Online coaching.

I offer 1:1 online coaching to experienced rope and sling artists internationally through my three month programme Flourish which runs twice per year. I also run occasional online masterclasses. Please use the links and FAQ below to find out more. You can read what past and current students have to say on my Testimonials page.

Join the spring 2025 waitlist

Upcoming masterclasses

FAQ.

  • Online aerial coaching works for experienced aerialists (see below for what that means!) who are confident with interpreting verbal cues from a coach in real time. Ideally, you warm up ahead our of allotted lesson time then enter the Zoom room and I guide you through a class as we would in an in person 1:1, except I use video demonstration (screen sharing from my library of teaching videos) to clarify any drills or cues as necessary. This actually works brilliantly for dynamic skills in particular which are especially hard to slow down in live demos to show the detail/timing!


    If this sounds like your jam, you can apply here!

  • I offer online coaching to experienced /intermediate/advanced recreational and/or professional rope and sling artists.

    When use the terms ‘intermediate+’ or ‘experienced’ I’m not referring to an established categorisation, but rather to knowing enough about your own level of skill and experience to make an informed judgement call about your confidence to work without a coach in the room with you, who can only give you verbal cues.

    While we should all take ultimate responsibility for our aerial practice even in an in-person group class (physical presence of the instructor does not imply and cannot guarantee safety!), for online coaching to work well, each participant needs to have a clear understanding of their existing knowledge, their inherent attitude to risk and the limits of their confidence.

    Really this means that you should have sufficient aerial experience to:

    (i) have an established core skills vocabulary on your chosen apparatus;
    (ii) know the limits of your strength, endurance and confidence;
    (iii) be VERY comfortable interpreting verbal instruction and working without physical assists (spotting) from an instructor who will be teaching you remotely.

    If this sounds like you, you can apply here!

  • Here’s what you get when you book online coaching with me:

    (i) live online 1:1s via Zoom - choose from 1 or 1.5 hours, singles or multipack (4 or more)

    (ii) access to your own video library of skills, drills & sequences (continuous access to ongoing students; lasts for 3 months for one-off lessons)

    (iii) class notes and training plan to guide your practice between lessons

    (iv) form checks and feedback - if you’re an ongoing student with upcoming classes in the calendar you can send me training videos (5 mins max) in between sessions and I’ll send it back with voice over commentary .

  • Flourish pricing is reviewed each cycle. But for reference, for a 3 month training plan, 3 × 1:1s and 5 masterclasses the previous cycle was priced at $935 full price with a 25% Early Bird discount ($679) available exclusively to the waitlist. A three month financing plan is also available.

  • I offer discounted rates on all multipack bookings (4 or more classes).

    I also offer two full bursary places (or four half price equivalents) every year to students who can’t afford classes or full rate. These places are currently full but you can request to be added to the waiting list.

    If full price 1:1s are currently out of reach but you know someone else working at a similar skill level on similar goals and who can get online at the same time as you, then 1:2s can be a more affordable way to get almost the same experience!

  • I’m based in Wales in the UK so my timezone is GMT (and GMT+1 in summer = British Summer Time or BST). This is 8 hours ahead of Pacific Time or 5 hours ahead of Eastern time. It’s 1 hour behind Central Europe.

    I teach Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. If you’re based in the US this means I can offer you morning/early afternoon sessions on any of these days (9am-1pm Pacific or 12 noon-4pm Eastern). If you’re based in Europe you can work with me in the evenings on any of the above days and/or mornings on Thurs/Fri.

  • I’m so glad you asked! Because in a currently unregulated industry like aerial coaching, it is so important to establish if a coach has the experience and knowledge you need.

    I trained as a contemporary dancer (BA and MA) then worked as an aerial harness performer and workshop leader in an inclusive (disabled/nondisabled) dance company every summer for over 10 years before moving into aerial circus full time in 2018. I also worked as a dance lecturer (somatics, improvisation and contact improvisation, community dance and professional practice) to undergrad dance students for 2 years.

    I’m now team leader and coach at Syrcas Byd Bach, a small circus school in West Wales, having joined as dance/rope/sling teacher in 2018. I’m a coach for the Circus Mobility membership The Parish. Amongst I’ve done

    • dynamic rope teacher training with Alex Allan (2020)

    • Cardinal (200 hour teacher training) with Jessica John, Circus Mobility (2022-23)

    • Inversion Conversion Method Certification with Jessica John, Circus Mobility (2023)

    • Instructor Boost 3.0 with circus physio Emily Scherb, The Circus Doc (2022)

    • Consent, Motivation and Alternative Approaches to Circus Pedagogy with Adam Woolley, Proud Coach (2022)

    • I will be joining Rope Lab (200 hour teacher training for advanced rope) with Alex Allan and PJ Perry in Feb 2024.

    I’ve also completed courses to support my students more generally

    • Menopause 2.0 - understanding menopause for athletes with Dr Stacy Sims (2023)

    • Neurodynamics in Performing Arts with Dr Jen Crane, Cirque Physio, (2022)

  • You must have access to:

    • aerial apparatus and hardware in good working order and visually inspected for wear on a regular basis

    • professionally installed rigging point or load tested aerial rig

    • industry standard safety mat of a suitable thickness for the maximum height at which you will be working during lesson

    To make the most of your lesson time you will also need:

    • a good internet connection in your training space,

    • a device with a good enough camera for me to see you clearly,

    • a good enough audio set up for you to hear my cueing clearly when you're in the air (some students use Airpods or other in-ear gym-friendly headphones especially in noisy open gym)

    Most students use their laptop camera, some use their phone, though a phone screen can be a little small for seeing the screen-shared videos. If studios are large, busy or noisy, then headphones are a must, but in quieter set-ups laptop speakers usually work fine!

“Jess is a detailed and conscientious teacher… she very clearly understands that people have different body proportions, different flexibility and mobility ranges, different ways of learning, and she tries to cater for each individual's needs. With the 1:1 sessions in the Flourish programme, she helped me unlock tricks I didn't expect to achieve so soon… with tailored lesson plans and a lot of positive encouragement which made me comfortable with advancing each of the tricks I was working on.”

- Bunmi Odumosu @_sassy_bee

I believe in growing an aerial practice that nourishes the soul

Too often what once started off as a joyful source of exploration, pleasure and play can become a source of frustration, self-criticism or even fear when we get serious about the skills we want - or think we should have.

My passion and mission as an aerial coach is to help my students develop a robust and sustainable practice - tailored to them and their needs - that allows them to refine technique, work towards dream skills, explore movement, grow vocabulary, train consistently while retaining a sense of the joy that typically drew us to aerial in the first place.

“Jess is an amazing coach, she really takes the time to feel how you are feeling about a skill and has a great sense of when to push you further or move on to something different. The break down of skills is *chefs kiss* she really takes the time to experiment and fine tune each progression. I absolutely love working with her, it's been so nice as a coach to have a coach.”

- Kelsey Poitras @kp_aerialist

Testimonials.