Anderson Cooper Got on a Lyra and the Internet Lost Its Mind

By 21 commentsSafety, Uncategorized

OK aerial community – raise your hand if you’re still banging your head against your desk? Yep – me too. In case you’ve been under a rock (or are doing one of those “social media cleanses”), here’s what has us all hyperventilating into paper bags.

 

 

“This is a disaster waiting to happen.” – Anderson Cooper

If you’re an established aerial instructor watching this (through your fingers), you are dying right now. You are absolutely on fire inside. Ever since I first watched this, I’ve been pacing in my apartment trying to get away from the AAAAAAAAAARGH inside my head and chest, and wrap my brain around the only possible conclusion: we have collectively lost our damned minds.

What’s the Problem?

M’Kay. I’m going to put my professional britches on.

This video does not demonstrate the best practices commonly adhered to in the aerial community in the areas of safety, competency, and responsible instruction.

Let’s look at the facts:

  • Thin panel mats are inadequate in this situation. Generally speaking, thick crash pads are a better choice for use under bar apparatus.
  • There is no hands-on spotting. This is a post all it’s own; there are studios in NYC who prohibit hands-on spotting for reasons I will never fathom – beginners need hands! Beginners do incredibly stupid things because they’re beginners. My hand on their leg during a knee hang doesn’t just prevent them from straightening their leg – it calls their attention to their body in space, encourages correct positioning, and reduces panic (read: terrible choices) . My hands have caught trapezes swinging towards faces, held students when they lost their grip, given form corrections, squeezed little messages of encouragement and comfort, and, you know, reduced the likelihood of serious injury by using established and effective spotting techniques.
    • Note the un-spotted knee hang in the video around the 2:00 mark. Do you see how high Anderson’s feet are? Do you know how close he was to falling directly on his head? Now, note the “dismount”. This is very, very common for beginners to try, and can result in broken/sprained necks, knocked-out teeth, dislocated shoulders, broken/sprained arms & hands, and more. An instructor with hands placed firmly across his legs could have side-stepped the whole issue. More importantly, a seasoned instructor likely would have seen that coming a mile away.
    • Now – this is the one that had us ready to spit nails. See that un-spotted top bar knee hang at around 3:24? Look at Anderson’s wide, unsupported knee placement, and note how high his feet are. He is not connected with his hands. His mic pack drops off (distraction), and he has already gone for an illegal dismount. And now, we’re going to “take a leg off”. I’m just going to leave that here and let all of that sink in for a minute. Excuse me – I need to go back to banging my head for a moment.
    • But wait – there’s more. From about 4:00 through the end, Andserson Cooper makes aerial coaches across the USA freak the F out. There’s so much here I CAN’T EVEN WRITE ABOUT IT! I just keep hearing words like concussion, broken neck, shoulder dislocation, no more teeth….
  • This sequence is inappropriate for beginners – even strong ones. Foundations and progressions are things – REAL things. Essential things. One movement or skill builds off another. Jumping ahead in aerial coaching is like jumping ahead in your “How to Assemble Your IKEA Dresser” instructions – skip the first steps and it’s going to be a sh*t-show no matter what.
  • The verbal cuing is inadequate. Without a visual, the sentence, “take a hand off” is too vague for the beginner student. They may interpret that same sentence as: take both hands off, take your leg off, sit up, etc. When your student is upside down, confusion can quite literally be deadly.
  • Demonstration is best done PRIOR to the attempted execution of a move. Beginners need to come at each move by seeing it with their eyes, hearing you talk about it, and having an opportunity to ask questions BEFORE attempting a move.
  • There is no mention of contra-indications, muscular engagement, or even a “don’t let go or you’ll fall on your head” discussion.
  • Your authority must be clear from the beginning. Many students – especially media personalities, groups that are “doing this crazy aerial thing” for fun for a day, and those who have no idea how much they don’t know, require a firm hand. Add to that a high level of physical fitness, and you have the student that makes you clench your nether-bits. These students have no idea what they’re doing, but they’re strong enough to get themselves into real trouble. Stir in a dash of the “clown factor” (someone doesn’t want to look silly, so they play the clown to stay in control), an you have a student you’ll need to be glued to for the entire session.

Yeah, OK – All That. But What’s the Real Problem?

The real problem is that there are people teaching who have no business teaching. They are not ready to teach. They have taken a few years of classes and assume that they are ready because they can turn so many tricks, or they’re a dancer or personal trainer who got “certified” in this cool new workout, or they’re in a small town with no aerial instructor, so…

There is no meaningful certification for aerial teaching readiness in the USA. There are some excellent teacher trainings for experienced aerialists (NECCA, AirCat Aerial Arts, I’m looking at you), and ACE/AYCO are making excellent steps in the right direction with their safety program, but no real certifying body. This leaves us with a big problem. It’s not a new problem, nor is it an easy one. We tried to address it here in NYC by founding NYATA (NY Aerial Teachers Alliance), but were quickly overwhelmed by the scope of the issue. Add to that the fad of fitness spaces trying to tout circus as the next great fitness craze, and dance schools all over the US wanting to add an aerial component to their curriculum (but not hire an actual aerial teacher), and the fact that we do not value expertise in this DIY country, and it’s easy to see why we are so. damned. angry.  The public has no way of knowing whether a teacher is safe or qualified.

What the Hell do We Do Now?

I’m not done writing about this, but – ha ha – I have to run and teach my classes. I’ll pick this up tomorrow. BUT, I’d like to leave you with this.

Before we get too far up on our high horses, and make this woman the poster child for all that is wrong in our teaching industry, we may want to pause and remember that we have created this. I have, and you have. This is a community problem, and we have allowed it to happen. We have seen it coming, watched it unfold, and now it’s here on our doorstep.

My question for you is this, aerial community. What shall we tackle first? We have an unprecedented opportunity to turn this from a thing that makes our hair collectively fall out, into a triumph for our community. Every aerial teacher safe, qualified, competent. Comment below – if we want change, we can’t wait for someone else to make it happen. Love and pull-ups, Laura

 

 

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21 comments on “Anderson Cooper Got on a Lyra and the Internet Lost Its Mind”

  1. Lacey Ellington

    Perhaps you could invite Anderson to a proper beginner aerial training sesh, and have it televised. I still have anxiety after watching that.

  2. Ellen Davis

    Adding to the list of solid teacher training programs: Circus Arts Institute has a very safety-centric program.

    http://circusartsinstitute.com/teacher-certifications

    I was certified for silks, but they do offer the program for other apparatuses. The certification requires upwards of 60 hours of classes, co-teaching, supervised teaching, and a physical assessment. I did the beginner cert in the Fall and am returning for intermediate next month. Intermediate also has requirements for rigging workshops.

    The unsafe practices in the aerial world make me so mad. I work hard to promote safety for all my students. Crash mats, spotting, and most important in my opinion, appropriate progressions. Ugh ugh ugh. I hope programs like this wise up BEFORE someone gets seriously injured.

  3. Tracy

    AMEN!! I was pacing the floor watching this and even though I was alone, I was screaming, “NO NO NO NO!! He’s going to take a leg off! NOOOO!” Such a huge problem and so irresponsible. But I agree. We are a community and together we can make a change. Safety is number one. I often have students that want to learn drops right away on silks and I refuse and teach with building blocks, they sometimes don’t come back but if they do, they will learn safety!

    You’re the best. Thank you for always putting what I’m thinking into eloquent words.

    • Aly

      Kaylin- the instructor does not work at the studio you linked.

  5. cief

    Who is the ‘instructor’? Do we want to talk about the fact that she didn’t even point her feet or pike to get to the top bar?

  7. TT

    Thank you so much for this, I was so angry I was shaking, I literally emailed that “instructor” because I couldn’t do nothing. Looking forward to reading more.

  8. Judith FLEX

    Hi-
    I am writing from the perspective of someone who in 1981 learned aerial and toured the “old fashioned way”- meaning- I married into a circus trapeze family. The only other way to learn was to be BORN into a circus family. I coached others starting around 1983, and am known throughout our LA community as a Master coach, and aerial choreographer.
    I also was a flyer for some years, training with the Gaonas. In the 90s, we all sat down and discussed doing a full on circus school- and- in my case, I decided against it for this exact reason. I did continue on giving private lessons to gifted students, who are now in C d S, Ringling, Cirque Eloize etc.
    BUT! There is a reason that Secrets of the Circus are called SECRETS, and why in the SAG/AFTRA show biz aerial falls into the stunt category. Its VERY dangerous.
    I realize everyone wants to do it but truth be told, I discourage most dancers and other who come to me from trying it. If they insist, i refer them to Luminario Ballet aerialists whom i think are safe and thorough. Note I put SAFE first here.
    You only die once.

    • cs

      Hi. thank you. Safety is number one and number all. Not “everybody can do it” sorry. The gap between old circus and new circus is widening and the respect for the art and the lifestyle are getting lost in a shuffle to get fit in creative ways…
      “You only die once” is an unsaid mantra. Let’s honor what we do.

  9. Marina Martam

    You know that quote, “the problem with the world is that the fools have more confidence than the intelligent” – right?

    I reckon, that experienced aerial teachers such as yourself, should make your way into publics eyes and ears more often, not from a performing standpoint but to explain what this art is all about.

    TV shows such as that Kelly one spreads such a negative message about aerial fitness. It happens so often in Indonesia with aerial yoga TV coverage.
    They think that when it’s funny they’ll get higher rating.

    I’ve always refused to make beginners clowns. Whenever there are reporters, I ask them their list of questions beforehand and if they’re irrelevant, I change the questions for them. I tell them to do their research before they come for interviews. I give them keywords to research.

    The media is just trying to do their job. And it’s our job to keep our image in the positive light.

  10. Donna Langbein

    I’m only a student, not an instructor. I was pacing too though. I thought Anderson for sure was going to get hurt. I wonder if they had any idea of the danger they put themselves in? There was obviously no respect for the Lyra. It only takes one mistake and bones can break…surgeries required possibly. But I agree that in this society…with classes for everything everywhere. …people are doing anything and everything and think because they didn’t get hurt then everyone else can without getting hurt. There definitely needs to be some type of education regarding the risks involved. I would love to see both Kelly and Anderson explained the risks and what could have happened and THEN given a beginners session. Although, we only saw what was on tv…maybe they warmed up behind stage … maybe they practiced it before….I’m not sure any of us know that part.

  11. Meaghan

    Wow, I am speechless. This was a disaster. How dangerous. There should have been 1 spotter per hoop, including the instructor’s. This way the hoop wouldn’t have swung, spun or showed their butts on TV along with spotted them each. I have taught hoop on TV many times before in interviews and I make sure to give them a safety speech before we go live also when I am live I talk about the safety of “don’t try this at home kids!” If we have a chance we do the basics of what i’ll teach them before we actually go for it. She is lucky they didn’t let go or fall especially at the end when she says, now take 1 leg off (Anderson was not even holding on, if he took a leg off he definitely would have fallen on his head). I am happy there is discussion about this because safety is always 1st!

  12. Rachel

    I couldn’t watch after the knee hang when she told them to let go! I was trained by the Nimble Arts instructors from NECCA and safety is always a priority. Yikes!

  13. Saidah

    I would suggest that for the time being, aerial/circus instructors take the USA Gymnastics Safety Certification course. It’s comprehensive, and while it’s not circus-specific, the vast majority of it is extremely relevant to teaching aerial, tumbling, acro etc. It covers spotting, mats, lesson planning, student evaluation, progressions, etc. Since so many schools, gymnastics clubs and dance studios are already affiliated with USAG, perhaps they are in the best position to offer a certification process

  14. Andrea

    Months ago I posted a video of a local pole studio messing around on their new batch of “lyra hoops” and asked what we as a community can do about the flippant disregard for respect of the dangers of aerials, and I was met with attitude and “do about what? People will do what they’ll do.” So I’m glad AC didn’t die, and I’m glad this is FINALLY opening a discussion about standards and the problem that the aerial “fitness fad” is creating.

  15. Daffodil

    My school tends to train their own instructors, and they’re reliably very good and very safe. The few outsiders who came in and weren’t great didn’t stay long. Whatever they’re doing is working. I’ll put a bug in their ear about starting a teacher certification program if I get the chance.

  16. Beth9stedt

    I know that before a recording they do a run through several times. I can hope maybe there was better direction there. In most cases when televised they want to show moves that are impressive. Although I agree to a beginner not a good idea at all. I been to quite a few classes and haven’t learned some of these moves. top bar stuff seriously, big no no for a beginner.

  17. kitkal

    I am not an instructor or a professional aerialist. My viewpoint of this is as an observer who has taken both aerial classes, as well as “aerial fitness” classes. Honest question: Aerial fitness classes aren’t necessarily supposed to be progressive in learning. And the main objective of the class is not to learn aerial. So, should they be held to the same standard as an aerial class? Meaning, should a different safety standard exist between the two: safety for “aerial classes” versus safety for “aerial fitness classes”? Same question for instructors. Aerial instructors should obviously be able to teach aerial. But since aerial fitness instructors’ goals for a class are different, should they be held to the same standard of teaching aerial?

    While the Anderson Cooper video made me cringe, it also got me thinking. First, I do feel like a double standard currently exists for the industry. The lyra classes at Crunch Gym are CirqFIT classes (http://www.cirq-fit.com). Other aerial fitness fads include: TRAPFIT (http://www.trapfit.com), antigravity fitness (http://antigravityfitness.com) and AIR aerial fitness (http://www.airfitnow.com). Again, these are NOT aerial classes. They are “aerial fitness classes.” I happen to have taken all of these. And honestly, none of these places use mats or just use a yoga mat. And now that I think about it, it’s also pretty common to learn some type of inversion on day 1. These places have multiple points, with student teacher ratios as large as 20:1. This isn’t the type of class where you have a regular group of individuals who progress on their skills week after week, this is a class that as treated as a fitness commodity. There is no way that an instructor could get acquainted with students’ skillset or spot everyone at the same time. And in general, the students taking these classes aren’t expecting a focused curriculum to learn aerial; they just want to spice up their workout and have a good time. It’s just a very different business model than a professional aerial studio.

    Second (again just another an observation) CirqFIT lyra classes are more similar in style and substance to a pole dancing fitness class. There is a long dance warm-up, and at the end students put together a fun routine of their skills on both floor and lyra (you can get an idea of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5mbwDXxn-A&t=19s). (The individual that founded CirqFIT actually has a background more in pole dancing than in standard aerial arts). I’ve always found aerial in pole dancing studios to be much more cavalier about safety. I’m guessing here, but I believe that they use the same safety standards for aerial as they do for their pole dancing classes (and in the pole classes I’ve taken, they might or might not use mats for inversions). Point being, I think aerial dance classes are now blending with the pole dance competition culture (and it is a different culture in terms of how classes are structured and run).

    Overall, I don’t know what to think. I don’t disagree with the arguments made in this blog. I’ve just observed that these practices are ubiquitous in the “aerial fitness” industry. We are trying to hold them to the same standard as an aerial class, but in fact, that is not what they are. And because they are “aerial fitness” versus an actual aerial class, I don’t think, that they think, there actually is a problem.

    • Lewitwer

      The rules are the same (as many of the moves are the same), and similar protocol should be followed whether you’re labeling it “fitness” or “circus”. A fall on the head is a fall on the head, a torn rotator cuff is a torn rotator cuff, etc. Proper spotting and matting are essential no matter what you label it.

  18. Gina Likins

    Wow – I am anything but an expert, but I was flipping out! I cannot imagine doing a knee hang from the top bar without *first* talking about how to get down from it without breaking your neck. Zoiks.

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