I had the coolest full-circle acro moment this week, and I knew you guys would appreciate this one. I was at a leadership conference, looked across the room at lunch, and saw someone who looked VERY familiar. "Is that Tasha...?" It was!!! I hadn’t seen her in 29 years. When I was 19, I was Tasha’s gymnastics coach. She was 15, ridiculously talented, and part of the very first competitive group I ever taught. She was also my first Roundoff Back Tuck. Well… technically, she was ready for that Roundoff Back Tuck LONG before I was ready to let her do it. 😂 We drilled it forever. Roundoff, rebound, STOP — standing back tuck with a spot. Over and over and over. For almost an entire year. She was ready. I was scared. And I KNOW some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. There are certain skills where the student has done the progressions, they have the strength, they understand what they’re supposed to do… …but it’s your first time taking a student across that particular spotting milestone. Finally, my head coach pulled me aside one day and said, “Are you ever going to let her just do it?” Okay. Fine. 😂 Tasha connected the Roundoff to the Back Tuck. I spotted her. And it was EASY. She did exactly what she’d been trained to do, and I did exactly what I’d been trained to do. I remember thinking, THAT’S what I was so scared of? At lunch this week, I told her, “Did you know you were the first student I ever spotted on a connected Roundoff Back Tuck?” She had NO idea. Then she laughed and said, “Probably a good thing I didn’t know that.” Probably. 😂 LOL But seeing her again reminded me of something I really want our Acro Dance School teachers to understand: Sometimes your student is ready before YOU are. That doesn’t mean we rush skills. It doesn’t mean we skip progressions. And it definitely doesn’t mean, “Just go for it and hope for the best.” It means we DO the prep work. That’s why I’m always harping on following a syllabus instead of chasing tricks.

Hi Melissa I would love to notify parents on this new Acro program we are teaching any tips or resources to help with this ? Thank you x

Hey teachers! I just recorded a brand new training for you - especially if you're newer to Acro, but honestly there's something in here even if you've been teaching a couple of years. These are the FIVE BIGGEST questions I get asked over and over. So let's get into it. 💥 ✅ Run the same warmup every class, no exceptions Not a generic stretch-and-pushups warmup — a 20-30 minute technique, strength, and flexibility warmup built around the tricks coming up in the level. Lots of repetition. When the warmup is mastered, the tricks come fast. ✅ Managing mixed levels in the same class Same warmup framework for everyone, but the drills scale to where each student actually is. 📌 Progress charts are huge here too - they tell students exactly what they're working on and what's next, so nobody feels rushed or held back. ✅ How to actually teach Aerials 📌 My cue: step OUT, chest UP. Not "drop the chest" - that works for your naturally lean, talented kids, but for the other 80% of your class it collapses the hips and kills the rotation. Chest up = correct timing, more height, lighter landing. Works for every body type. ✅ Why choreography looks messy (it's not flexibility!) Nine times out of ten it's bent legs upside down. Straight legs are trained, not gifted. Dynamic split stretches and handstand-against-the-wall drills fix this in weeks, not years. ✅ Progress charts and stickers Put your whole syllabus on a chart. Sparkly stickers. Kids can see exactly where they are and where they're going, and it solves the "my kid wants to skip basics" conversation with parents too. I recorded the full training for you below — grab a coffee and give it a watch! ☕ Let me know which of these five you're going to work on first!

Once your junior dancers have a strong bridge with good technique, it's time to start adding variations to keep them engaged and challenge their bodies AND brains. Here are 3 fun bridge variations to play with in class: ✅ Circular Bridge ✅ Kneeling Bridge & Recover ✅ Monkey Puzzle Bridge ✅ Circular Bridge Creates beautiful movement that looks great on stage. Perform with or without the recover to standing depending on your dancers' level. 📌 Tip: Train both sides. Kneeling Bridge & Recover: This one doubles as a drill - it teaches your dancers to roll up through their spine one vertebra at a time without sinking into their low backs. Once they've got it, try it on one leg. Monkey Puzzle Bridge: A challenge for the body AND the brain. Tell your dancers where to place their hands and feet BEFORE they go upside down - it gets tricky once inverted. How it works: - Start by replacing the hand with the foot and twisting into a circular bridge - Pick up the opposite hand and foot to face the back - Continue the same motion — always opposite hand to leg, staying in a perfect square 📌 Tip: Train both directions. Start on their dominant side first. Bridge variations keep your dancers excited about a skill they already know - and give them a clear path to progress beyond the basics. Let me know which one you try first in your classes!

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!