Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1207269
"But I kept at it and completed a full time, two-year program," she says. Then she literally did run away to join the circus, touring the world for eight years with various outfits including The Zany Umbrella Circus and Aerial Experience Productions. There are several distinct styles to aerial work, including silks, corde lisse ("smooth rope" in French, which involves acrobatics on a ver tical rope) and the original, trapeze. "That's the ballet of aerial," Carey says. "It's the stan- dard. Silks and trapeze are what I would con- sider my specialties. They've been the staples throughout my career." She also performs a dizzying routine with a six-foot hoop called a Cyr wheel and various feats of balance, including a recent addition to her reper toire that involves balancing on Champagne bottles—while wearing heels. This act is a work in progress: "I have big plans for the bottle routine," she says. All these disciplines can be hazardous— remember: no net—and demand steely concen- tration. "For me, one of the biggest draws of this work is the intense focus required," she says. "My whole attention and whole being are enveloped in it, especially on stage when you have that extra charge of adrenaline. It's about fully embodying the moment and risking failure in front of an audience. I love playing with my own fears when I'm doing something risky as well as beautiful." Immediately upon landing in Big Sur, Carey volunteered for the Mid-Coast Fire Brigade, earning an EMT cer tificate at Monterey Peninsula College. "I wanted to do something practical, wanted to be grounded and give back to the community I love," she says. She also loves the anti-stereo- type of being a woman and doing all the things a firefighter does. Putting her day-job skills to work, Carey initiated a ropes program, utilizing 166 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 Photo: Craig Colvin Top: Carey performs at the Big Sur Fashion Show. Bottom: This photo, part of a series, was shot underwater in collaboration with photographer Craig Colvin and San Francisco's Little Boxes Theater. Photo: Impact Images