As Circus Artists, your body is your tool and your instrument professionally as well as your everyday means of well…everything. This means that the way we understand, treat and train our circus bodies is significant. We must prioritize care, maintenance and attention to decrease risks of injury, enhance career longevity while helping us continue to grow our skills.
As a Circus Artist I understand that we are a diverse and medically underserved group. I have experienced the challenges of trying to develop and perform as an artists while trying to care for and get professional care my body. As a Circus PT, I understand the importance of circus science and I’ve dedicated my life and work to helping others learn to #TrainCircusSmart
Want to enhance your knowledge about training Circus Smart? Looking to level up with less effort and injury? I’m here to help! Get with me for:
💪🏼Mentorship
💪🏼In person appointments
💪🏼Online wellness consultations
💪🏼Movement Analysis
💪🏼Video Skill Movement Analysis
💪🏼Personalized Home Programming
💪🏼Circus Smart Speaker Series
💪🏼Online courses
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#thecircusdoc #circussmart #traincircussmart #circus #treatcircussmart #teachcircussmart #circusforlife #lifelonglearning #activeforlife #physio #physiotherapy #circusarts #shoulders #shoulderstability #healthcareprofessionals #physicaltherapy #circusmedicine #medicine #circusartist #circusbodies #circusPT #CircusClinician #circuscoach #circusinstructor
Work with me and enhance your expertise and ability to TREAT CIRCUS SMART!
👩🏻⚕️ As clinicians we can support circus artists best by learning more about what they do, why they do it, and how it should be done safely. Being a clinician who understands the unique challenges and demands of circus bodies means we can get artists of all levels back to doing what they love quickly.
I’m here to help you understand how circus bodies work AND show you exactly how to fill your clinic with circus patients so that you feel confident getting them back to training and performing!
Whether you’re looking to start working with circus artists or want to enhance your knowledge of circus movement, injuries and care you came to the right place. I’ll help you stay at the leading edge of circus science and get the resources you need to succeed through 1:1 mentorship, my Circus Fusion continuing education course (created exclusively for healthcare providers) and the monthly Circus Smart Speaker series.
My goal is to help you feel more confident when working with clients, and to have a place where you can ask those questions you have been dying to get the answers to.
Comment “circusmedicine” to learn more and get started! 💪🏼
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#thecircusdoc #circussmart #traincircussmart #circus #treatcircussmart #teachcircussmart #circusforlife #lifelonglearning #activeforlife #physio #physiotherapy #circusarts #shoulders #shoulderstability #healthcareprofessionals #physicaltherapy #circusmedicine #medicine #circusartist #circusbodies #circusPT #CircusClinician #circuscoach #circusinstructor
Looking to enhance your expertise and ability to TEACH CIRCUS SMART? Take your knowledge and teaching to the next level while making your studio and classes Circus Smart! Why? Because great studio owners, instructors and coaches know that teaching isn’t just about doing a trick, choreography or routines - it’s about understanding the human body, how it moves and how to help students move their bodies safely on the ground and in the air.
As instructors and coaches, we can support our students by deepening our knowledge of movement mechanics, understanding the movement demands of circus and employing safer teaching practices. When a teacher brings both artistry and science to the studio, we can help reduce the risk of injuries and increase cirque-cess!
Join me for continuing education with mentorship, online courses and my Instructor Boost program to get the support your need and to have a place where you can ask those questions you have been dying to get the answers to.
Comment “instructor boost” to learn more and get started! 💪🏼
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#thecircusdoc #circussmart #traincircussmart #circus #treatcircussmart #teachcircussmart #circusforlife #lifelonglearning #activeforlife #physio #physiotherapy #circusarts #shoulders #shoulderstability #healthcareprofessionals #physicaltherapy #circusmedicine #medicine #circusartist #circusbodies #circusPT #CircusClinician #circuscoach #circusinstructor
Down..Wrap..Now what?! Has the scap wrap gone too far? 🤔
Teaching has evolved, helping us change the language and refine cues, yet somehow I'm seeing a version of the same issue(s) in the clinic.
For years the most common shoulder complaint I saw in my clinic came from aerialists over-recruiting their lats trying to "pull their shoulders down and away from their ears". Now if you know anything about the lats you know that they are big, powerful and easy to find. This lead to them taking over, with the shoulders are paying the price.
In an attempt to help aerialists achieve the right movement mechanics, we evolved the cue. Hello Scap wrap! That beautiful motion of the scapula rotating upward and tilting posteriorly to align the shoulder joint for overhead work became the goal.
Problem solved...right? Well not exactly. Here's what I'm seeing now in my clinic: Aerialists who have wrapped so hard that's all they do. And that's a problem because scapular stability isn't one motion or one single action. It’s a three dimensional equation.
Did this shift your perspective on the 'Scap Wrap'? I’d love to hear what’s spinning in your brain (or what’s still feeling a bit 'crunchy') in the comments below.
And stay tuned because I still have more to share about this!
Thanks to Muscles & Motion for the videos!!!
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#shoulderhealth #CircusShoulders #shouldermobility #shoulderstability #circussmart
If you subscribe to my newsletter you may have already read my thoughts...
I know there is a lot of talk out there about what the shoulders need to do when the arms are overhead, but I think about this way more than any person should. So, hear me out.
The shoulders have a huge amount of mobility and to use it effectively we need to understand the nuance of the motion. There is no one cue to rule them all.
If that's got your mind confused and curious, stay tuned because this rabbit hole goes deeper. You'll want to stick around 😉
Can't wait? Check out the newsletter in your inbox. Not subscribed yet? Comment "Newsletter" to join!
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#circusscience #circuslife #circusshoulders #circusaroundtheworld #circussmart
Are you teaching the way your students actually learn? 🤔
In the clinic, the studio, and honestly in life in general, we are constantly absorbing information, processing it, and passing it on. Sometimes all at the same time.
So how do we get better at it? It starts with understanding something deceptively simple: we don't all learn the same way.
Most of us are familiar with the classic four:
👁️ Visual - you need to see it to get it
👂🏼Auditory - hearing it explained is what makes it click
🤸 Kinesthetic - you learn by doing (raise your hand if this is you, circus people 🙋🏼♀️)
📝 Reading/Writing - you process best through text and notes
There has also been a growing push to add four more that I think bring a lot of extra insight (especially in the circus classroom):
👥 Social - thrives in group energy and shared learning
🧘🏻♀️ Solitary - prefer working independently (and may not like being called out)
🔗 Naturalistic - connects learning to real world application and practice
🔍 Analytical - driven by patterns, logic, and understanding the why
And here's the thing, most of us live in several of these categories at once. Some of us can even shift depending on what we're learning, how we're feeling, or what's at stake.
As an instructor this matters enormously. In a group setting, building in moments that speak to different styles means more students actually get it and not just the ones who learn the way you do.
And when it comes to one-on-one teaching? Understanding exactly how your student absorbs information is one of the most powerful tools you have. It's often the difference between someone plateauing and someone making real, meaningful gains.
Know how YOU learn. Teach to how THEY learn. Watch what happens!!
💬 Which learning style do you identify with most? And has understanding it changed how you train or teach? Share with me below!
If you enjoy these types of convos aka "my thoughts of the day" lol then comment "Newsletter" to get more of this straight to your inbox!
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#aerialinstructor #circuscoach #polecoach #circuseverydamnday #circuslife
Have you ever thought about how the ups and downs of the day are carried into your training sessions? Or how it can impact overload and injury risk?
In daily life and in our training, we exert loads on our bodies. Some are the physical loads of training and others the emotional and psychological loads of being human. With both there is the opportunity for growth. However, with too much load they become a major risk factor.
We can mostly understand the physical loads we put our bodies through. The demands of training can be used to stress our tissues, giving them the stimulation they need to build us stronger muscles, denser bones, and more resilient tendons.
But, if we push too hard or too fast (if you’re body is not yet ready) we can overload our tissues with more than they can handle and that can cause injury.
The psychological loads we carry around with us can be just as risky. Our anxieties, joys, fears, loves, frustrations and even sadness can weigh heavily on our bodies and our training. And when they stack up they can also lead to overload. Yea that bad day at work, that extra late night that kept you up 3 hours after your normal bedtime or even stubbing your toe rushing so you wouldn’t be late to circus class. Now add to that the emotional stress of learning a new skill that is scary or different. With the extra psychological load you may loose focus and be at a higher risk of injury.
So, if like me you stayed up too late last night…okay and maybe the night before, take it easy on yourself today. If you go in to train, work on familiar skills that make you feel good in your body.
📸 Pictured: The Great Sandwina (look her up if you have a chance. An incredible strongwoman!)
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#circuseverydamnday #circusstrong #circusartist #circustraining #circusinspiration
I like to think of every student as their own individual puzzle. And as coaches, our most powerful tool isn't strength or skill, rather it's knowing exactly which cue helps unlock their movement.
The thing about that exact cue is that its different for every student, there is no one magic cue. But there is magic in truly understanding what you are teaching.
Part of that understanding is knowing that cues aren't one-size-fits-all — and neither is the type of cue you use.
Cues generally fall into two categories, and they engage the mover in completely different ways:
Internal cues direct attention inward to the body itself and how it's moving. Think cues like:
🗣️“Squeeze your glutes."
🗣️"Engage your core."
External cues direct attention outward to the environment, an object, or a surface. Think cues like:
🗣️“Press into the floor."
🗣️"Reach toward the ceiling."
🗣️"Break the bar apart with your hands."
One asks directs the student one what to do with their body. The other asks directs them on how to interact with the world around them.
Neither is better. Both are tools. And knowing which one lands for a particular student, in a particular moment, is part of the art of coaching.
💬 Which type of cue has been most helpful for YOU? Drop the most memorable cue an instructor has given you in the comments! I’d love to hear what has actually moved the needle. And you never know, you might just help someone else 😉
Find conversations like this helpful? Want more? Comment "Elevate" and I'll send you details on an upcoming training that focuses on things like this and so much more to help you elevate your teaching.
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#traincircussmart #circusinstructor #aerialinstructor #poleinstructor #circuslife
Last week during office hours in Circus Fusion (the continuing education course for healthcare providers) we were discussing movement diagnoses.
And I realized something BIG.
Over the course of my decades (oh I do sound old...) of working with circus artists, and aerialists in particular, things have changed. Knowledge has changed. Cueing has changed. And the way students and clients interpret it has changed.
I usually avoid the hot takes. I am not one for drama, but I absolutely love sharing knowledge.
So I am going to write up a longer post and tell you what I’ve been seeing and what I am thinking now...
In the meantime, I'm curious... what do you think it is?!? 👀
Does this kind of nerdy talk get you thinking curious and excited? Check out one of my many nerdy courses about the circus and the body. Drop a 👀 in the comments below to get the course link.
#circustraining #circusteaching #circusinstructor #aerialinstructor #circuslife
Being able to do something and being able to teach it are not the same thing.
Doing a skill means you understand how it works in your body. Teaching it requires something more: understanding how the skill works, how the body works, and how the two relate.
And then? Recognizing that every person in front of you is different.
Swipe to see how it all fits together 👉🏻
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#circusinstructor #aerialinstructor #poleinstructor #aerialarts #circusarts
Learning isn't this one time thing that we do or a destination that we're trying to get to, rather it's an ongoing adventure that keeps on giving. And that's what I love about it! The more that I learn, the more curious I get. And every time I teach, I learn from my students.
If you're here, you're curious. And honestly? That's my favorite thing about this community. Thank you for letting me share with you - here online and in person too!
That shared curiosity is exactly what led me here. ⬇️
The best teachers never stop being students and that's why I've teamed up with Lauren Kehl @laurenkehl to help fill the space between knowing information and being able to apply it to the whole human in front of you. Join us LIVE and in-person for Elevate Teacher Training.
This training is for instructors who like to get nerdy and have been working with real students, in real classes, with real bodies.
Comment "Elevate" and I'll send you the info to learn more!
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#aerialteachertraining #aerialarts #circusarts #circusinstructor #aerialinstructor
That's a wrap on the Inaugural Circus Science Symposium!!! 💪🏼
To everyone that attended live or through the recordings, THANK YOU for nerding out with us. We couldn't have asked for a better crowd.
A huge thank you to our incredible expert presenters for sharing their research, expertise, passion, and enthusiasm with our circus community. This is what happens when curious minds come together and you made this event truly special. 🙌🏼
Attendees, we want to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments below:
💬 What did you learn?
💬 What surprised you?
💬 What inspired you? 🎥 Missed a session or want to revisit your favorites? Recordings are available for purchase and accessible through the end of the year so you can dive back in anytime! Comment “I WANT IN” and I’ll send you the link!
See you next year!!
#CircusScienceSymposium #CircusScience #CircusCommunity #AerialArts #CircusResearch
