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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — Rainie Themer walked on a low wire with minimal assistance from Maritza Atayde as Andrea Irving did Chinese Yo-Yo, Rachel Kimball rode a unicycle and Christopher Stoinev practiced juggling.
Ivan Stoinev kept a close watch on each participant. Themer completed her walk, got off the low wire and smiled.
"It's an incredible feeling," said Themer, 26, of Bloomington.
"I focus. I need to become one with the wire. When I'm done, it feels like quite an accomplishment. Anything in circus is empowering," Themer said before walking over to the lyre hoop.
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages, welcome to Cirquemania, a new circus arts fitness class offered to anyone age 8 and older at Four Seasons I, 904 Four Seasons Road, Bloomington.
"Circus is fashionable now," said Atayde, Ivan's wife and Christopher's mother.
Circus's return to fashion is thanks largely to the Stoinev's older son, Christian, an Illinois State University graduate. In September, Christian made it to the final 12 on the television show "America's Got Talent" with a hand-balancing act that featured his dog, Scooby.
His parents, owners of Cirquemania, have been circus performers since childhood and have performed worldwide. Ivan is a native of Bulgaria; his wife is a fourth generation circus performer from Mexico.
In spring 2013, the couple settled in Normal so Christopher, 15, could attend high school. He is a student at Normal Community West.
The husband-and-wife team knew of the circus history in Bloomington-Normal, where famous aerial artists once practiced, where ISU's Milner Library has a circus collection and where ISU's Gamma Phi Circus is the nation's oldest collegiate circus.
"We want to honor the circus history of this town by offering circus arts to the entire community," Atayde said.
As each of the four participants practiced different skills on Tuesday, Stoinev and Atayde assisted them while listing health benefits: Rola-Rola (or Rola-Bola) works the legs and hips while improving balance; Rola-Rola while spinning hoops on your wrists also exercises the brain; Chinese Yo-Yo works the brain and upper body; low wire works the entire body while improving balance; lyre hoop, Spanish Whip and aerial silks are aerial apparatuses that work the entire body while reducing fear of heights; German Wheel works the legs and hips while improving balance; unicycle works on balance and juggling exercises the brain.
"This class fits well with our mission of fitness, family and fun," said Brandi Kimball, Four Seasons' program manager and mother of Rachel, 15. "This is a different way of exercising. Kids can do it with their parents and have a great afternoon together."
"With circus arts, there's a lot of core stability, arm strength and concentration," Kimball continued. "Plus, it's exciting."
Themer, who works at Milner and is a graduate student, said, "I find circus to be a lot of fun and empowering. It's a fun way to work out without being competitive and without doing something unbearable."
"I thought it would be really cool and something different and a good way to have fun," said Irving, 13, of Bloomington. "It's a good way to get in shape."
"I think I've improved since my first lesson," Irving said. "I'm working on my balance and my juggling. They recommend I don't try it with eggs."
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Source: The (Bloomington) Pantagraph, http://bit.ly/1pc5YYV
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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com
This is an Illinois Exchange story shared by The (Bloomington) Pantagraph.
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