Wakeful Ascent Aerial Arts

Every single day people are trying aerial class for the first time, and walking out believing it's not for them. Not because it isn't. But because the instructor wasn't able to support them, and the student blamed themself. And yes - there ARE many thoughtful, attentive instructors out there who honor and make space for their beginner students - thank you! The Experience Too Many Beginners Have They walk into their first class. They’re excited. Nervous. Hopeful. But when t

In the aerial world, we love levels. Beginner. Intermediate. Advanced. (Even though different studios define them very differently). But when it comes to teacher training, it limits and misguides us to use those categories. And if you attended a week-long teacher training and walked away feeling oddly...unprepared and unsure what you learned? Here's why. 1. Skill Level ≠ Teaching Capacity Someone can execute advanced drops and still: Struggle to sequence a safe progression M

Aerial arts is highly nervous system intensive, and it has the potential to be very regulating or dysregulating - depending on how the teacher works with it; teacher training doesn't usually include this discussion, but it affects everything in the classroom. The nervous system affects: How students process information How clearly they control movement How they regulate under pressure How they experience pain How they respond to challenge and failure How quickly they recover

There’s a common assumption in the aerial world: If you can do the trick, you can teach the trick. And if you know enough tricks, you’re ready to teach. But advanced skills and even skill breakdowns, good warmups, and clever techniques are not the same as pedagogy - and it's not what makes great teaching. And aerial arts are very high risk with real consequences when teachers are untrained (for obvious and non-obvious reasons). Aerial teacher training that focuses primarily

Spinning in aerial class got you dizzy and nauseous? Let's talk about why, how to prevent it, and when to talk to your doctor. Spinning Itself is Not a Cause of Dizziness in Aerial Arts Dizziness from spinning typically happens when there is a mismatch between what your eyes see, what your body feels, what your inner ear experiences, and how your brain puts it all together. 1. Sensory conflict Your brain integrates information from: the vestibular system (inner ear) vision pr

Fear of drops is one of the most common concerns in all of aerial - especially aerial silks. Fear around drops is normal, expected, and healthy - most brains have (valid) concerns about being at height. Whether your fear of the drop is justified or not really the question (unless there's a genuine risk to physical safety due to lack of knowledge or proper rigging / adequate height). For our purposes, let's assume it IS physically safe and the teacher has made this thoroughl

Most things in aerial arts take time, especially grace. However, there are actually many ways we can genuinely start to look and feel more graceful within one hour. The building blocks for grace are: Strength + Control Body awareness Pathway familiarity Technique knowledge Sometimes there are gaps in aerial classes, especially when the curriculum is based on tricks themselves and not all the layers of movement. Let’s just look at a few ideas that can make you feel and look

There is a time and place for the muggle gym for aerialists... Cross-training for aerial helps you to to develop strength you need while also balancing out by working the muscles that get less attention. A smart approach includes: Movements that directly support aerial strength Counter-movements that aerial often neglects Stabilizer and control work that improves proprioception 1. Assisted Pull-Ups: Direct Carryover to Aerial Pulling strength is foundational in aerial, and a

“Safety” is one of the hottest topics in all of aerial, but when we think of it, we usually think about rigging, mats, and safe training practices. Less talked about but also important are the more hidden layers of safety influencing learning, progress, and student retention. Social and emotional safety may seem less tangible and harder to talk about than rigging standards, but they are nonetheless shaping the student experience. Where fear, challenge, visibility, and unfamil

Look - it's future you! Yay! Your first aerial class is coming up! This is an exciting moment, but it can also feel intimidating or uncertain. You don’t need to be “strong enough,” flexible, fearless, or know everything to be prepared for your first aerial class. A good first class is all about getting familiar with the apparatus, your body in the air, the space, and your teacher. Before we dive in - who am I? I'm Sara Kaiser, aerialist since 2015, instructor since 2018.

One of the unsung heroes in aerial arts, hiding behind our laser focus on strength, flexibility, and cues, is proprioception : your body’s ability to sense where it is in space (without looking). When proprioception is working well, an aerialist can correct a pathway mid-movement, and feel when something is “off” before it becomes unsafe. When it’s underdeveloped or overwhelmed, you may feel disoriented, "feeling in the dark," shaky, or oddly disconnected from your body, even

Across movement arts, teacher trainings vary dramatically in length, quality, and depth. Many of the most common ones last a weekend or a few days. They are popular for how quickly they can get a certification into your hands, but for anything on a quick timeline we have to weigh speed against the actual results. A three+ month format for an aerial teacher training offers something that's designed to support you over a longer term. It gives space for the time-based  parts of

Empowered teaching? Who's to say you're not already empowered? You're an aerialist . Of course you are ;)  This masterclass is for teachers (or aspiring teachers) who love to think more deeply about what all goes on between the lines  in class. The nervous system undercurrents, the subtle leadership choices, the cultural becoming, the atmosphere you create without even realizing it, and the way students respond to your internal state long before they respond to your cues.

While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of aerial safety, this one object can be lifesaving: A sturdy, easily accessible ladder . Not for changing light bulbs. Not for adjusting décor. For rescuing a student . It's never fun to think about emergency scenarios, but it is absolutely necessary for anyone who teaches or is thinking about teaching aerial arts. 1. The Ladder Is Your Access Point in an Aerial Arts Emergency The most critical use of a la

There is a lot of discussion about cueing strategy in the aerial teaching world, and sometimes we get caught in the limitations of "which cue?" This can block us from the possibility that sometimes there should be no cue. The Explicit vs Implicit Learning System First we need to look at the Explicit and Implicit learning system outlined by Psychologists and researchers Fitts & Posner. I've been reading about this in the book "Motor Learning and Control for Dance" by Donna H.

Have you ever noticed when you're learning an aerial skill that you make lots of mistakes, lose connection to your body, and get confused easily? And then gradually you do it more and more and it starts to feel great? This is a real, studied thing. Teaching and training aerial arts is a fascinating real-time exploration of the three stages of motor learning (a good aerial teacher training will explain this) . Understanding this process helps aerial instructors strategize t

Gone are the days of any prevailing belief that the best aerial teachers are the strongest, bendiest, or most advanced performers. Culturally, acceptance has grown that being amazing at aerial does not translate to being an amazing teacher. Indeed, those are two VERY different skill sets! Skilled aerialists can sometimes run into limitations because they have a harder time relating to the struggles of their students (hint - your non dominant side is excellent for this). Some

(Spoiler: It’s less about being perfect and more about being prepared.) In an industry that doesn't require certification to teach, it's very common for aerialists to feel less confident about whether they're “ready” to begin teaching aerial. People swing between: “I need to be a super advanced aerialist to teach.” and “I've been doing this for a while - I'm ready.” The truth is somewhere in the middle. Imposter syndrome comes in when we hold a belief that we should not be d

At the time of writing this article, there is no governing body  overseeing aerial arts instruction. No required national test. No “official” license. No universal standard that every studio follows. So no one can you say that you need an aerial teacher training certification to teach aerial arts - at least legally. Because of this: A studio could technically hire someone with zero qualifications You could technically open a studio with no certification Anyone could call them

If you’ve been training aerial arts (aerial silks, aerial hoop, trapeze, corde lisse) for a while, there’s a moment that sneaks up on a lot of us. You’re showing a friend.Or helping someone in class remember their footlock. Or catching yourself explaining a wrap with surprising clarity… If you’re here because that whisper to begin teaching aerial arts is getting louder — or because you’re seriously considering joining an aerial teacher training — this guide is for you. Why Pe