The Back Lion Unusual Balance on Aerial Hoop was originally developed to help prepare students for the back lion droplet, but it is a great progression for any skills that require reaching across the hoop with one or both hands. If students can get comfortable with this skill in isolation, then they will feel much more comfortable passing through this shape in other skills.
There are four slightly different variations of this unusual balance, each of them is a little more difficult than the other. This tutorial will cover all of them. There are also a couple small but crucial secret actions that aren’t immediately obvious while observing the skill that will be covered in the tutorial. We also have a ground drill in the related drill sections that will help develop the correct pathway for the more challenging variations.
This unusual balance will definitely feel scary at first and it can be nerve racking watching students learn this unusual balance, especially as different bodies with different proportions may behave differently then your own. Taking students through each variation is good for the students but is also reassuring to the teacher. Hoop and body size are also very relevant. Long limbed bodies on small hoops will find this easier while short limbed bodies on large hoops will have a more challenging time.
Become an Aerial Fit Online member to access the video for Back Lion Unusual Balance. This in-depth video will explain how to properly train this skill. It also includes cross references to the most important Building Blocks, Common Mistakes, Related Drills, Ground Drills, Variations, Next Steps and Sequences.
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Some of the most important aerial hoop skills, related movements, and prerequisites from our aerial video tutorial library that students should be very comfortable doing to succeed at Back Lion Unusual Balance.
These are the most common mistakes we see with students when they are learning how to do the aerial hoop skill Back Lion Unusual Balance and detailed directions on how to fix these problems to make the skill look and feel easy.
These similar aerial hoop skills and aerial drills are helpful to troubleshoot and help with problems. Students don't need to have mastered the Back Lion Unusual Balance to work on these related skills and drills. These drills may help your students make important connections and answer the question "What am I doing wrong?".
These are some of our favorite ground drills for aerialists for Back Lion Unusual Balance. They can be used as part of the ground warm up or as part of the aerial class teaching progression.
These are different variations of Back Lion Unusual Balance. Students should be very comfortable with the current skill before working on these different or more advanced variations. They can be used for further exploration, managing students with different levels and adding variety to aerial hoop choreography.
These are the next steps we teach to our aerial hoop students after they’re comfortable with Back Lion Unusual Balance. The next steps can be started right away and they lead toward specific future goals which are often the most advanced aerial hoop skills.
These are some of the more advanced hoop skills that build on the strength and control taught in Back Lion Unusual Balance. They are not the next immediate steps, but rather long term planning goals.
These are aerial hoop sequences, transitions, and combinations that include the aerial skill Back Lion Unusual Balance. They are fun, creative, and challenging sequences from our aerial video tutorial library.
