CIRCUS ARTS Trainings

UPCOMING TRAINING DATES
* Beginner Aerial Teacher Training is ONLINE
*Intermediate & Advanced Aerial Teacher Trainings are IN-PERSON.
** Circus Arts Therapy® Trainings:  Levels 1, 2 & 3 are ONLINE.

Who are our trainings for?

Aerial Teacher Training​
  • Experienced teachers who want to prove to clients, employers, and insurers that they have high standards for themselves
  • Studio owners
  • New teachers
  • Aerial students who want to ensure they are training safely or might consider teaching one day
Circus Arts Therapy® Training​
  • Therapists, circus educators / studio owners who are interested in using the Circus Arts therapeutically.

Our interactive online TRAINING'S are for everyone!

The Circus Arts Institute's Educational branch has been proudly teaching circus educators, therapists, occupational therapists, and many more for 35+ years. Through our School of Circus Arts we offer Teacher Training programs in both ground-based and aerial skills.
Creating a safe and healthy learning environment includes not discriminating (or tolerating fellow learners to discriminate) based on age, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status.

WHY train at Circus Arts Institute?

  • Circus Arts Institute is a flagship member of the Safety Network for the American Circus Educators (ACE) that recognizes our training and certifications .
  • Our Aerial Teacher Training programs were created mindfully based on decades of experience and have responsibly evolved as the discipline of circus arts has expanded and modernized. 
  • As a student in our training program, you will have direct access to Carrie Heller, our Director, who has over 50+ years experience as a performer, mentor, and aerial teacher. 
  • All of our trainers have at least 10 years of hands-on experience training aerial instructors. 
  • The expert training our teachers offer is built upon years of experience working with a diverse body of students of varying ages, aptitudes, body types, and aspirations. 
  • As a National Training Organization
    • We offer individualized instruction, feedback, and assessments by highly experienced, certified teachers. 
    • We deliver programs that provide codified, step-by-step instructions for each skill in meaningfully scaffolded skill progressions. 
  • Lastly and certainly not least, we extend beyond pedestrian "trick teaching" by providing didactic information about the philosophy of teaching in the aerial arts and nurture the emergent qualities required for you to be an expert teacher.

video library

Our trainees will have access to our growing online video library.  Thank you to Hilary Riall, Annika Egerstedt, Olivia Egerstedt, Kasumi Kato, Lauren Taglialatela, Hayley Adamson, and Amber Monson for the superb display of your talents in our online video library!  Thank you to Lauren Taglialatela for all of your contributions to the videos, including so masterfully editing and putting together each and every video you see in our library.

YOUR RiG

All Circus Arts Institute training's will be live and interactive online; except for Intermediate and Advanced Aerial Teacher Training. During registration you will be asked to provide information about your "rig compliance".
If you have a rig:
  • To ensure that your home or private studio aerial rig and space are safe, we follow the safety standards of the American Circus Educators (ACE), the Safety Network that recognizes our training and certifications. 
  • We request that you have a ‘student’ who you can practice with and physically work through how to teach and spot the skills. We have found that it is ideal to take our online training with another instructor from your studio.  This allows each of you to be the other's ‘student’ for the physical portions of our training and to practice with each other after our training. If that is not possible, then we recommend you have someone who has good endurance and strength and has some familiarity working on aerial apparatus. This person will serve as your ‘student’ for all 'physical portions' of our training.
  • A detailed schedule will be provided so you know the exact hours we will be using the aerial equipment vs. lecture time. If your ‘student’ is unavailable at any time, you will still participate fully by watching others intently to develop your teacher’s eye, taking notes and asking questions.
  • If your rig is outside and weather does not permit you to use it on the day of training, it is the same as noted below (if you do not have a rig).  You will still participate in the session by watching others intently, taking notes, asking questions and practicing the skills later.
If you do not have a rig:
  • You may still take this training and participate in full by using the time to develop your teacher’s eye by watching others intently, taking notes and asking questions.
  • You do not have to have a rig at the time of the training to participate and learn.
  • You will have access to the Teaching and Spotting videos for your apparatus, so you can review the material/skills at your convenience with your ‘student’ & local aerial trainer anytime afterwards. 

Online Training

To participate fully in our online Trainings, please use a computer, laptop or tablet.  A phone does not provide you with a large enough screen.
Camera Policy
Zoom is used for our interactive online training.  We need a clear view of you in your space throughout the training inclusive of:
  • Lecture and discussion
  • Warm ups & cool downs 
  • The aerial / physical portions
It is recommended that you perform a test run with a peer to try out each view before you join us online.
Cameras are required to be turned on and your presence for the entire Aerial Teacher Training (ATT).  Research shows that both instructors and students benefit most when we can all see each other. (For any medical exceptions or accommodations, please contact Carrie directly.)
 Tips for being fully present:
  • If you find yourself distracted by other trainees’ videos while the instructor is presenting, you can alter your viewing settings.  For example, Zoom has a “speaker view” that automatically focuses on the person speaking. Also, there is an option to pin the instructor's video so it takes up the whole screen.
  • Alternatively, you can place a sticky note on the portion of your screen that shows other trainee’s videos.
  • We will have multiple breaks to help you stay focused.
Typical Beginner ATT Schedule (NOTE: Some of the times may change slightly based on the students' needs)
Friday, Saturday and Sunday => 10:15am-6:30pm Eastern Time
Monday => 10:15am-1:00pm Eastern Time

IN-PERSON Training:

For all in-person training at Circus Arts Institute, please be advised that we will be following Published CDC guidelines for COVID-19 coupled with local facility guidelines; current as of the date(s) of training.  In addition, all in-person training will be in Atlanta, Georgia.

​Come TRAIN with us!

Testimonials