Araya U.
Yelp
WOW. What an experience at Emerald City Trapeze!! This was quite possibly the most thrilling and satisfying thing I've ever done. The instructional team contributes to this almost entirely - they made me feel so comfortable here despite all my nerves, and really helped me build my confidence in addition to these new skills. They're welcoming, they're friendly - and they really know what they're doing. This is what really made this studio and experience truly unforgettable.
For the majority of my life, I've had a fear of heights and open spaces, and sometimes get vertigo in certain non-enclosed spaces. Just the thought of free-falling shakes me to my core. I've always wanted to do something to over come it, but I never did - and so I booked this class, to give me a push in the right direction.
Our main instructor talked us through the first 20 minutes or so of class. He had us step up to a hanging bar that was near the ground, and had us hang by our knees to get a feel for what it would be like to hang up there. He talked to us about, safety, and then talked us through what you would be doing once you got up there. Then suddenly, as he's telling me about how to make sure I was secure on the ladder harness, he suddenly says to me: "And, go ahead and head up!"
Me immediately: "WHAT?! ALREADY??" I thought for sure I'd spend a little bit more time on the ground. I mean, the session was for TWO HOURS. How could I possibly spend only 20 minutes on the ground??
Somehow, between the three instructors out, they had managed to convince me that I could do it. At the top, I almost backed out of it, but in the end, I jumped - but mostly because I didn't really have any other choice. The first swing, they say, is for fear - after that, you know what to expect and your nerves are gone. I don't think my nerves ever truly went away. I climbed that ladder over, and over, and over again despite this though, and... true to their word, each swing started to feel a little easier. The fear and nerves are still there - but they've been reduced significantly, all because of the amazing instructional team here.
They remind you throughout the class that they have full control of everything - you're never actually free falling (well, until you're ready to be - but those are quite advanced students), and there are safeties built on top of the safeties, redundancies almost, they say, to make sure that you're never in danger. Each fall looked terrifying as I watched my friend, but by the time I was up there, I really did feel safe. I trust them entirely at this point - not so much my own body's reaction to the potential 'danger', but them, in full. While I didn't successfully complete a catch like several of the other reviewers did, I have a video of me getting pretty close, and that is good enough for me.
I ended up buying their "catch and return" deal upon leaving, determined to go back and successfully complete that catch.