Why am I hanging upside down on these red silk ribbons? I’ve run away to the circus, of course.

LOL. I wish, but I did get to live a bit of a childhood fantasy this past week at the Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The Club Med Punta Cana has a unique one of a kind experience, Creactive. Club Med has created that in conjunction with Cirque du Soleil. It is located smack in the middle of the resort where you can be the acrobat for a day or every day of your trip. The staff operating, demonstrating, and teaching the skills to vacationers are Cirque du Soleil, either past or present members.

The various apparatuses and skills are available throughout the day at different times. Children are typically scheduled in the morning hours. For us, a group of travel agents that were game for a go at the “big tent” stunts, we had a 3 pm appointment our Thursday afternoon there. I was able to try three of the main big items available in Creactive: the silk ribbons, the wall, and the trapeze.

What little girl hasn’t had dreams of being a dancer, let alone one who can swing and dangle from the air?

It was such great fun to learn three basic beginner skills on the silks. Surprisingly, you will find these ribbons are not silky and are quite uncomfortable to the foot. The tricks require putting your weight into the ribbon leg and pushing through, keeping it strong. One of the poses we did remind us of a lady on a ship’s bow, and the last one was just pure fun. We learned how to tip ourselves upside down. Given more time, I would have gladly stayed to learn more. I understand the silks have taken to the gym in some areas, and I am seeking out a class on my agenda for the upcoming year.

The second apparatus was what they called the wall. It reminds me of how they pull off stunts in movies where people look like they are fighting in the air or walking on walls. What looked so easy turned out to be the core workout of a lifetime. Who knew? I did learn the basic push, a turn and then tried my hand at walking sideways along the wall. I was amazed at how fast this wore me out and raised my cardio. Again, great fun, and I would have continued with more time.

The last event we went to was the trapeze. Here, I buried my fears of height. However, my shakes were a dead give away that I was still scared to death. I think the climb up was worse than the actual swing on the bar. I have to give kudos to the instructors, who were my spotters and safety net. They talked me through my fear, and I swung from the skies. After my last two, I must admit my strength had piddled, and I couldn’t completely pull off my trick, but I pushed through the fear and was flying high. I would definitely give this another go. I met one of the resort guests in line who had been coming every day. As he accomplished skills, they continued to teach him more difficult tricks. It was fun to watch him perform a flip in the air after a release from the bar.

Right now, Club Med Punta Cana is the only place you can get this amazing Creactive experience. The Sandpiper in Florida does have some circus stuff, but it is not to the same scale or with the unique touches that Cirque du Soleil brings. Club Med does have plans for expanding this experience among a few of its other resorts. The rumor is the next resort will be their one in France. They are a worldwide all-inclusive product. While they are not a resort for everyone, this might be the new experience you are looking to check off.