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

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!

Welcome to Acro Dance School — the home for Acro Dance educators worldwide. This is a community-first space created for teachers who care deeply about their craft, about teaching with integrity, and about growing together. Acro Dance School exists to support Acro Dance teachers — many of whom have worked without a shared professional community — in becoming confident, connected educators who teach with clarity, structure, and intention. This is not just a place to access programs. It's a place to belong — and to grow. 🌍 What you’ll find here: • A global community of Acro Dance teachers • Conversations around teaching, safety, structure, and student progress • A space to ask real questions and share real experiences • Resources, programs, and courses all in one place 🤍 How this community supports your growth: This community thrives on participation. Here, you don’t have to figure things out on your own. Ask questions. Share what’s working in your classes. Celebrate wins. Work through challenges together. Learn from educators who value foundations, safety, and long-term progress. You don’t need to have everything figured out to belong here - that’s what this space is for. 👋 Start here Introduce yourself in the comments below in this thread: • Where are you teaching from? • How long have you been teaching Acro Dance? We’re so glad you’re here. Melissa Klassen - President The ADTA