11.22.07 kulturnatib

The thrill of aerial acrobatics

In May this year, I did volunteer work. I volunteered with Jumpoff Point, an outdoor activities and outfitter company. These guys are good friends and they, indeed, are good company. The work, wasn't work as such, but really was more like play. It was loads of fun.

The group was facilitating a multi-discipline, multi-stage outdoor event for another company; A fitness gym celebrating their anniversary. As a volunteer I was assigned to be the belayer in the rapelling section. I wrote about the experience in a subsequent column and concluded that everybody should, at least once in their life, experience rapelling.

This was a very good exercise in fear management and being able to trust and let go and embrace the joy of falling and being suspended in space, briefly, if one gets it right and for an agonizingly long time -- even if it really is just a few minutes at most --, if something goes awry, which it did for many participants.

In the column I admitted not having done before what I was being asked to do: to belay. But I had seen it done many times before that I was fairly confident that I could handle it. What I didn't admit in that column was that I had not rapelled ever before either.

The opportunity to do just that came months later. Last October 31, the performance art group XO? Did a performance event at Tapas Lounge, entitled 'Urum,' which was inspired by that famous print of the Spanish artist Goya entitled 'The Sleep Of Reason Engenders Monsters.'

This was one performance that could be said to really be a group effort. In the other performances, we would normally have individual works within the context of a shared theme. This time around, we worked together with theme that was suggested by Raymund Fernandez, XO? mentor and main mover.

As we discussed it, we came up with suggestions on how our individual performances would fit within a single narrative even while possible providing its own sub-narratives. From the way the suggestions flowed very easily and how everyone was contributing ideas to everyone other's idea or sub-production we knew we had or were going to make an important step forward in the development of XO?.

My sub-performance was going to be to hang from the ceiling of Tapas Lounge and swing around – at this point I only had a vague idea as to how this was going to be done – kissing plastic toy bats that was going to be tied with Chinese garters (long rubber bands) that were to be released from a bag by the previous performer who would, at the same time, act as the pivotal element of the entire performance.

So. I asked Doc Espina who works with Jumpoff to help me pull off this act. He is the ropes specialist in the group. As one of the more enthusiastic supporters of XO? he was more than willing to lend a hand.

On the day of the performance we went to the Tapas Lounge which, in the daytime is a beauty salon, to check on ceiling supports and to figure out the rope rigging plan in general and, in particular, how I would pull off my act.

We discussed what I wanted to do and how this could be done based on the physical possibilities with the architectural structure at Tapas. We agreed on a rigging plan. I practiced with a similar set-up, learning to work with a piece of equipment normally used in caving or in rescuing which I was unfamiliar with, at least in its operating detail.

An hour later we were back at Tapas to set up the ropes and for me to try it out. This was when I realized that this was really easier said or written about than done. I could hear echoes of Ariel, who was the' rapelling team leader during that summer event I volunteered with, saying, “Don't be afraid. Trust the rope, trust the rope!” Only this time around it was Doc doing the encouraging.

Performance time rolled around. Soon I was climbing down from the railings of the second floor. Before I knew it I was hanging from the rope. I was doing acrobatics. I was upside down. I was reaching for the bats. Paper bats not plastic. I was theatrically kissing them.

Both Doc and Dondon, another Jumpoff mainstay, were surprised. I said nothing about doing acrobatics. Doc, so much so that he forgot our exit routine. I was frantically signaling him that he had to check my descent as I saw that the rope was too slack.

I let go. I hit the floor with more impact that I had anticipated. But, I was safe.

The performance went off well. A teacher guest said so as she asked whether she could invite us to their school. Why not, I said, looking the rope rigging on the ceiling, and thinking, can I do ropes there?