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 ladder in an aerial...

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...

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 their cueing,...