Just A Chat : Aerial Fad

So I'm sure plenty of people have seen the segment on Live with Kelly where she and Anderson Cooper were being "taught" lyra. There is a good bit a chatter in the aerial community and though I'm not a teacher and still training as an aerialist I just felt the urge to talk about it just a smidge.

You can watch the video here if you haven't seen it or need a refresher.

Now the first thing I noticed was Kelly introduced Debra as a "fitness instructor" which is misleading as it's not the same thing as an aerial instructor nor does it mean you're qualified to teach aerials. Before I continue here I'm going to put the instructors response to all the outrage.

"We did have a much more beginner program planned for this morning's show. Unfortunately we were put under a lot of pressure by the production team to make the choreo much more challenging than originally planned. This caused us to skip the normal teaching steps which would include demonstrating one move at a time then assisting the student as they practice. The goal would have been to be out of the hoop much more and to spot and assist. Unfortunately, with the limited time and pressure to do more - this did not happen.

Our program is super safe and everyone works within their skill level. Instructors are actively walking around to spot and support after demoing each move in our regular classes, and unfortunately this aspect was not highlighted because the production team wanted to make it more 'interesting' for TV.

We would normally never give that progression to beginner students. We did practice the top bar section with Kelly and Anderson during the break, however I completely understand your concern.

Thank you,
Deborah"

A few things, there are plenty of beginner moves that would have looked challenging enough without throwing caution to the wind. If you wouldn't apply this in your normal practice then why would you apply it in this situation. She could/should have demonstrated the whole sequence first that way she would be able to spot them and guide them though the moves. As it's a TV segment my thought would be there's limited time and they're going to want to see something great even though you're working with beginners, so I would have prepared something that caters to the those limitations.

A lot of people think that any exposure is good exposure. That clearly is not the case when safety is a major concern. Not everyone has the discipline needed or understands what is needed of them to do these "Cool" things. Which is were the problem lies when you have major outlets promoting things improperly and not even with a disclaimer.

Pursuing recreational activities is fine and dandy when you're not going to break your neck just "having fun", though I don't Personally know of a reputable teacher that would allow this. 

Please make informed decisions (I laughed in my head as I typed that cliché)

Anyways, let me know what you think about the video and/or these 'dangerous' fads.