Between the Lines

Imposter syndrome is common in aerial, whether you’re a student, performer, or teacher. In this episode, we talk about five types of imposter syndrome, why aerial creates so many opportunities for comparison and self-doubt, and why your own expertise can start to feel ordinary to you. We talk about how feedback can feel hard but ultimately builds confidence and trust. The middle gets quite existen...

If you teach aerial (or want to), how much freedom do you want in deciding how and what you teach? Do you want a clear list of skills you’ve been signed off on, or do you want to feel confident analyzing new skills, making your own progression decisions, and adapting to the student in front of you? When I built the Bloom Aerial Teacher Training, I broke the norm with a very intentional pedagogical...

Aerial teachers are doing far more than we tend to acknowledge. You’re not just demonstrating skills and correcting shapes. You’re constantly making decisions about readiness, fear, technique, communication, risk, attention, strength, mobility, and learning, and you're managing a dynamic learning environment with diverse students. And yet, as an industry, we still tend to treat aerial instruc...

In this episode of Between the Lines , we’re talking about trick chasing - when it's a problem, when it's not, and how it affects your training. EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! ***The BLOOM Aerial Teacher Training Fall Session Launches October 4th: scroll down to learn more.*** We’ll also look at trick chasing from the instructor’s side: what happens when students bring you a constant stream of I...

What if beginners looking like a lizard on a stick isn’t inevitable? In aerial, we often expect too much and too little from beginners at the same time. We give them complex skills that demand strength, coordination, memory, and courage, without teaching real body awareness, then attribute their chaotic, disorganized movement to being new . But what happens when we reduce the complexity enough for...

Starting aerial can be exciting, intimidating, confusing, and a little hard to know what’s normal when you’re brand new. In this episode, we can't cover everything, but we'll get started with what every beginner aerialist should know before (and during) their first classes: green and red flags to look for in a studio, what to expect when you’re starting from zero, what good instruction c...

“Uncoachable” is a big label to put on a student and it's been making the rounds on social media. But it's time to retire the concept altogether - not because you should work with every student, but because there's a much deeper conversation hidden between the lines. In this episode, we’re unpacking the idea of the “coachable” student, the assumptions we make about students who chal...

In this episode, I break down the common barriers to entering an aerial class and the unusual demands students face once they get there (yep, why you can't find your leg or remember your first name when upside down), and why teaching to the nervous system reduces risk and supports better learning outcomes.  I share the story of a student who barely convinced herself to try aerial, and explore...

In this episode, I'm sharing the story of my aerial teaching journey from day 1 to where I am today, including the joy and grief that happened in between.  We'll talk about letting go of something you still love, surviving the seasons that feel like brutal endings, and why what looks like an off-ramp may be something else altogether. Whether you're an aerial teacher, studio owner, a...

In this episode we explore how deeply understanding skills makes you stand out as an instructor, and how generic aerial instruction is actually an equity problem. Because describing movement isn't teaching - it's narration. The free hidden gaps training : https://sara.wakefulascent.com/masterclass-914687-7387 Submit an idea or guest pitch www.wakefulascent.com/podcast FREE TRAINING Hidde...

Today we consider a question from listener Rachel Lamb (@rlamb_leg) who observed that many studios have a trick-focused curriculum with significant gaps in the foundations. We explore how this is a common pattern, when nonlinear pedagogy can workand when it introduces risk and limitations for students.  We talk about what it means to really devote ourselves to the craft of teaching and rising to t...

In the final episode of our 3-part series devoted to beginners, we explore the emotional landscapes of new students and experienced instructors. We consider how respecting the art form develops appreciation for the significance of the teaching role itself, fostering self-respect, and how caring for the art form helps us better care for our students as well.  We take you back to your first ever cla...

In this episode we explore the common experience of the beginner student and some of the biggest reasons that contribute to their decision to continue or call it quits. We explore how studios can organize to create an outstanding beginner experience and inspire students to keep coming back - without rushing foundations and skipping to fancy tricks. The retention problem is a very layered thing, an...

As an advocate for beginner aerial students (and teachers!) I am delighted to take this episode to challenge the conventional wisdom that beginner class is the easiest class to teach and therefore best suited for beginner teachers. We also explore how beginner classes absolutely can be great for beginner teachers, with a few caveats. Wait list for the Beyond the Tricks Teaching Retreat Www.wakeful...

In this guest episode of Between the Lines, Voice & Acting Coach Chandler Price, who also teaches aerial arts and yoga, shares powerful insights on what it really means to hold the room and why it matters when the stakes are higher such as in aerial arts. We explore how teachers can create a learning environment that supports safety, trust, and attention, how to navigate nerves and imposter sy...

This episode is for the aerial teachers out there (or those who want to get started)... We'll explore how teacher presence influences felt safety, learning outcomes, retention, and the teacher's own experience.  We talk about co-regulation, confidence signaling, boundaries, and what it takes to truly let go into joyful, natural teaching.  Because yes, you were born to do this.  HOLDING T...

Why do we feel afraid in aerial? How do we work through it? When is it right to push or back down? How can instructors ethically support students? We'll talk about some simple neuroscience behind fear, fear extinction, and concrete ways to work with fear as an aerialist and as an instructor. Plus, the time a tidal wave hit me while I was on silks dangling from a highline over a treacherous oc...

Physical safety is the first conversation we have in aerial. But what comes next? In this episode we explore how psychological, social, and emotional safety affect an aerialist's ability to learn and how these layers shape the learning environment. We talk about how to establish these layers of safety, why it can be complex and why it's so worth it.  Submit an idea or guest pitch www.wak...

The first time I ever saw aerial, I was certain it was not something for someone like me. In this episode, we explore the common underlying belief that “aerial isn’t for people like me,” and why it's so powerful to break through that. I share a personal story and an unexpected realization 18 years after the first time I saw aerial for the very first time. This conversation also touches on wha...

Welcome to Between the Lines. A space to explore body, culture, and the science of aerial all in one place. This podcast looks at the hidden layers of learning and teaching as well as what's going on in the aerial world - stories, projects, how people learn, how aerial shapes identity, all through a trauma-informed lens.  This is a space for the many layers of aerial and the everyday aerialis...