Hollywood Reese Witherspoon Cirque School LA black tights blonde sunglasses

Reese Witherspoon took a fitness class at the Cirque School in Hollywood yesterday afternoon -- yes, Cirque is French for circus -- so what in the world would the blonde beauty be doing flying on a trapeze or taming lions?

Well Reese is preparing for a role in the upcoming film Water For Elephants, a story about a veterinary student who abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet. And yes, that veterinary student is the one and only Robert Pattinson!

He'll play opposite Reese in the historical film about a Depression-era traveling show. Pattinson's character, Jacob Jankowski, falls in love with Reese's character, Marlena -- a trapeze artist and the wife of a crazy animal trainer.

So that's where the Cirque School comes in ... Their classes are taught by working circus professionals; the school's founder is a Cirque du Soleil veteran who specializes in aerial arts.

I don't know if they can work it into the script, but we hope there's a scene in which Reese releases the trapeze and flies into Rob's arms!