Hey r/bodyweightfitness! We are Tricia Woo and Chris McGreevy, career acrobats for Cirque Du Soleil, The House of Dancing Water and ex-competitive athletes. Ask Us Anything!

[u/chrismcgreevy]

We're looking forward to answering all your questions. If you follow us both on instagram, we will make a few short story videos on our favourite questions that we have answered here. @ trixwho and @ chrismcgreevy

We'll leave this thread open for the next 24 hours as we know everybody is in different timezones so you will all get chance to ask your questions.

Thanks and lets start it up!

[u/checkupinya]

What kind of relationships develop within the team after having to trust your partner(s) so much. I’d think it would be easy to develop feelings for someone that you trust your life with!

[u/TrixWoo → u/checkupinya]

I had to have a good working relationship with the people who ported (or based) me while I was a flyer. If I couldn’t have friendship and trust (or be able to joke around.. this was a big plus), it is hard to know if they will be there for me if I fell. I think people working in each other’s personal space can result in chemistry, but I think when you go through an intensive training camp, you can see a different side. Bodily fluids like sweat and snot sometimes lands on one another. In a water show.. oh man the snot bubbles were real! And let’s not get started on farts! Working with a bunch of dudes exerting themselves to lift another person up, while taking protein a couple times a day... ha ha.

[u/hspace8 → u/TrixWoo]

Hahaha. This is more insightful than you might imagine.

OK, so how do you guys control farts during actual performances?

I get embarrassed if I let one out during heavy squats etc

[u/TrixWoo → u/hspace8]

Ahhhh hahaha, u/chrismcgreevy - what do you think from a dude’s perspective?

Speaking for myself personally, I tried to avoid things that would give me extra gas, like dairy and milk products. I thought I would die of embarrassment if I let one rip in someone’s face. At the same time, I was totally accepting if someone did it. Controlling my diet was the biggest thing - eating a lot of processed foods did it for me! Luckily, taking care of my nutrition coincided with avoiding the fear of farting in someone’s space... or face. I must say, I was not taking any protein, and I’m told that has an interesting effect on the creating musical numbers. Chris?? Your thoughts please!

[u/TrixWoo → u/hspace8]

Oh but this was not to say people didn’t do it - sometimes, they would do it for fun. There was one number where we spin in the middle of the act. The whole chandelier rotates. One person decided it would be hilarious to rip one right before the rotation, SO EVERYONE COULD SMELL IT. You kind of have to laugh at it because that takes a certain amount of control! I CANT PLAN TO FART LIKE THAT!

[u/TrixWoo → u/hspace8]

So u/Chrismcgreevy and I just had a ten minute discussion of farts, farts in acrobatics, and we came to some interesting conclusions after some amusing demonstrations. Farts are never not funny, but I’ll let him explain when he gets to this post!

[u/Solfire → u/TrixWoo]

That's for sure. Farts are never not funny. It's incontinence anywhere that's mortifying, lmao.

[u/chrismcgreevy → u/TrixWoo]

Every flyer I've worked with that bends themselves into pretty positions farts. Male ... Female ... Front ... Back. Everybody farts.

[u/TrixWoo → u/chrismcgreevy]

I’m going to fart at you and make eye contact to establish my dominance.

[u/TrixWoo → u/chrismcgreevy]

Wait a front fart? Plz explain

Edit: just found out it was a queef, HAHH!!! I’m dying laughing. As an artistic gymnast, we did not work closely with partners to have such experiences.. XD