Aerial for Pilates Lovers
Air Control Pilates® Everything Pilates, from a different perspective, another dimension!
Watch a 10 min Aerial Pilates Taster Session
Alan Herdman
Alan is a London based dancer and teacher, who opened the UK’s first Pilates studio in 1970. It was an absolute honour to introduce the aerial hammock to Pilates legend, Alan Herdman in 2019.
As a fellow Pilates Teacher or Lover, can you relate to any of these?
- Bored of teaching the same old and feel stuck or stagnant
- You’re looking for something new and exciting to inspire your practise & creativity
- You’d love to inspire your clients in a different way with Pilates
- Craving a zest to bring a new challenge and excitement to your classes and/or studio
- Want something for your own personal training and development within the Pilates realm
- You want to have more fun, creativity and be open to have more adventures this year
- You feel drawn to the hammock, you know you'd love it!
If any of these apply,
Aerial Pilates was made for you!
Find out more
Hi, I'm Debbie,
Founder of Air Control Pilates and Artistic Director of A Blank Canvas
Here’s how it’s played out in my personal experience… with over 20 years as a Pilates teacher & 16 years as an Aerialist
Claim 2 week free pass
The highlights!
- Celebrating teaching Pilates for 20 years in 2023
- It was an honour teaching Alan Herdman, Aerial Pilates at the Pilates Gathering
- Teaching for Pilates Festival and Pilates Gathering in Scotland, UK
- Hanging out at events! Doing a fun, trio acrobalance with Balanced Body’s Ken Endleman and Joakim Valsinger
- Now have qualified Air teachers in UK, Europe, Australia, America, Asia & Middle East who have trained in my syllabus
- Proudly working with Lyon Equipment to launch beautiful bespoke Air Frames for home, outdoor and studio use
The other experiences…
Also included…
- Sadly leaving Edinburgh having taught there for 15 years and built up a strong, great client base and a cosy, boutique studio to take this leap
- Multiple times experiencing burn out over the years and feeling lonely in my business often, even though I was surrounded by people
- I didn’t train enough Pilates for me
- Sometimes felt drained after teaching and had to learn boundaries to protect myself
- Have had a familiar relationship with Imposter syndrome and wondered if I was good enough
- I didn’t take enough holidays and time outs for myself
Any of those sound familiar?
Read Debbie's Story
What is Aerial Pilates?
Aerial Pilates with involves practising Pilates exercises in the air by suspending the body, or parts of the body in an aerial hammock. The hammock is suspended close to the ground at the height of the hips to the lower leg.
Why is Aerial Pilates so good for Pilates Lovers?
You know this material....
It's Pilates floating in the Air, it feels like second skin. Moving in the air freely and gaining strength from within, including:
- Learn Aerial positions and movements that make sense. You've probably seen them before but not done them yourself, now it's your time!
- Time to focus on you and feel liberated, free and tapping into your inner creative
- Improve strength, range of motion and make connections, feeling in beautiful control
- Improve neural pathways with movements and flow
- Tap into your inner acrobat and let your Pilates knowledge take you to a higher place
- Approach Pilates from a different perspective, open your mind to another world of movement
The hammock will meet you on your journey wherever you’re at, it’s a natural teacher that has your back... literally!
Claim 2 week free pass
Air Control Pilates® Aerial Pilates Teacher Training
This course covers 10 Units;
- Safe Practice of Aerial Pilates/rigging awareness
- Introduction to Anatomy (including interactive 3D models)
- Pilates History
- Circus history & its intertwining with Pilates
- Pilates Fundamentals and principles
- Includes full Air Control Pilates syllabus - video and downloadable worksheets
- Planning to teach support
- Practice teaching, tips, cues & spotting
- Managing & marketing your sessions
You have limitless potential, it’s time to be supported fully in your training and teaching.
Self Care for Aerialists
Aerial Arts is a captivating and demanding physical art form
Combining my love for aerial arts with the principles of Pilates, I naturally started creating a unique syllabus that blends the two disciplines. It's my utmost joy to share this fusion of aerial arts and Pilates with you.
Apply Today!What she said...
"Loved how in depth some aspects of the exercises with especially in relation to myself as an individual – I have seriously never learn so much about myself physically in 4 days! All my tendencies and habits have come together in a more cohesive understanding of my body. This is MASSIVE thanks to Debbie and her vast amount of knowledge and fun! Thank you!"
Grace
What she said...
"You are absolutely the best teacher, you create such a safe and nurturing space to learn and you're also hilarious which for me, is the perfect combination to learn"
Kirsty
What she said...
"I honestly feel like I've found a mentor that I hadn't realised that I'd been missing for years. So thankyou Debbie
This was just the learning & growing experience I needed & I am in complete love with aerial hammock & all the fabulous Pilates work that can be done with it."
Sarah
What she said...
"This is just the start of my Aerial Pilates journey.
I have learnt so much from Debbie already, not just for Aerial but to combine into our matwork classes right now!
I am so hyped for the next steps in the journey, to open up the beauty of the hammock
It's a new layer of Pilates, that will enhance and support you.
So so excited!!!
Laura
What she said...
"If any of you are thinking about this course, just go for it, you will not regret it!
It's packed full to the brim of the best information, support and love! We also laughed a lot!"
What’s Included…
- Access to a whole Air Syllabus with videos and downloadable worksheets
- Support for planning to teach and practise teaching with cues, spotting and top tips
- A range of Pilates Matwork classes in a library full with ideas and different sections
- An incredible Anatomy Application that is fun, intriguing and easy to use
- All of this is also accessible on a friendly easy to use App
- Specific, detailed personal feedback for you to learn, grow and fly!
You will gain…
- A deeper understanding of the Pilates method from a professional Aerialist
- Specific Pilates Matwork classes for Aerialists and Aerial arts ideal for w/ups, conditioning and a proactive approach
- Both Pilates & Circus History – hear about how Joseph Pilates worked with circus performers
- A super useful Anatomy Application that is helpful to understand your own body and students too
- Safe practise of Aerial rigging awareness – written & spoken by professional rigger
- How to plan and teach a session for privates or group sessions or your own training
- Air Control Pilates© syllabus as videos, written form & downloadable PDF’s
A Grounded Approach to Creativity
- Our learning process is safe and structured
- I have created the syllabus carefully from aerial roots as a great training tool for practicing good movement patterns in the air, using the Pilates method
- The work has been created to introduce aerial arts to Pilates and for the development of aerial arts training
- Our manuals are carefully structured, including a syllabus of exercises for each stage in our Air Control Pilates ® Aerial Pilates teacher training courses
Pilates & Aerial Friends
Chris Blagdon
Chris trained with Alan Herdman and he is the owner of Edinburgh Pilates Centre, which was the first Pilates centre outside of London and the first in Scotland.
I have been mentored by Chris for nearly 15 years throughout my career learning from his endless wealth of knowledge, inspiration and quirkiness!
Julianna Hane
We are delighted to have Julianna Hane join us and work collaboratively on some of our Air school courses. Julianna is a dancer and aerialist and holds an MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, a certificate in Laban Movement Analysis, and trained as a Pilates instructor at The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO.
She is also a graduate of the New England Center for Circus Arts Professional Training Program, and is the author of the Aerial Teacher’s Handbook.
Fred Deb
Aerial consultant on In Her Shadows.
"Since the beginning of her career as a circus artist, Fred Deb' defined herself as an aerial choreographer. Her groundbreaking work on silk and rope makes her one of the founders of the genre.
She quickly created a unique choreographic style, focusing her work essentially on the search for choreographed movements, which naturally led to dance." (From Fred Deb)
Christopher Robbins
Debbie's Dad,
We’ve taken the best consultancy around health and safety and suspending people in the air by consulting with Dr Christopher Robbins, who is both a metallurgist, a Dr of metals, and as part of a long career in health and safety is the Auditor for IRATA - the industrial rope access trade association
…he also happens to be my Dad!
Crucial to the development of the Air control signature hammock & rig – coming soon!
Breathe Fresh Air into your Movement
Debbie Robbins ~ Air Control Pilates Creator
Self Care for Aerialists & Movers
