Flying high

With grace, agility and style, Bernadette Pace glides gently through the air. She pulls herself into splits over the trapeze bar and dangles upside down before reaching out her hands in order to be caught. At 60 years old, this trapeze artist lives for free-falling. \nSet in the deep woods of her backyard, Pace practices her art on a genuine highflying trapeze with her local group, the High Flyers. She fell in love with the trapeze in the Denver YMCA in 1970 and has been perfecting her tricks ever since. In 1983, she relocated to Bloomington and knew she could not live without continuing her passion. \n"I was so addicted," Pace said. "I knew I'd just die if I didn't have one." \nShe moved into her new home in 1985 and finally had her wish: a trapeze in her backyard. The platform sits 24 feet high in the trees. From the ladder to the end of the "catcher's position" runs a huge safety net. Safety is Pace's main concern. Most injuries do not occur from falling. Despite thorough wrapping with sports tape, a trapeze artist's hands are most at risk incurring tears from the roughness of the bar.\nAlthough she used to be an unpolished novice, Pace learned her craft through the help of local gymnasts as well as other trapeze artists. Today her backyard boasts a tightrope, trampoline and practice bars. \nWhen seasoned gymnast Janet French walked into Pace's backyard with her then-8-year-old daughter Leah, she became eager to learn how to also use a trapeze. Pace taught both Janet and Leah how to "fly," the term for being on a trapeze, while Janet helped Pace with her flexibility and agility. To Leah, flying for the first time was enticing and intimidating. Just as she was getting used to the feeling, she had a big scare. \n"My timing was off and I had never had that experience before," she said. "The catcher put his hands down and let me fall into the net. For a long time after that, I would not get back up and I just hid in the bathroom." \nLeah, now a junior at IU, has conquered her fears and continues to fly. \nThe Frenches have a unique bond through flying. Hannah, Leah's sister, as well as Hannah's boyfriend, Clint Bobsey, also work with the troupe. Janet saw flying as an opportunity to bring her family together. \n"I knew this was a way for us to spend a lot of quality time," French said. "I just had to wait until (my children) were old enough."\nIt is not only the French family experiencing this kind of bonding. Pace's 9-year-old granddaughter Isabel Branam-Pace is a skilled gymnast as well as a proficient flyer. She learns to do tricks with a spotting line, a technique Pace claims "teaches the kids how to hit the net properly." \nOnce she somewhat understands the feeling of the trick, she is free to do it without the spotter. She shows no signs of fear as she holds her body in perfect alignment preparing her trick. Pace calls out "Isabel, ankles!" and suddenly the 9 year old is dangling 24 feet above the ground only by her ankles. She leans out and is caught by Billy Stafford, a steady catcher for the High Flyers. Suddenly, she is spun into mid-air and re-catches the trapeze bar.\nPace encourages her granddaughter as well as the other young members of the group to take advantage of the time they have and fly as much as they can right now. \n"I tell them 'Go now!'" Pace said. "Once you start up your life you will never have time to do it."\nSince the '90s, some of the Flyers have joined various circuses. Pace herself has worked for the Flying Valentines and many of the other members have joined the Reed Brothers Circus and The Flying Espanas. Pace often encourages her younger members to complete an education before they seek the professional life of a circus member. \nAlthough the members could be as far away as Japan, there is always a sense of family and togetherness for these trapeze artists. \nSteve Mascari, another member of the troupe, worked in Puerto Rico with a troupe that only spoke Spanish. \n"We had problems ordering at dinner because I didn't speak any Spanish," Mascari said. \nThat all changed once the troop got down to business. \n"I got up there and once I understood their signals everything worked," he said.\nFinally, they were speaking the same language. Trapeze artists often become a family unit because of the implicit level of trust. \n"You get to know almost every flyer locally as well as nationally," Mascari said.\nThe High Flyers are preparing for a show in early February in Columbus. In March, they will return to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. They will perform other talents, such as tightrope walking and hand balancing, because the theater is not large enough to hold the highflying trapeze. \nIn the belief that everyone should be able to experience the trapeze, the High Flyers also hold a summer camp every year in Pennsylvania. For eight weeks, campers learn about safety, trust and how to enjoy flying. During the winter months, the High Flyers practice and teach locally at the Rising Star Gymnastics Club, 4719 W. Vernal Pike. \nThe trapeze in Pace's backyard stays up all winter long. Pace has taken the role of a teacher because she wants everyone to experience the joy she finds in flying. After many years of marriage, she and her husband divorced and Pace found herself alone. While some might seek family or religion in similar situations, Pace sought out the trapeze. \n"This is an amazing way to relieve your problems," she said. "I got up there and all my problems were gone."\n-- Contact staff writer Jaimie Cohen at jrcohen@indiana.edu.