You asked, so we’re doing it. 💥 When I posted about aerials in here a while back, a lot of you put your hands up, and I’ve had messages ever since asking when it’s happening. The last time we did an aerials challenge together was back in 2021. It’s time. The 30-Day Aerials Intensive starts this Thursday, October 22. 💥🔥🤩 For 30 days, we’re working through the ADTA 4-Step System for teaching side aerials together, one step at a time. Here’s how it works: → A new lesson drops every Thursday. → You learn the step, then teach it in your own class that week. → You come back and tell us how it went: what worked, what didn’t, and what you saw. → You post your questions and student videos, so we all learn from what’s happening in real classes. Each lesson comes with clear instructions on how to run it in class, so you’ll know exactly what to do when you walk in. One thing up front: your students won’t have aerials in 30 days, and that’s not the goal. The goal is that you finish knowing exactly what to teach, in what order, and how to spot what’s going wrong. That’s what gets them there. More details are coming over the next few days. For now, I just want to know who’s in?! 💪🤓🤸‍♀️ 👇 Comment “I’m in” below, and tell me what's your biggest challenge or frustration with your aerials right now? See you Thursday! Miss Melissa

I had to laugh at this one. I was teaching my intermediate acro class this week when one of my new students was working on her aerials. She’s new to us this year, and I noticed she was landing really heavy because she was transferring her weight too quickly instead of sustaining that first leg. So I told her, “Land on one foot and sustain the landing. Your chest will pop up like magic… and THEN place the second leg down.” She tried it. Then she looked at me and said, “You only teach ADTA, right?” “Yes.” She thought about that for a second. “ADTA is SO HARD.” 😂 But here’s the part I actually want you to pay attention to as teachers. She kept working on it. Instead of rushing that second foot to the floor, she started sustaining the landing on the first leg. And sure enough, her chest came up, her landing got lighter, she had more control, and then she could simply place the second foot down. Like magic. Except, of course, it isn’t magic. It’s technique. I spent 20 years figuring out how to teach aerials in a way that consistently produces the result I’m looking for AND works for all of my students - not just the naturally talented ones. And sometimes that means the technique feels harder at first because we’re asking students for a level of control they’re not used to. But once they understand where their weight needs to be, when it needs to transfer, and what their body should be doing throughout the skill, everything starts to change. Which got me thinking… Would you guys be interested in doing an Aerial Challenge together inside the Acro Circle? I’m thinking we could really dig into the technique, troubleshoot what’s happening with your students, and work through some of the most common aerial problems I see. I haven’t decided exactly what it would look like yet, but if you’d want me to put something like this together, tell me in the comments. Because maybe I need to make this happen. 😉 Miss M

I have a few older students that are so close to their front aerials great height they have both side walkovers and one handed I have confidence they should be getting this skill but they just hang in the air I am afraid their arm swing is potentially at the wrong cadence? Anyone have any drills to help get rotation going so they are not always just putting their hands down?

Happy Wednesday, Teachers! I know this is a common challenge with Front Walkovers - students just can’t seem to stand up properly out of them... They pull their arms forward, tuck their chin forward, or stick their but out on the stand up. Here’s a video of one of my students doing my personal favourite drill for fixing this: It’s a kneeling bridge recover against the wall, and it works because it checks a lot of boxes: ✅ Forces correct body placement ✅ Reinforces control ✅ Teaches students to roll through their spine properly ✅ Prevents flinging the arms forward or sticking the but out How to do it: - Kneel facing the wall - Knees touching the wall - Arms reach up and gaze is - Initiate by reaching back with fingertips They bridge down (top to bottom), then recover (bottom to top). 📌 Tip: If they try to stick their but out, cue them to press their hip bones into the wall - that fixes it instantly. I recommend doing this 3–5 times per class with students working on Front Walkovers. And YES this translates into their Front Aerial landing ... it's a two for one:) Let me know if you try it in your classes!