Kathy Shaw has the perfect antidote for her busy schedule as a clinical instructor at the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing in Athens. Twice a week she perches atop a trapeze bar and dances.
Kathy Shaw, a clinical instructor at the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing, strikes a pose on a dance trapeze (below) during a class at Canopy Studio in Athens. Shaw has been involved in trapeze dancing for five years. "It's highly addictive and a lot of fun," she said.
"Trapeze dancing is more like Cirque du Soleil than Barnum & Bailey," said Shaw, RN, MSN. "We're not swinging high overhead with a big net below, or catching each other like traditional circus trapeze performers.
"It's more about dance than flying. We're only about 6 feet above the ground, but you still have to keep your wits about you."
The trapeze bar is suspended from two ropes attached to the ceiling, allowing performers to swing and twist freely.
"It's a whole different way of moving when you dance in the air," Shaw said. "There's balance involved. You can sit, stand, hang from the bar . . . it's unbelievable all the things you can do."
Shaw took ballet and tap dancing lessons as a child, and has participated in aerobics, running, weightlifting and biking as an adult. When a nursing student took her to an open house at Canopy Studio in Athens and introduced her to trapeze dancing five years ago, she was hooked.
"It's highly addictive and a lot of fun. All that spinning and swinging makes you remember the carefree feelings of childhood, and it's a good workout," she said.
Shaw has seen it reshape and strengthen her body, particularly her upper arms, shoulders and abdominal muscles.
Choosing different kinds of music — from classical to country-western — for her routines, trapeze dancing allows for more creative expression than other forms of exercise, Shaw said.
"I was never artistic and never felt like I had a way to really express myself. Trapeze dance does that for me," she said.
Shaw has learned that some moves are much tougher than they look and can be mastered only through practice.
"There's a move where you wrap yourself up in the rope," she said. "It's cool-looking, but I don't like the way it feels. It hurts, so I decided that I don't have to do everything."
Dancing in the air has taught Shaw about limitations and strengths. Certain things come easily, but she has to keep working on others.
Shaw
"That it's O.K. to enjoy the process was a big lesson for me to learn," Shaw said. "Nursing is so task-oriented, and we don't think about enjoying the process, only seeing the outcome."
Shaw believes that her hobby makes her a better nurse.
"When I have a really stressful day, I can walk into the studio and forget all my troubles. It's fun and enjoyable and helps me put things in perspective. It's wonderful stress management," she said.
Shaw has even learned to enjoy her twice-a-year performances, once she realized that the audience didn't know when her moves weren't perfect. Now she tries to have a good time and enjoy the experience.
Over the years she's made friends with people in her class, who are mostly in their 20s and 30s.
"I'm just glad I can keep up. It's cool to have younger friends. Age shouldn't define friendship," she said.
Many classmates are surprised to learn that at 50, she's in their mothers' generation.
"I hope that I'm some kind of positive role model," Shaw said. "I tell them 'you can do pretty much anything, if you just let yourself.' "