When No Cue is the Best Cue - creating space for somatic learning when teaching aerial arts
- Sara | WakefulAscent
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
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 maybe there should be no cue. Sometimes no cue is the best cue in aerial arts, and neuroscience can tell us why. 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. Krasnowand M. Virginia Wilmerding.
Motor learning is governed by two parallel systems:
The explicit system
verbal
visual
analytical
conscious
slow
prefrontal cortex
“tell me what to do”
watching, listening
explanations & descriptions
The implicit system
sensory, somatic, kinesthetic
nonverbal
fast
cerebellum + motor cortex
“let me feel it”
These systems depend on each other to make a full map of a skill, but they also compete with one another, because we're basically not good at doing language things and deeply sensing our bodies at the same time.
When a teacher adds too many cues, or gives verbal directions while the student is still moving, the explicit system overpowers the somatic process.
The result?
body awareness shuts down
the student stops feeling their body in detail
corrections become less accurate
timing gets thrown off
the learning process slows dramatically
OR because the student is trying to focus on their body, they don't catch or comprehend the words.
In other words:
The brain cannot build a movement map while simultaneously processing a paragraph.
But, we DO need both modalities. We need to know WHAT (explicit), and HOW (explicit + implicit). Tell me, and let me try (in silence, lol).
And people have different preferences for how much instruction vs how much practice.
The Three Stages of Motor Learning
Next, we need to look at the three stages of motor learning.
1. Cognitive Stage: "What is it?"
The “what do I do?” phase. Students need clarity about:
what the movement is
roughly how to do it
what the sequence or shape should be
Verbal explanation + demos is helpful here, but only enough to get them oriented.Too much information overwhelms the system.
2. Associative Stage: "Let me try."
The “let me try it again” phase.This stage is where refinement happens through repetition, feedback, and adjustment. Inevitably students will forget what to do and need help orienting, so cues are necessary, but hearing cues takes them out of their body, so they should be given sparingly.
With space and time to process the movement themselves, an aerialist will actually start to feel their mistakes and correct them without help. This helps encode the skill into muscle memory, so they have a clear internal map of the skill. In other words, they OWN the skill and don't depend on external instructions to remember it or do it well. Too much cueing here deprives the aerialist of the opportunity to develop self-correction skills and internalize the skill. It's why an aerialist may learn faster when they train independently than in a class setting. In-air cues can be helpful in this stage anytime the student genuinely forgets or has committed to poor technique that will compromise the next move. Affirmative cues like "yes!" "keep going" "perfect" "you got it" can actually HELP the student not slip back into an analytical state that might block their body awareness. On the floor, cues that are questions will help the aerialist build the skill more strongly. "How did it feel when you got to X part of the sequence? "Where is it feeling smooth vs awkward?" Let them lead!
3. Autonomous Stage
The “I don’t have to think about it anymore” phase.The skill becomes automatic and efficient, with refinements to the details.
At this point, technique discussions with the instructor can go deeper, and may be more effective if held on the floor or in deliberate in-air breakdowns of special moments.
Why No Cue Can Be the Best Cue when Teaching Aerial Arts
Sometimes the most powerful thing a teacher can do is step back and let the student feel the movement without interference.
When you give the implicit system space to work, it can:
sense joint angles
calibrate tension
refine timing
respond to gravity
correct balance
internalize the skill
Your student’s cerebellum is working harder than you think.It doesn’t need words—it needs experience.
This is why a silent repetition often produces a breakthrough that no amount of explanation could.
The Role of Body Awareness
People vary widely in their ability to sense their bodies.
Some can feel their joint angles with exquisite clarity.Others have fuzzy proprioception and rely more on visual or verbal cues.
But here’s the fascinating part:
Even students with low body awareness learn best when given time to explore without constant input.
Why?
Because body awareness develops through sensation, not explanation.
When a teacher keeps talking, keeps cueing, keeps trying to “fix,” the student never gets the uninterrupted sensory window that the nervous system needs to gather information.
The Art of Knowing When to Step Back
To put it bluntly, good teachers know when to shut up. This ability develops by getting to know individual students and doing a lot of trial and error.
They sense when a student’s explicit system needs guidance and when their implicit system needs space.
It's not about getting it perfect but testing, experimenting, and communicating with students to get closer to what works well for them. And that will absolutely shift from one day and skill to the next. Teaching aerial arts is a practice in observation and adaptation...which ultimately keeps it really fun, interesting, and rewarding even over a very long period of time.
