Few teachers encourage students to swing from the ceiling and spar with their peers, but University leisure instructors do so on a daily basis.
From long sword fencing to sushi making, University leisure classes cater to a variety of unique hobbies with more than 100 classes offered each semester.
Kara LeBlanc, administrative coordinator for the leisure program, attributes the diverse class selection to invested instructors. While the leisure office actively seeks new class topics, she said the most popular proposals are from instructors.
Elise Duran, professional aerialist and circus performer, pitched a proposal to revive an Aerial Silks class, a performance-based activity where students use suspended fabrics to contort their bodies into various positions midair.
While the activity may look beautiful, Duran said suspending in the air is a strength-building workout. She said the class is challenging but rewarding, as it allows students to steadily progress.
“It shows what you can do when you really set your mind to it,” she said.
There are no requirements for joining leisure classes, but Duran said students who can hold their own body weight benefit the most from the sessions.
Most of all, Duran said she wants her students to have fun. Even if everyone fails at completing a new trick, she said she feels students can still enjoy the overall experience.
Alexis Richmond, biology senior, said the adrenaline rush of twirling above the room easily outweighs the difficulty of the class. She said she plans to continue honing her skills after the class is over, as she aspires to one day reach the caliber of performance of her teacher.
“She makes me want to join the circus,” Richmond joked.
Richmond said the class also evoked her creative abilities since she was able to express herself in a way she hadn’t done before.
Eric Wiggins, digital media analyst at Information Technologies Services, sought to provide a similar venue of expression when he contacted the leisure office to create a historic long sword fencing class.
Wiggins noticed a hole in the leisure program’s martial arts and fencing itinerary, which lacked classes involving historical European martial arts or HEMA. After immersing himself in the HEMA community, Wiggins said he felt the subject would be beneficial to many students.
“The story I usually hear is, ‘Yeah, I’ve been interested in swords and knives ever since I was a kid, but I never knew this existed,’” he said.
Most of Wiggins’ students are met with a stark realization upon entering his class — real-life fencing is nothing like it has been depicted in movies. The lessons in the class range from learning the proper fencing positions and guards stances to long sword history.
When sparring, students use plastic replicas, similar in weight and balance to steel swords, to ensure safety in the beginning classes. As experience level increases, steel swords are more likely to be used.
Wiggins said most of his students advance quickly and are knowledgeable of the craft after only six weeks of class. This could be attributed to many of his students’ previous experience with swords, like 53-year-old long sword student Wade McManus.
While McManus said he has a particular affinity for Viking swords, he jumped at the chance to take a long sword fencing class. He said the class presented an opportunity for him to further explore his sword-collecting hobby.
McManus said it was an informative and challenging experience. He said his younger but knowledgeable teacher was a pleasure to interact with.
“It was hard to keep up with his exuberance,” he said. “He really liked it. It was fun to see someone with an attitude like his.”
Leisure classes vary in length, usually between one and 10 class sessions. Class price range for students is about $50 to $75.
