Tell us a little bit about yourself :)
I'm 19 years old and grew up in a small town in the southern part of Germany- near Switzerland. When I was 14 years old (5 years ago) I moved to Berlin to study at the "state acrobatic school of Berlin"
I'm specialized in aerial straps and handstands and do my highschool studies at the same time with the acrobatic studies.
The past five years, I had the chance to perform at a lot of different events in different countries and saw a lot of Europe and the world. I absolutely love to travel so I enjoy the possibilities that the school and my art offers me.
How did you get introduced to aerialist ?
There was a youth circus at my old school in south Germany that offered classes for everyone who liked to try different disciplines of circus arts. I didn`t liked football so I was there every day and I learned fast.With each day I got better and enjoyed it more and more.
When did aerialist get “serious” ?
After some years of training and first shows with the youth circus I searched for ways to do it in a more professional way and found the acrobatic school in Berlin on the internet. I stared to train for the two auditions to get accepted there and was successfull.
It was a very exciting time for me because I knew that I would move to Berlin without my parents to start a complete new life and I was only 13 years old at this time.
Biggest challenges :
There were a loft of difficult situations, especially in the beginning. You have to learn to handle the pressure that comes from the coaches and also yourself because you don`t want to get kicked out of the school because you are too bad.
We had monthly exams in which the coaches wanted to see how far we came the past month. I did a lot of handstands in the beginning and it takes a lot of time until you are really safe on your hands. Of course the coaches wanted to see improvement with your skills but in the beginning I was simply too nervous to control my balance and after every exam I prayed that they will not kick me out. That was not very easy for me until I learned to deal with the pressure and to only concentrate on the balance.
How do you handle pressure ?
Yes, a lot of pressure comes from the coaches. But it is also the audience. Most of the people know how long you were in training and when they know that you have trained for five years they expect something good.
But there is also pressure that comes from yourself. You constantly want to improve your skills and your act so it is quiet hard to be satisfied with your own work because it could always be better.
Can you share your thoughts on self consciousness ?
Yes I`m still nervous and I think it helps me to stay concentrated and focused.I would say to be nervous (of course not too much) is not always something bad if you know how to use it in a good way.
In the beginning I was way too nervous when I had to perform and because of this things did not work out soemtimes. You just have to face your fears again and again and it will get better because you will see that nothing bad happens when you just allow yourself to be nervous in a good way.
What was your most embarrassing moment (in regards to aerialist of course ;)
It was at a monthly exam in my second year at the school. I was specialized in washington trapeze- a trapeze for handstands. Because the trapeze was fixed high above the ground I had to secure myself with a safety belt when I trained.
The performance started and the whole school and all the coaches were there to watch. I climbed up and wanted to do my first handstand when I realized that I forgot to put on my safety belt. For some seconds I was totally shocked but then I just smiled because I had absolutely no idea how to get out of this curious situation without looking like a fool..- I did :)
How did aerialist influence your life in other ways ?
Since I started to do acrobatics in a professional way my lifestyle changed completely. Before I went to Berlin it was hard for me to say no to sweets and other kind of fast food but when you see and feel how healthy food and a healthy lifestyle in generall can affect your life you overthink a lot.
I love to live healthy and aware of my body and I would say I`m happier than a lot of other persons in my age because my sport and my lifestyle give me so much joy and positive energy.
What does your daily routine look like ?
My day normally starts at 10am. I train for about three hours. Then I head home to cook lunch. After the lunch break I ususally have arts or anatomy courses for two hours. After the theoretical part it is time to train again for two more hours- afterwards two more hours of dance or acting classes.
After that one or two more hours of normal school subjects like maths or english... My school day ends at 7:30pm, then I head home, cook again, stretch out and do the nomral stuff that I have to do in the flat (like washing dishes etc...)
And what about your flexibility training ? Where does that fit in ?
Every day starts with stretching for me, it helps me to get ready for the day and makes me feel good. Of course we also stretch before we train to warm up our bodies. most stretching sessions take about 30 minutes and more..
I like to move before I go into the stretching positions to avoid injuries. Our stretching can be quiet painfull, especially when the russian coaches think it is a good idea to stretch you^^ In the beginning it was quite hard for me and unbelievable painfull but I tried to stretcha s often as possible and it got better and better (of course also less painfull) so constancy and patience is a gig point as well.
What keep you motivated
I alway visualize what I want to achieve or where I want to be someday when I'm not that motivated.What helps me as well is to look back what Ive already achieved and what it took to achieve it. It motivates you to keep going on.
In addition I have great freinds and family who always support me, it pushes me a lot to know that. What also helps is to read inspiring and motivating quotes sometimes. My favourite sites on instagram for that are "thegoodquote" and "gymaholic".
What are your future plans/goals/dreams?
I hope to be successfull as a performer and to get good contracts all over the world. It is my biggest dream and I hope that everything works in a good way.Also I hope to work for a big and famous company in the future.
Any tips for passionate people starting out aerialist?
The most important thing is to love what you do and to have fun. Without you will not find the right amount of motivation to keep going on when it gets difficult- and it will get difficult because it is a long process until you will see progress. But if you keep going on and you will see your own progress it is just great and will motivate you to continue.
Anything you’d like to share?
My personal Instagram account: Tim_krgler
Inspiring and motivating quotes: thegoodquote and gymaholic
I'm 19 years old and grew up in a small town in the southern part of Germany- near Switzerland.
Professional Acrobat- Aerialist