Category Archives: Aerial Fabric

2019 Aerial Demo Reel

I am very excited to release my official 2019 Aerial Demo Reel! Watch it below:

I am grateful for the many opportunities I had to perform in the last year, and want to acknowledge the events and videographers these clips came from.

Wyndham New Year’s Celebration in Las Vegas, January 10, 2018. Solo on Aerial Silks. Videoed by TJ Stutts. Watch the full video here.  

Aerialympics Competition in Salt Lake City, July 15, 2018. Award Winning Solos on Hammock (Gold) and Silks (Silver). Videoed by Aerialympics. You can watch my full Hammock solo here, and Silk solo here.

Skyfall Sleeze Night in Salt Lake City, July 27, 2018. Ambiance on Silks and Chains. Videoed by TJ Stutts. 

Skyfall Re-enlist Night in Salt Lake City, August 31, 2018. Ambiance on Silks. Videoed by Dav.d Photography. Watch a compilation here. 

Heritage Gala in Orem, October 25, 2018. Solo on Aerial Silks. Videoed by Niklous Day. 

Thriller with Odyssey Dance Theater in Salt Lake City, October 2018. Duo and Solo Straps. Videoed by Derryl Yeager. 

Clara Takes Flight (An Aerial Nutcracker) in Sheboygan, December 2018. Solos on Silks and Straps, as well as Duo on Lyra. Video courtesy of the John Michael Kohler Performing Arts Center. View my full Silks solo here. 

To book Brandon Scott as an aerialist for your next event or show, please email him here.

5 Signs it’s Time to Buy Your Own Aerial Apparatus

So you’ve been taking aerial classes for a while, you’re completely in love (as we all are!), and you’re thinking about getting yourself an apparatus to call your own. Well, here are 5 Signs that it’s the right time for you to get your own silks, straps, or lyra!

You have a safe place to rig

Of course, your absolute first priority when it comes to Aerial must be safety. And coming up soon after is the question of where your apparatus will hang. You don’t want to order a full set of silks and hardware just to have it sit in a jumbled heap in your closet!

Some examples of safe places to rig:

  • The studio you train at
  • A free-standing rig
  • A point okayed by a structural engineer/rigger familiar with aerial

Because free-standing rigs can be a bit pricey, and other points can be hard to gage for safety (if you have a question about a possible point, or how to find a rigger in your area, I’d recommend this Facebook group), the most accessible, and generally best option to begin with is the studio you train at! While they most likely have apparatus for you to use in-house, having your own apparatus to train on can be a great source of pride and motivation.

To avoid disrupting class, bring your apparatus in to train on during open gym. As long as there is a semi-efficient way of rigging in the space, this shouldn’t be a problem (though many studios like to inspect outside equipment before it’s put up). Some studios require you to have a certain level of proficiency in aerial before self-training in open gym, which brings us to the next point…

You’re an intermediate level student, or above

Aerial is so easy to become infatuated with. Especially at the beginning! Trust me I know, it only took one class for me to drop out of college in pursuit of aerial professionally. However, a deep love for the art doesn’t a safe situation make. Wait until you reach at least an intermediate level before celebrating with your own equipment.

Now, each studio is going to have their own definition of what constitutes makes an aerialist intermediate, but the main idea is that you should have a good foundation of skill and technique to draw from while you are self-training. And if you are comfortable enough to self-train safely, you can consider getting some equipment to call your own.

You want access to an apparatus that is currently unavailable

You’ve just gone on traincation, and had the opportunity to take private lesson on straps for the first time! But while you’d love to take those skills you learned and keep working on them at home, your studio unfortunately doesn’t have any straps available to work on.

This would be another situation where you should consider getting an apparatus. And in this case, sooner than later! Waiting to get those straps shipped will cost you a lot, in terms of remembering the techniques you learned while with an instructor, and being able to train and progress safely on them once they are delivered. Speaking of cost…

You are ready to make a bigger investment in your aerial journey

Training aerial isn’t the cheapest hobby, as you’re well aware. $20 a pop on drop-ins at most studios can quickly add up. But the cost is well worth it for the gigantic benefits of aerial training, especially with a good coach. This is no different when you’re looking to purchase some equipment of your own.

Here’s what you can expect to lay down for some basic aerial setups:

  • Hammock: $100-$150
  • Silks: $200-300
  • Rope: $250-400
  • Lyra: $300-400
  • Straps: $400-500

Prices will vary by supplier, but my recommendation is to purchase your equipment from Aerial Essentials. AE has great prices, fast shipping (2-3 days within the US, plus international!), and superb customer service. But even better, their employees are all aerialists themselves!

Working at Aerial Essentials was a big part of how I made ends meet living in Las Vegas. And though I don’t live there anymore, I am still a part of the team! You can message me with any questions you have about equipment, and also take advantage of my personal discount by using the code BRANDON at checkout!

Something else to keep in mind is that the prices above all include full sets of hardware (carabiners, swivels, shackles, spansets, aerial 8s, etc), but once your have these on hand, buying just the apparatus a la carte will be a lot cheaper. Consider your first purchase a true investment into your aerial career, which brings me to my last point:

You are starting to work freelance

If the 4 other points are reasons to buy your ticket, this last one is getting on the plane and heading to your destination.

By the time that you are ready to begin performing for payment, especially if your goal is to become professional, you SHOULD have your own apparatus, full stop! During the beginning of your career while you’re part of a troupe or entertainment company which provides the things you need to perform, consider saving at least part of your performing income to invest in your own costuming, insurance, and equipment.

If you’re getting your first apparatus at this point, you may want to think about which setups will adapt to the most kinds of gigs you’ll have.

If you do silks, but don’t have a specific act, White and Red probably the most versatile colors, especially in corporate settings. Additionally you’ll want to get your fabric at a good length to fit in a variety of theaters and performance spaces.

For lyra, you may want to get a tabless lyra to start out, which can be rigged in many configurations depending on what skills you’d like to include in your performance.

And don’t forget, you’ll want to start gathering a collection of spansets, and other rigging equipment, so you can make as many situations as safe and workable as possible.

BONUS SIGN: You are training on fabric that’s rigged directly to your support beam

This is a pretty common phenomenon, especially in Central and South America, where fabric has boomed in popularity over the last few days, but hardware can be hard to find. 

If this is you, and you are train and especially if you are teaching on fabric like this, get hardware!! Even if it is only one set of carabiners-swivel-aerial 8-spanset, this will give you and your students the ability to practice true spinning, one of the greatest parts of aerial. 

Aerial Essentials ships worldwide in record time, put in your order now (and don’t forget your discount with the code BRANDON)!

Thanks for reading my latest blog post! And again, if you have any questions about equipment or ordering from Aerial Essentials, feel free to send me a message!

How to Follow @coachbrandonscott

My Dearest Aerialists,

For the past several few years as I have traveled around the world, I have met students in far off places who have each found a place close to my heart. In my desire to continue my relationships with them, I have often pondered about how to best bring my coaching abilities to the place that connects us all, no matter where we are on the planet: the internet! Not only have my thoughts gone toward the best formats for getting my coaching accessible on the virtual plane, but I have also thought intensely about how to do it in a way that promotes safety even as I am not there to personally watch over each student.

In regards to the first, I have decided to begin in the same place where the majority of my performing content resides: Instagram! On @coachbrandonscott page, I will be uploading more intentional videos breaking down technique, as well doing classes and Q&As over livestream, and utilizing the new IGTV feature. In the near future, as the ball gets rolling, I will also expand to create a secret facebook group where students will have better access to me with their questions, as well as other formats of teaching (including youtube videos, skype lessons, etc).

In regards to my other thoughts about safety, I have decided that I will only be accepting students at an intermediate level or higher, as well as other coaches and performers who would like to be part of my community. To show this level of proficiency, students will be required to DM videos to the @coachbrandonscott page for the 6 areas listed below. These have been determined to be the mark of intermediate students by my own judgement, and are subject to change. However, I truly believe they are each attainable movements, and their mastery will give me the confidence to trust that aerialists will be safe when following my instructions from a distance.

Prerequisites to following @coachbrandonscott are as follows:

Flexibility

Balance Splits:

Simple, iconic, the split is THE fundamental line of a silk artist. Not only for the many shapes and sequences that include them, but more generally, the split represents a degree of hip and leg mobility necessary for keeping any acrobatic body safe. As an intermediate+ student, mobility must also be coupled with strength, and the active-flexibility of the balance split is a wonderful cue for showing this.

For this category, I am looking for:

  • Clean Egg-beaters
  • Front Split
  • Flat Splits (180˚ or larger)
  • 10-Second Balance
  • Level 2 (triple-wrap cinched to achilles) or higher (footlocks)
  • Extra Credit: Arm-ography

Scorpion:

Unlike other kinds of flexibility, backbending involves the spine, resulting in a much different approach and practise. The ability to backbend for the intermediate student shows a patience and dedication to the slow road to flexibility, and a healthy mid-body.

For this category, I am looking for:

  • Clean Entrance/Exit
  • Toe-to-head or further
  • Moderate Spin (so I can see angles)
  • Tail assist is OK
  • Extra Credit: Both feet to head, hand-assist or no assist (gravity)

Strength

Single-Arm Meathook:

You may think of Meathooks as a straps skill, but they truly are one of the universal circus movements. Silks, Rope, Trapeze, Lyra, Sling, Cube, unlocking and leveling up your meathook makes you immediately more proficient across the aerial world. While it may be an intimidating skill for a beginner, intermediate students should absolutely be including meathooks and other single-arm work into their practise.

For this category, I am looking for:

  • Hanging from single-arm, free arm overhead
  • Good compression, head and feet toward the floor
  • Controlled exit to single-arm hang
  • Extra Credit: Reverse Meathook/Back Flag

No -Leg Climb:

Unlike Meathooks, the No-Leg Climb is more specific to us as vertical apparatus acrobats, but just as important! This climb is amazing conditioning, and it’s mastery shows well developed bent-arm and core strength, as well as endurance. Intermediate students should be incorporating this exercise into their regular practise, and should be able to achieve a good amount of steps up their apparatus, as well as make their way back to the floor.

For this category I am looking for:

  • At least 8 steps up, plus a full descent
  • Straight Legs
  • Feet at hip-level or higher
  • Consistent lift (no bobbing)
  • Extra Credit: Starting from a sit, pike position, fast ascent & slow descent

Artistry

Your Favorite Drop:

Getting into the more fun section (though strength, flex, and sequencing are fun too!), I would like to see you perform your favorite drop. Just to show an intermediate level, I would prefer the drop to be multi-rotational, whether that is forward, back, or horizontal. Think a double-star as the minimum. I’ve spoken myself on the precautions one should take when posting drops on the internet, and in that case I do not need to see a full clean entry for the drop, but I would like to see at least one step before the drop execution, as well as a clean and creative exit.

For this category I am looking for:

  • At least one step/movement before the drop
  • At least 2 rotations in the drop of choice
  • Good body position and control during execution
  • Clean and creative exit
  • Extra Credit: Spinning while dropping, multi-directional drops

1 -minute Choreography:

The beauty of Aerial isn’t just the super-human physical capabilities of the athletes, but that movement combined with their personal expression as an artist. As a final video, I would like to see the aerialist perform a one-minute sequence of their choosing to a piece of music. They should demonstrate an ability to match both to the rhythm & beats of the music, as well as the feeling and attitude. This is a chance to show your creativity, so make the most of it and show me what you’ve got!

For this category I am looking for:

  • 1-minute long choreography by the student themself
  • Creativity
  • Musical Interpretation and Integration
  • Obviously rehearsed, good flow of chosen sequence

Please note: only DM’d videos will be accepted; no pictures, no comments, or mentions in your video posts on IG. DMs will help me keep track of your completed requirements, and videos will give me a better idea of your proficiency in each category. If you would like a visual demonstration of each of these elements, I have made a Youtube video with a few additional tips that you can view here. You can impress me in any of these categories by including the required elements as part of a longer sequence, as well as by doing the extra credit.

If you are not yet to the level of these categories, don’t worry! Whether you are having trouble in your flexibility, strength, or silk technique, there are many, many qualified instructors around the world who can safely coach you to this level in-person. Once you have mastered these requirements, get them on video and send them over! Please however BE AWARE, wasting my time by sending over videos that quite obviously do not meet the requirements, or spamming me with questions will get you blocked from the CBS account. Please take your questions to your own coach, and send in your DM’s once they are ready.

I love all of you in the aerial community, and can’t wait to explore this art with you on a deeper level.

Love, Coach B.

Why I Wear #socksonsilks (and 5 reasons you should too!)

If you’ve ever taken a class with me, seen me perform, or if you’ve been following me on Instagram for awhile, you might have noticed something a little strange; almost without fail, I practice aerial in socks! Now, at first glance, you might think me a bit crazy for covering my feet in something slippery and climbing my fabric. But today I want to give you 5 reasons why YOU should try training with #socksonsilks.

#1 – Get Stronger!

Wearing socks is a great way to squeeze some extra conditioning out of your climbs on fabric. Because the friction between your feet is reduced, the muscles in your arms, chest, back, core, glutes, and inner thighs will have to engage more to lift you up against gravity. This results in a more full-body workout as you climb. Now, I know it will be harder at first (I’ve logged in hundreds of hours climbing in socks, I know!!) but you don’t have to keep them on for long. Start with just one #socksonsilks climb at the beginning and end of your class, or personal training session. Once you can reach the top, add a second climb to start and finish, and then continue your progress by wearing socks during your sequencing, and conditioning. I promise you will see dramatic increases in your strength after even just a few weeks (and then you will be hooked!). And as an added bonus, when you take your socks off and continue to train in bare-feet, you will feel superhuman!

#2 – Stop the Sticking!

After training with socks for a while, you will find that it doesn’t make everything harder. On the contrary, it actually helps to make some techniques and skills easier! The clearest example of this is for footlocks: the reduced friction allows your feet to glide more effortlessly up and down against the tissue as you wrap your feet, making your figure-8 and dancers more polished, and easier to make level. Additionally, there are some tricks that require that your feet are able to slide on your tissue, including one of my favorites, wrist-lock splits! This all becomes exponentially more critical as the humidity in your studio rises, and the silks get sticky. Having the capacity to train in socks as needed is an amazing tool in your belt for overcoming the effects of weather on your fabric, and is a near necessity if you live somewhere tropical or wet!

#3 – Stop the Stinking!

One more practical reason to wear socks while you train is to keep your silks cleaner. Bare feet are by far the fastest culprit of stinky fabric. So, if you can consistently cover them, you can significantly increase the trainable time between washes. While this is more difficult in a studio setting where dozens of people use the same sets of silk to train, cultivating a culture of sock-wearing (as well as other hygiene habits) can help reduce the grime and odor buildup between laundry days. But if you’re using your own personal silks, you can keep them fresh for even months at a time by training in socks!

#4 – Finish your Lovely Lines!

When wearing regular leggings, bare feet don’t often create the nicest picture. Especially if you the type to pull yours over the heel, your naked toes break the shape of your legs right before the finish-line, and this contrast can draw attention away from your flexibility to even the smallest of sickles of flexes. Wearing socks helps to enhance your toe-point, and puts the focus back to the full line, rather than the ends. Further, having the capacity to perform in socks gives you the option of wearing full ballet-style tights, should you desire that aesthetic. Not relying on your feet to climb can broaden your options further to heels, ballet slippers, or other footwear should your act/character call for them.

#5 – Be Part of my Story!

Any one of these reasons is a great one for starting, or continuing your journey of training with socks. But on a more personal level, you can take some satisfaction in knowing you are training like Brandon Scott does! Further, if you wear socks during your next private with me, it will tip me off to know that you have the strength and commitment for more advanced techniques. But I’m going to take it one step further with this cherry on top: if you video yourself, post it on Instagram, and use the hashtag #socksonsilks, you may find yourself featured in my IG story!!

 

Thank you so much for reading my first blog post and visiting my website! Please check back again for more updates, message me if you have requests on other topics you’d like to see me write about, and I’ll see you in the air!