How to Use our NEW VIDEO LIBRARY!

A major part of our vision from years ago is now a reality! We now have the infrastructure in place for members to login, post videos, pictures, events, list their studio in our directory, and have access to an enormous video library encompassing the moves from all of the manuals by Rebekah Leach and then some!

I want to take the time to tell you just what this site offers, and the intended usage of the video library. The videos will allow you to see all the moves from the manuals in action, with tips now and then pointing out key ideas. They are NOT detailed enough to learn from.

In some ways, they look like instructional videos. The move is shown from beginning to end, key points are highlighted, and at times, even the progressions are all shown. But, here is a list what is missing from these videos:

 

1) First of all, talking. We do not talk you through it enough for you to learn from. A live teacher is the only one who is qualified to do that.

2) A spotter. Sometimes a spotter gets directly involved, but a huge job of the spotter is to simply WATCH you and make sure that you are making smart choices as you navigate a movement. They can go “hey – stop! That’s not how to wrap that!” Or, when you have wrapped wrong, they can talk you out of a wrap, etc.

3) A ladder. This is hidden off screen when applicable, but at any rate, a ladder is your safety necessity if you are climbing more than 6 feet off the ground. This way if you get all tied up, someone (your spotter for instance) can run over with the ladder for you to climb on while you get unstuck.

4) Diagnosis of whether you are ready for that move. A huge part of your safety as a aerialists is only performing moves that your body has strength to complete. If you are attempting moves ahead of your skill level, you are putting yourself at a huge risk of injury. One of an instructor’s main jobs is to access whether you are ready for certain skills. If you go a studio where you are restricted from learning certain material until you have conquered X-Y-Z, then be happy! They are doing something right at that studio!

 

Now that we have gone over some precautions, let’s talk about the best ways to use this site:

1) As a student: View the moves that you have already covered in class to review that skill. Many times when first learning, things are a mess. There are a million changes in hand grips, transitions are going everywhere because you are not sure where you are headed in space. Watching the moves here can help you review how to place your body to move efficiently through the move. All moves shown are demonstrated with the utmost technique! For the moves you don’t know, feel free to bring them to your teacher and say, “Can we learn this move today?” Also, we have a ton of conditioning videos that will be coming up on the site. These will be great to add into your home workouts as long as they fit with your level and movement background, etc.

2) As a teacher: Come here to review the material you might teach to your students. You might also see a new variation of something, a way to give your students a fresh look at something, or a way to stylize that you haven’t thought of before. Also, if you are teaching material from this site in classes or workshops, and students would like to take video, you can point them here to review. That way they can stay focused in class instead of pulling out the camera. Also, the content on this site is geared towards beginning and intermediate levels. We can help give you plenty of ideas to help beginning and intermediate students stay interested so that they are not pushing themselves too fast to learn advanced skills before they are ready. We also have a ton of aerial yoga content including sequences that you can use in aerial warm ups in your classes.

3) As a performer: Get ideas for moves to add into your routine. You might learn a new move, or a new way to stylize an old one. You can also get ideas for training with our conditioning and exercise videos. You can also contribute to the community be sharing your own take on moves and how you change up a move to make it unique!

 

As part of the moves library, one thing we have is a place to write what you call the move. You can write in your own name, and feel free to use a different language. It would be great to see the names not just in English, but other languages as well.

Also, below each video is a place for you to comment and post your own pictures and videos. If you have variations of moves that you teach or perform, please feel free to share! We love contributors in this online community. We also have discussion pages where you are welcome to add topics and posts about topics including teaching, rigging, safety, training, performing, and more.

We are really excited about this new site, and hope you are too! Thank you for your support.

 

 

Steel Vs Aluminum

I hear aerialists say all the time not to connect an aluminum carabiner to a steel carabiner, or vice versa, but no-one can explain why that is.  Can you shed light on the subject?

-Philadelphia, PA

 

This is a hot button topic, so I’m not going to try to cover the whole thing from top to bottom.  This seems to be prominent amongst “Circus” folk, and comes from a very small thing made into a big thing.

 

So here is some info:

The “reason” not to use Aluminum touching Steel in various applications is that there is a chemical reaction between the two that will cause the chemically weaker Aluminum to degrade faster than the Steel.

 

That being said:

— When I heard of this, I asked an Engineer and a man who’s expertise is Metallurgy (who was brought in special by NASA to evaluate why the Space Shuttle blew up) and both told me there is “no risk unless your equipment has been sitting together at the bottom of the ocean for 1000 years or so”.

–Steel and Aluminum are used together in building Airplanes and Submarines… two of the highest Safety Regulated things on the planet.

–I work for a “Big Company” and we have from 300-600 pages of inspections we perform each week on our Rigging equipment due to Liability and a High Safety Practices Standard.  We don’t have one page of documentation that says not to use Steel and Aluminum together, nor has it ever been raised as a concern.

–I have not been able to find any documentation from the Manufacturers (Petzel, Black Diamond, Rock Exotica…etc) that states any sort of warning indicating any risk in using Steel and Aluminum in conjunction.  These companies have to make equipment to ANSI standards, and are overwhelmingly documented on every aspect of their equipment.  If it was a credible concern, wouldn’t there be a red flag on the equipment that states so?  Feel free to contact any manufacturer, they are required to provide you specs on their equipment and any hazards related to their use.

 

— ENTIRE ROCK CLIMBING AND RESCUE, Military, Firemen, and Rope Access Industry… World wide… For decades… Uses aluminum and steel equipment…millions of times a year… To safeguard and rescue people. There are 100x more rock climbers and ropes rescue people than there are circus people. An entire industry… That is regulated by ANSI standards (acrobatic rigging is not).  Are to believe that they have simply missed the memo on this issue?

As long as you are using it within its limits, any piece of equipment (steel or aluminum) should be expected to work as intended.

As a side note:

-Your Swivels that you hang from… those are Steel shafts and ball-bearings in an Aluminum Casing.

-Your Aluminum Auto Lock carabiners… the springs that cause them to lock are made of Steel.

– your Rescue Pulleys you hang from, those are Aluminum bodies with a Steel shaft the Pulley rolls on.

Take a look at your own equipment, I bet you can find more.

 

As for just using steel equipment:

Steel is stronger, but more expensive.  Aluminum equipment is more prevalent and widely used successfully in millions of applications each year.  It’s lighter, doesn’t rust, and made to be strong.   You may encounter a facility or employer that requires you to use nothing but steel.  That being the case, you have to do what they say.  I believe that the Aerial Rigging inspector I spoke with in New York required that our theatre show use Steel Auto locking carabiners, but upon looking at the written standards, it was not indicated as such the document provided.

~Fred Ropes

 

Comments (carried over from previous website)

I use aluminum biners on steel eyelets quite often in my performances and here is what happens. The harder steel will dent the aluminum on the first hang and over many performances the friction between the harder steel and the softer aluminum will cause the dent to worsen and cause metal burs on the edges of that wear point. after many performances and practices I still haven’t needed to take them out of service but I am more mindful of which biners I run ropes through and which biners I use for steel contact. ~Trevor Gash, Edmonton, Alberta

Any roofer will tell you not to put two different metals together because you will have problems, after several decades. But the notion that you can’t combine steel and aluminum carabiners in a circus rigging is an example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. ~Dave Gillies, Founder, Director, Performer at The Give and Take Jugglers

 

 

Aerial Yoga Teacher Training Programs

“Certification programs benefit both individuals and organizations. They document a level of proficiency attained in a particular field of study. Whether the certificate recognizes academic, technological or vocational accomplishments, earning one can boost the market value of the person and the institution for which she works. Professional certifications also help organizations find qualified job candidates.”

~  quote from ehow.com

 

A certification is an excellent thing to desire as someone desiring to teach in a particular field such as aerial yoga. They are meant to show that you have obtained a particular knowledge. They are designed to be a way to document from a third party source that you have put in time and effort to be good at what you do. However, the first thing you should know is that technically speaking, there is no such thing as a certification in aerial yoga, and for that matter, yoga, ballet, or aerial dance of any sort!

 

The aerial industry, just like the rigging industry and many others in the arts, do not recognize any certification programs.  This is due to the fact that what is valued in the industry is experience. Instead, there are teacher training programs, where you might receive a certificate saying that you took such-and-such a program and are now qualified to teach aerial yoga of such-and-such type.

 

As far as the closet thing to certification in the traditional yoga industry is what is offered through Yoga Alliance. They have helped set industry standards. You can be registered as an yoga teacher or yoga studio through a credentialing program, and you can become credentialed after undergoing a program that is 200 hours. Their program has greatly influenced the expectation that an aerial yoga training program will be about that length or even shorter if you are just adding to a knowledge base already present.

 

This is why aerial yoga programs are generally very short in length. Often, to qualify for the training with programs such as Unnata Aerial Yoga, you must already be “certified” in yoga. (Often times, the word certified is loosely used to mean a credentialing program of some sort.) Many other programs highly recommend that you come into the teacher training with a background in some movement art form. Again, it comes back to the fundamental thing that qualifies a teacher is experience.

 

Here are the aerial yoga training programs that I am aware of with a few of their quick stats to help you get a comparison for what they offer. (Note that I am simplifying things for the sake of comparison.)

 

Aircat Aerial Arts

Length of Training Program: 4 days which include 20 hours of in-person training + 25 home practice hours for a 45 hour certificate

Cost: $695

Unit Cost: $15.44 if you count the training you do on your own.

Commitment to License: None

Listing of Teachers/Studios who Received Training: No

Support Group: Yes, through Facebook.

 

Anti-Gravity (programs approved by ACE and AFAA)

Length of Training Program: varies

Cost: Unknown. However, it comes with bonus fees such as a testing fee at the end of the course that is at least $225, and fees such those needed to re-certify yearly (minimum $300).

Commitment to License: Yes. Franchise required.

Listing of Teachers/Studios who Received Training: Yes

Support Group: Yes – through franchise.

 

Kaya (certification in VaihAsaya Aerial Yoga)

Length of Training Program: 8 days (number of hours unknown)

Cost: $1,298

Commitment to License: None

Listing of Teachers/Studios who Received Training: Yes.

Support Group: Unknown

 

Rasamaya

Length of Training Program: 2 days/month for 5 months for 100 hours certificate

Cost: 4 aerial modules at $250 each + 1 anatomy module at $250

Unit Cost: $12.50 per hour

Commitment to License: None

Listing of Teachers/Studios who Received Training: Yes.

Support Group: Unknown

 

Unnata Aerial Yoga

Length of Training Program: 8 days+ for 100 hours certificate

Cost: $1,700

Unite cost: $17.00 per hour

Commitment to License: Some. Limited License

Listing of Teachers/Studios who Received Training: Yes. They have the best listings on their website, which means that it will make it easy for potential customers to find you and/or check your credentials. Another bonus is that they train in a variety of locations such as NECCA and countries around the world.

Support Group: Yes. through Facebook.

 

 

Keep in mind that none of these programs will technically get you certified! These programs have different goals, and your choice on which program to undergo will have a lot to do with your own personal goals. Are you looking to piggyback on a successful franchise that has done a lot of advertising paving the way for automatic brand-recognition for your studio? Or are you looking for a program that will give you a good introduction to what aerial yoga is because you are thinking of incorporating it into your Pilates studio, gym, fitness center, yoga studio, etc? There are pros and cons to each. Hopefully, the end goal is the same in all: a qualified, well-trained instructor.

 

What makes a qualified, well-trained instructor is much more that what can be learned in a short teacher training program. It is just not possible to get everything you need to be a great instructor in less than 2 weeks. A lot of your choice should depend on what you are looking to get out of the training. For example, if you are interested in a program that emphasizes anatomy of the body, you may look into Rasamaya. They use a unique program called Anatomy in Clay, which allows movement artists–who tend to be kinesthetic learners–to get their hands on intestines, etc! (not real ones, silly!) Their training program includes 3 anatomy textbooks.

 

A quality, holistic training program would take a minimum of a year, and not everyone has that kind of time. My hope is that those people who seek a training program are those who already have an established self-practice, they have the gift of teaching, and can learn a lot in a short amount of time. Those are the ones who can benefit from a quick-style teacher training program.

 

The big benefits include being plugged into a community that supports you as you launch your first classes, a group to talk to about things that come up that first year, and a place to get ideas such as new sequences to teach beginning students. That’s what I see as the biggest benefits to a teacher training program, and many of the training programs offer just this advantage.

 

Michelle Dortignac, Founder of Unnata Aerial Yoga, has this to say about the advantages of the support group:

 

“Successful graduates of the Unnata Aerial Yoga teacher training program can join a Facebook group specifically for Unnata teachers.  In this forum I have seen posts of questions relating to teaching specific Aerial Asanas, how to work with different student sensitivities or injuries, sharing success stories, sharing innovations on the hammock, refreshers of Asanas learned during the course but forgotten since, business questions, Yoga philosophy questions (usually relating to the business questions), etc.  Unnata Yoga teachers from all over the world will chime in, and I contribute to the group regularly as well both through answering questions and also with videos and photos.”

 

It’s about the shared space, the community that forms, and the confidence that it instills to go out and do what you are most capable of doing. It is nice to say that you went through a teacher training to attest to the fact that you are doing everything you can to ensure you are a great instructor, know the best practices, etc. But, at the end of the day, the certificate of training doesn’t matter. What matters is how you grow as a person, and as a teacher through any program you choose to attend. What matters is that you plug into a network of professionals, who can help you be a great professional, and challenge you to quality work. But the majority of what you learn about how to teach will not be through any training, it will be through teaching.