After years of teaching aerial hoop all over the world, T has finally created a teacher training program that can help teachers all over to improve or create their aerial hoop program. The Hoop Artist Teacher Training is a great step for experienced students who are interested in teaching, newer teachers, and seasoned teachers to refine their teaching. Since 2009, T has developed a unique and effective style of teaching aerial hoop to everyone, from beginner students to professionals. The Hoop Artist Teacher Training will introduce you to the teaching techniques that have led T to international success, and will provide you with the information you need to teach aerial hoop safely and successfully.

What will this teacher training do for you?

  • Guide you through techniques to instruct skills safely and clearly.
  • Introduce different methods of cueing your students through skills depending on how they learn best.
  • Explore common issues with skills and how to help students through those challenges.
  • Introduce progressions to help students build a solid foundation for more advanced skills.
  • Show you how to construct lessons that are not only challenging and technique-focused, but also fun and inspiring!

What will this teacher training NOT do for you?

  • Teach you to perform beginner and intermediate  aerial hoop skills. (If you are looking for instruction on performing aerial hoop skills, please see T's Guest Instruction page or visit him in Boston at ESH Circus Arts. )
  • This training DOES NOT provide you with a certificate or license that proves you are a competent and safe instructor. (click the link for information about becoming a Hoop Artist Approved Instructor.)

About T, creator of Hoop Artist

T has been studying and performing aerials since 2007, and has been teaching movement in many forms since 2002. During college, he started learning aerials at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, where he eventually started assistant teaching. Meanwhile, T was spending every summer working at Circus Smirkus in Vermont. Focusing on the aerial hoop, T attended the New England Center for Circus Arts in their Professional Training Program from 2010-2012. While at NECCA, T was hired to lead their aerial hoop program, curating the hoop curriculum into carefully thought out levels and sequences. Since then, he has been advanced staff at Versatile Arts and SANCA in Seattle, and currently at ESH Circus Arts in Somerville, MA. T has toured the world with his workshops and classes, bringing his depth of knowledge, precision technique, and absolute safety to all the students and teachers he’s mentored.

Accomplishments:

  • Coach for the Esh Circus Arts' Professional Preparatory Program and Adult Summer Intensive Program, 2015-present.
  • Featured Aerial Coach at the International Acrobatic Convention 2017
  • Lead Aerial Coach at Circus Smirkus 2012-2017.
  • Finalist in the 2015 U.S. Aerial Championship for Aerial Hoop.
  • Featured Aerial Coach at the Edinburgh Aerial Acrobatics Convention 2015.
  • Coach for the SANCA (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) Professional Preperatory Program. 2013-2014​.
  • Teacher Trainer at SANCA. 2013-2014
  • Advanced Aerial Instructor at the
    New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) 2011-2013.
  • Hoop Coach for Professional Training Program students at NECCA. 2011-2013.

What will this training cover?

LEVEL 1:

  • How to spot and teach the standard aerial hoop poses (as well as unusual variations).
  • How to start students working on basic drops and rotationals ("dynamics"). For example: Knee rolls, and Roll Downs.​
  • Modifications for less flexible, or extra flexible students.
  • Changes for double point vs single point hoops.
  • Basic body mechanics to better understand safe hoop technique.
  • Basic rigging information.
  • Helpful instruction on how to make a lesson plan that is engaging, challenging and fun.

LEVEL 2:

Level 2 is an additional part of the Teacher Training. You must apply to be accepted into the Level 2 Teacher Training. 
(see application process below)
You will take the Level 1 training, and then will stay for additional time to cover:
  • How to teach Beats/Tempos and analyze common beat problems.
  • Teaching Intermediate/Advanced Rotationals: Mill Circles, Hip Circles, Elbow Circles...etc
  • Introduction to Teaching/Spotting Releases.

Level 2 Teacher Training Application:

  1. Make a 5-10 minute video of you teaching a class/private lesson. Please have a friend follow you around with the camera so T can see you coach, and see how you work with the student. T also needs to be able to hear what you and the student say. Putting a camera on a tripod somewhere often limits what T will be able to see/hear and make it difficult for him to make the judgement call.
  2. Level 2 is really aimed at people who definitely have a grasp of how bodies move in space. T is looking for anything that shows that you think about hoop in more than 2D poses; teaching fun transitions between skills, any sort of sequencing, or active moves (rolls, slides...etc) to show T that you'd be ready to take your teaching and your students to the next level of hoop "brain".
  3. Send T the video at HoopArtist (at) gmail (dot) com. Subject: Level 2 Training Submission by YOUR NAME.
  4. He will respond (usually within 24 hours) whether or not you can join the Level 2 Training.