An unusual way to get a taste of the high life

Encouragement is always present. "There are no mistakes," Conant tells his students on a daily basis. "There is only learning."

Furman, an attorney in New York's Westchester County, came with her two teenage nephews, Zev and Ezra, both of whom have "flown" before.

Jonah Arcade, another attorney, is also a first-timer. The class is a gift from his girlfriend. He wanted to sample the feeling of flying. "It's not something you do every day," he says.

By the end of the session Mr. Arcade has accomplished his first knee hang. "You don't think you're going to be able to grab onto the bar, but if you listen to what the instructors tell you, it works," he says.

Twelve-year-old Anna Cage is in her second year as a student. She started trapeze flying last year in camp. The best part, she says, is when she lets go of the bar to reach for the catcher.

"Our job as trapeze professionals is to make impossible things possible for everyone," Conant says. "Helping people redefine their sense of what is possible is why I do this."

Anyone, age 6 and older, can participate in the school. Classes are limited to 10 students and sell out quickly. Fees range from $45 to $65 for a two-hour class, depending on the time of day. Classes will be held outdoors until the end of October. Then the school hopes to secure indoor space for the winter months.

Safety is the top priority and is maintained through use of harnesses and ropes. "Most important," says instructor Arlie Hart, "is making sure everyone has a good time safely. We are fortunate with trapeze because the safe way is also the right way to do things."

Students don harnesses and are attached to safety rope lines before they climb the ladder to the fly-bar platform. There, instructors hold the student by the harness, detach the ground lines, and attach flying safety lines. Once the student is in the air, a spotter controls - through the use of more safety lines - how the student falls or dismounts. This method, according to Conant, gives the school "absolute" control over a student's movements.

The late-afternoon sun is shining over the Hudson River. As her class breaks up, Furman considers her favorite moment. "There were so many," she says after a pause. "Watching my nephews get 'caught,' swinging in the Manhattan breeze - and pushing myself to a new limit."

"If you can fly on the trapeze, you can do anything," says Mr. Hart. "It's an incredible medium for self-growth. The worst day on trapeze," this former computer professional adds, "is better than the best day doing software design."

• For more information, see www.trapezeschool.com or call (917) 797-1872.

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