinal fluid in the back of my throat.

JC Kwok tried a trapeze class on her 30th birthday. She was nervous, but she found the experience “amazing.”

My first swing on the trapeze was so much scarier than I thought it would be. I felt silly because I screamed the entire time I was swinging on it! They had us jump off the platform, swing through the air, and then hook our knees onto the bar. After that we had to let go of the bar with our hands so that we were hanging upside down, and then grab on again, take our legs off the bar, and then do a back tuck dismount!!

When they first told me I would be doing all that I was like “HUh? Excuse me?!” But after getting over the initial scare and shock of flying through the air, it was actually not as bad as I thought it would be and it felt really fun, free, and liberating!

Miss Bleeker attended a class in New York City. When asked why she did it, this is her response:

trapeze class you ask? what are [a] bunch of wedding nuts doing flying through the air? i know, our mothers said the same thing. but what can we say? the weather in NYC has been outrageously, criminally, ridonkulously gorge. and when you’ve been on your feet for four days straight, nothing feels better than losing the shoes and relying on your hands and gravity to do the work for you.

Erin Abrams at The Glass Hammer said, “the experience was totally worth it.” And then afterward…

I left the trapeze school feeling vaguely smug and empowered, as if I had a secret super power. You better believe I ordered the photos, at 20 bucks a pop. The next day, I woke up with solid black bruises across the backs of my legs that looked like I had been beaten with a baseball bat.

(Also, Flickr user LaTur took this amazing photo at the DC Trapeze School opening weekend.)

Would you try a trapeze class? Have you?