Aerial Curriculum and Teaching Resources
Dragonfly Curriculum Level Descriptions
Each Level Can be Purchased Individually and/or Purchased as a Discounted Package
All Levels & Resources are Included in the Studio Directors Program
Green Level 1
(Safety Foundations)
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Establishing a solid foundation is the primary focus of Level 1. For aerial skills, this level focuses on creating the building blocks for safety procedures, proper alignment, establishing skill vocaulary and injury prevention. Progressions are provided to help prepare students for the following: climbing, wrist locks, foot locks, hip keys, and inversions. By utilizing conditioning and knot-based progressions these aerial essentials are developed along with over 145 additional skills. This level provides day one training for new students and spans content that begins to develop knee release drop technique in a knot.
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The coach training module for this level covers topics that instructors need to create a successful and positive classroom experience. These topics include warm ups/cool downs, movement pathways, understanding forces on the body, spotting techniques, effective cueing, leadership, fundamental rigging, classroom management, safety and utilizing knots and mats for support systems.
Suggested Supplemental Reading:
The Aerial Teacher’s Handbook by Julianna Hane
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Green Level 2
(Fundamentals)
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Once students have gotten their foot locks, hip keys, and inversions from standing on the ground the next step is progressing student stamina and strength to execute and expand those skills in the air. Using many of the progression techniques introduced in level one, the content of this level is meant to take students into more complicated foot lock skills, gain the ability to execute fundamental skills in the air, and be introduced to the fundamental drops patterns of falling forward, backward, and rolling horizontally.
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The coach training module for this level covers topics to expand the instructor’s knowledge of the human body to better observe student’s execution and cue engagement from a place of deeper understanding. These topics include wrap fundamentals, abdominals engagement, overhead shoulder mechanics, hip mobility, flexibility, and hypermobility.
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Suggested Reading:
Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts by Dr. Emily Scherb
The Fundamentals of Aerial Alignment by Shannon McKenna (eBook)
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​Blue Level 3
(Introduction to Aerial Theory)
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Once aerialists have achieved the milestone of being able to execute hip keys and inverts in the air confidently, a whole new skill set become the foundation for working in the air. Students need to be discerning with wraps and theory begins to play a more important role in the learning process as skills become more challenging. Transitions and sequences become more complex requiring strength, memory, and endurance. This is also the beginning stage for conditioning exercises that are a staple of more advanced work, such as: back balances, windmills, meathooks, and momentum.
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The educational portion of this coach training focuses on adding depth to the instructor’s teaching knowledge by establishing basic fabric theory, more in-depth rigging knowledge, lesson planning, periodization, troubleshooting plateaus, injury prevention and fall safety.
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Suggested Reading:
Proximal: An Introduction to Aerial Theory by Dara Minkin
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​Blue Level 4
(Intermediate Aerial Theory)
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In level 4 we approach more lengthy sequencing in order to cultivate interesting transitions, increased stamina, a larger range of movement and an introduction to dynamic skills. We tackle more complex theory such as break-beats and seat-belt theory.
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The educational portion of this coach training focuses on how to spot fatigue (muscle and mind), injury prevention, creative exploratives, alignment and information on identifying hyper-mobility, EDS and POTS and other conditions to recognize and refer students to PT assists. We also touch on studio ethics.​
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Red Level 5 (Advanced Aerial Sequencing)
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Level five is an open-ended advanced training category where theory explorations and more difficult skills are released monthly and mentorship and consult is available on an on-going basis.
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An Abundance of Resources Available
26 Weekly Curriculum Sheets per level,
with testing Rubriks & Skill Trackers
Coach Training Lecture Videos
with "HOW" to teach & Spot Skills
Detailed Skill Videos
Relevant Articles
Detailed Skill One-Sheets
Coach Traning Manual to
Accompany online lectures
​​​​​​​​​​Our Program has Proven Success-​
The DAC Coach Training Program was created by Mistia Fallon in 2004 for teaching professional dancers and aerialists performing in production casts onboard Royal Caribbean and Norwegian cruise lines. In 2015 the program was adapted for gymnastic instructors in facilities where the directors desired to incorporate safety focused, progression based, aerial programs for their gymnasts. Since 2017 we have been the premier nationally recognized, safety focused, aerial program for gymnastic facilities nationwide.
In 2019 Mckell Anderson was brought in to broaden the program by extensively expanding progressions and more thoroughly exploring fabric theory in order to accommodate all demographics of students in our programs. Our program was no longer targeting elite gymnastics and professional dancers, but would easily accommodate recreational youth, mom’s desiring to get their pre-baby bells back and students of all sizes and abilities.
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The staff and coaches at the Colorado home base of Dragonfly have contributed to the program’s development providing aerial experience that is geographically diverse. We’ve used the best practices and experiences our staff have encountered from leading industry instructors and educators from around the world as our foundation. Our staff strives for continuous improvement and try to instill the need for long term learning in all our trainees, via our program and many other valuable resources, therefore the program is frequently updated and always growing.
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We do not believe you can prepare an aerial coach in 30 hours. What makes Dragonfly different than other coaching programs is that we provide detailed week by week curriculum and the encouraged option for ongoing support. We not only teach coaches how to lesson plan, but we send them out with over years of weekly lesson plans and the option for continued on-going monthly curriculum and mentorship.
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