What people are saying about our teacher training

If your thinking about doing this course, just do it. You won’t regret it. I have been teaching for 3+ years and thought I’d try it out for some new tips and have come away with a whole new approach to teaching. 5 stars course and great teachers to work with.

Brendan Greville, England, UK


Paper Doll Militia’s level 1 aerial teaching course was fantastic and extremely valuable. The whole PDM team was knowledgeable, professional, supportive and responsive to feedback. Besides grounding me in anatomy, safety, pedagogy, warmups, spotting and rigging, it also allowed me to review and consolidate my technique in many basic skills that I would teach in a level 1 class. Their thorough teaching methodology using progressions that emphasized safety and technique made me wish that I had learned from them in the first place. They also covered how to demonstrate skills as well as kinesthetic and creative approaches to teaching. A very worthwhile course that will benefit you and your students.

Andy Wang – Toronto, Canada


Paperdoll Militia’s Silks Level 1 Teacher Training Certificate Program was one of several preparation programs I participated in at the very start of my aerial teaching career. It was incredibly valuable- I entered teaching feeling more confident in my abilities and more ready for all the unpredictabilities of teaching than I had felt before taking the course. Now, years later, I am beginning a new chapter in my career as an aerial studio owner. The Paperdoll Militia teacher trainings are something I now look for when hiring new teachers. Thanks for everything!

Jen Ryan, Seattle, WA, USA


I cannot recommend Paper Doll Militia Teacher Training enough. It is thorough and very well designed and Rain created a warm, welcoming environment for every student. I left feeling inspired, prepared and armed with a multitude of resources to assist me on my aerial journey.

Christina Llames, USA


I’ve taken four PDM teacher trainings. After the first two, I opened Aerial Ambition, an aerial silks & lyra training company. Each class I progressed as an aerialist from all of the feedback on the required skills. More importantly, I learned how to structure a class for both children and adults, how to break down and modify moves to make aerials approachable for everyone, and how to push both myself and my students theatrically to express feeling and emotions through performance. Our aerial business has exploded, no doubt, due in part to the incredible training that we received from PDM.

Amanda Box, Greenville, SC, USA


It’s easy to feel disconnected from the very basics of aerial arts when you’ve reached a level in your own training where it’s appropriate to begin teaching. Paper Doll Militia’s teacher training takes you on a deep dive into the aerial ABCs, showing that not only can you always be fine-tuning your foundation, but it can be fun and interesting too! I left with a full teacher toolbox and new appreciation for the wide variety of creative movements and exercises accessible to level one students.

Jenny Tufts, Sligo, Ireland


Since I have “seen” you last virtually, which I believe was your first online teacher training- I have made leaps towards my aerial career!

After completing teacher training with you, I had the confidence to apply to studios nearby and moved up rather quickly in my position. I started off as a coach at VITAL in socal, and within a few months I was promoted to director and lead instructor. I am also the competition coach at my local YMCA where I teach kids 4 and up!

I am comfortable teaching all levels and ages. I advocate for all body types to feel comfortable as my curriculum is designed to be accessible as possible. My goal as a teacher is always to keep bodies safe, while my students still remained challenged.

I feel that my training with paper doll militia gave me the confidence I needed to better prepare me for teaching and ultimately running my very own program.

I hope to one day open my own studio! Thank you Rain for instilling more than just important cues within me. Paper doll militia opened so many doors for me and I know there’s plenty more to come!

Hannah Tuxbury, Oceanside, CA, USA


The Paper Doll Militia teacher training was thoughtful, informative, well-designed, and above all- inspiring! I left feeling motivated and more determined than ever to continue along the path to becoming an aerial instructor. Thank you so much, Rain and Lena!

Jen Ryan, USA


The Paper Doll Militia Level 1 Silks Teacher Training was my introduction to teaching. After taking their training, I got my first job teaching aerial silks, and started my own silks program at another gym space. The introductory level of the program I started is based 100% on the skills presented in Paper Doll Militia’s training. The feedback I received on my recorded classes during the certification process has been invaluable and I love that I can continue to speak with anyone on the PDM team for additional mentorship hours.

Courtney Harman, Columbia, MD, USA


I had the pleasure of participating in Paper Doll Militia’s Level 1 Silks Teacher Training Beta Course. The thought put into this course is astounding. Each instructor showed up each weekend with the intention of sharing their years of knowledge and hard work with the students and gave us a positive and safe space to grow. The material that was covered is relevant and very useful. I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned into my teaching.

Amber Land, USA


Teacher Training absolutely changed me! I walked in fully prepared to attend training that just taught me how to spot students and let that be that. However, I walked away from training with so many new perspectives. Rain and Lena broke down every single aspect of teaching in a practical way so that we as participants could gain a better understanding of what it is like to teach aerials. Seriously, they thought of everything, its incredible! We learned about spotting, correct technique in our own practice, rigging, class management, anatomy and so much more. I knew I wanted to teach, but I wasn’t sure if I would be good at it. I felt so unprepared before coming to training! After leaving training, I honestly feel I have the tools to help others begin their aerial journey. I also feel like I learned so much about my own aerial journey that will help me so much in moving forward. I met so many amazing people in training and made some wonderful friendships. The confidence I now have in myself and my potential as a future instructor is so refreshing to me and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I am just so grateful. Thank you Paper Doll Militia, I will never forget this experience!

Courtney Hedges, USA


This was truly the best training I have ever received. From start to finish, it was organized, easy to follow, extremely clear as to what was expected, easy to ask questions and request information, very thorough and positive feedback given on all assignments, and the teachers were all so nice and welcoming! They WANT you to succeed and are so invested in making it happen! I felt loved and respected throughout the entire process. I can’t wait to do more training with them.

Lindsay Shukosky, Washington DC, USA


This training was far beyond my expectations for a teacher training!!! Not only was there careful thought put into each segment of this training that I had never seen applied just to aerial hoop, but there was also a great collaborative and creative environment established that really helped round out the training in such a positive way! I can’t wait to continue on perusing my Born to Fly certification, and look forward the Lyra 2 training in the future!

Samantha Hancock, USA


Paper Doll Militia’s Level One Teacher Training provides a solid foundation for teaching. The anatomy, injury-prevention, classroom management and safety components of the course are essential and should be benchmarks of understanding before entering the industry. The curriculum teaches accessible progressions and engages trainees in understanding not just how specific skills can be broken down, but why they’re broken down that way, so the trainees can begin to develop their own style and creative approach to teaching. I highly recommend the course for both new teachers and those looking to fill gaps in their knowledge.

Lynsey Grace Wyatt – Cirqulation, Roanoke, VA, USA


This is such a fun and thorough training! Even teachers with years of experience can benefit from participating. The information presented is the most current and the time allowed for practical application is invaluable.

Sara Duhaime, USA


Sarah is very knowledgeable and patient. It was a joy to have her as a teacher for an entire week. Her extensive experience teaching aerials reflects in her expertise in breaking down fundamental skills to chunks that are easily accessible for students of different levels. This will definitely help me to develop a curriculum that allows students to progress in a safe pace with attention for building technique, while minimizing frustration and maximizing fun.

Judith ter Vrugte, Aerial Academics, The Netherlands


If I had known how incredibly helpful to my teaching practice this would be, I would have done it months ago. To go through that level of technique helped my own practice and has already made a massive difference to my students.

Rebecca Solomon, England UK


As a performer seeking to expand into aerial instruction, this class provided me with the knowledge, language, and tools to be able to effectively teach Level 1 students. The Paper Doll Militia approach to teacher training is engaging, interactive, community building, and comprehensive. I can’t believe how much we were able to accomplish during our training!

Gretchen Siegfried, Columbus, OH, USA


Highly recommend this course to anyone, from brand new teachers to those who have been teaching for years. The course is really well thought out and provides great fundamental training required for an aerial silks instructor. I really enjoyed the practical, hands-on work such as spotting techniques and skills breakdown and the use of hammock knots to really prepare students. Additionally, the discussions and course resources were really helpful in tying everything together. Overall, a really amazing course with wonderful and knowledgeable instructors.

Yulia Borodin, Christchurch, New Zealand


Working with the Dolls has been a dream! They’ve built a creative and safe space that hones in on the essentials to help grow as a teacher and an aerialist.

Sam Copus, Alexandria, IN, USA


The Paper Doll Militia Teacher Training helped me identify who I want to be as a teacher. It freed me from teaching only what I had been exposed to, adding a depth of knowledge that allowed me to make the classes my own, and feel confident in doing so

Barbra Kenyon, USA


As an educator first and an aerialist second, this course was extremely well executed with great content. There was a wealth of content as well as pedagogy (how to teach) throughout and it was clear in what the objective was for each week, call, and activity. PDM takes great care and shows immense passion for training high level silks instructors while also forging a beautiful welcoming community. Their ability to invoke a space where learners can be supported along the way is clear in Rain and Sarah’s leadership as well as their skills and warmup instructors giving feedback along the way. They are clear and kind and I am thankful for the opportunity to learn from them!

Maggie Ochsner, Cincinnati, OH, USA


I am glad to have the opportunity to take this Level 2 teacher training. The wealth of information presented further reinforce to me that teaching is not just about providing instructions to teach a skill to the the student. It is learning that each student is unique and we as a teacher need to have the with tools (drills, conditioning, emotional support) to help the student succeed in class.

Soo K Hom, USA


I have been teaching aerial silks for almost a decade and still learned so much from the PDM’s teacher training. There was such a wealth of information across every relevant topic (skills, spotting, anatomy, class management, rigging) that I came away really feeling like my breadth of knowledge had expanded. I wasn’t sure how valuable the course would be for people who already had extensive teaching experience, but it was 100% worth it!

Angela Chu, Seattle, USA


I am thrilled with how much I got out of the Silks Level 1 teacher training, even as an experienced coach. In addition to catching us up on “industry standard” skills training, and spotting, it is so wonderful to bond with others in the community and share experiences and ideas. The Paper Doll Militia resources are fab, and I would highly recommend this teacher training to coaches of all levels.

Kay Stanton, Canopy Studio, Athens, GA


Amazing course! Not only learned how to instruct.. Learned so much about myself, my own training and habits. Realized I could do more than I knew

and to have more confidence in my own abilities.

Susan Lowery, Washington D.C., USA


Rain, Sarah and Lena were a wonderful team.  They showed enthusiasm and  professionalism in every step of their training.  I learned a foundation to build my own aerial teaching practice in a solid and constructive manner.  I learned so many useful teaching tools, that make my life easier as an instructor, challenge me to grow professionally, and help my students progress with good technique.  Students notice a difference in my teaching already and I have been receiving lots of positive feedback.  I feel more confident in my knowledge base, knowing that it aligns with best practices.

Joanie Garcia, California USA


I highly recommend Paper Doll Militia’s Level 1 Aerial Teacher Training Program to teachers of any level.  Whether you are just getting started or have been teaching for years I think there is a lot to be gained here.  Rain and Sarah have such a broad background from 10 years of traveling and teaching internationally.  The attention to safety as well as technique in this course was excellent.  Additionally the two are very active and educated on current trends not only in aerial arts but also in health and wellness which is important to convey to our students for longevity in this art.

Constance Echo Palmer, Atlanta, GA


This teacher training workshop provides excellent fundamental training both in terms of aerial skills coaching and classroom management technique for adult classrooms. These basic teaching tools should be standardized throughout aerial schools worldwide.

Abigail Baird, California USA


The course was extremely well thought out. Sarah and Rain were so well in tune with each other that every session went by smoothly and efficiently. They were so welcoming and approached every topic with great enthusiasm so I was always eager to listen and ready to participate. I am so grateful to have been a part of the course, and I feel 200% more confident as an instructor.

Stephen Armour, Scotland, UK


This program is exciting, fun, and engaging. It opened my eyes to new invigorating methods as a teacher and circus artist.

Chloe Stevenson, Michigan, USA


Rain and Jessica are both inspiration aerialists and I loved being able to learn from them in such a creative and welcoming environment. In the 5 days of training, I felt ten times more confident than when I started. I can’t wait to take Level 2!

Taylor Reeve, Wisconsin, USA


If your aim is to become a complete and well rounded aerial teacher, this is the course for you! Sarah presents all of the course material in a clear, engaging and thoroughly entertaining manner. The course covers both practical aerial work and theory, with discussions, demonstrations and practice. No matter what stage you’re at in your teaching practice, there are skills to be learned or honed on this course. And it’s ridiculous amounts of fun to boot!

Sharon Hughes, UK


Thank you Rain and Paper Doll Militia! The training was extremely well organized and created a fun learning environment with the perfect mix of teaching and technique. I cannot wait to do another!!

Christal Washer, Ottawa, Ontario


I discovered my personal weaknesses and had time to work on them in order to make myself better! I feel like I gained more experience as I shared info with others and had time to go back to basics and clear my lines as well! The program was absolutely amazing!

Elsie Liontou, Scotland, UK


This program helped me reassess how I learn and understand aerial, and it helped me build up confidence in myself and my practice. As a newcomer to the teaching side of aerial the content in the program was of great value to me. This was further complimented by working with the other students who had previous experience in teaching. I was able to learn from their experiences, and it was a safe environment in which to do this. The teaching was amazing, imparting years of knowledge and skills to us, but allowing us room to find our own way through. Thank you so much!

Luci Wallace, Scotland, UK


Teacher Training with Paper Doll Militia is an invaluable experience. The information shared at these trainings gives everyone involved a deeper level of understanding on how to be a good teacher, not just the ability to successfully do and model skills. Being an exceptional teacher is very complex, and this training hits all components of becoming a very well-rounded aerial instructor. Both Rain and Sarah are always open to everyone’s ideas and show respect to the skill/experience level of the participants of the trainings. I can’t wait for Level 3!

Jessica Johnson, Kentucky, USA


The opportunity to meet such an amazing bunch of open hearted and talented people at the same time being taught by such talented and giving artists left my heart full, my body tired and my desire to know more pushing me forward.  I felt that what I received from this training was so much more than I ever expected!

Suzanne Zigler, Atlanta, GA


I am so thrilled to have taken this teacher training. I’ve done a lot of different trainings for various things in my life, but not once did I feel as excited and ready to apply what I learned as I did upon completing this one. It was incredibly comprehensive, and exceeded my expectations.  Sarah and Rain are amazing, inspired facilitators that genuinely love what they do, and love sharing it with others. It shines through their work, and into the hearts of their students. Thank you, ladies, for the time it took to create this training, and your dedication to fostering an intelligent, creative, and supportive aerial community.

Elizabeth Ferretti, South Carolina, USA


This is an amazing program run by the incredible Paper Dolls! I highly recommend this program to anyone who would like to be an aerial arts teacher or even a professional performer.  You will be left inspired.

Tara-lee MacArthur, Townsville, AUS


I thoroughly enjoyed the Paper Doll Militia teacher training course.  The value it’s given me will change me forever and has given me many tools in my toolbox how to approach teaching students using teaching methods.  I also enjoyed sharing ideas and the practical training with aerialist who are just as passionate about aerial, learning and teaching as me.  Thank you so much Sarah your knowledge and mastery of this beautiful art is breathtaking and I can only aspire to reach this level one day.

Carlie Thompson, England, UK