Lauren Kehl is a Seattle-based aerial coach, Pilates instructor, and GYROTONIC® trainer known for her technical expertise and innovative approach to coaching. She began her aerial training in 2008 and has been coaching for over 15 years, dedicating her career to refining technique and advancing coaching methodologies. As a curriculum developer and co-leader of the teacher training program at Versatile Arts, Lauren specializes in mentoring other coaches, helping them build a strong foundation in biomechanics, progressions, and student-centered teaching strategies. She has developed Movement First Aerial, her own methodology that focuses on understanding foundational movement patterns to create strength, efficiency, and artistry in the air. Lauren works with students of every level, tailoring her teaching to meet individual needs while fostering growth and confidence. Her approach blends aerial arts with Pilates and The GYROTONIC® Method, creating a holistic foundation for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Her work is a trusted resource for aerial instructors and students alike, providing tools to deepen technical understanding and refine their practice. Learn more about Lauren and her resources at laurenkehl.com.
Flare with flair!
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Hey Reader, I’ve been spending a lot of time recently thinking about and working on flares. And you know how when something is on your mind, you start seeing it everywhere you look? Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of people talking about flares, too. And most people who are talking about them, and asking for help, are asking “what are my legs supposed to be doing?” Because when you look at a flare, the legs are really big and obvious. But your legs aren’t making the flare work, and the reason why you can’t do it is because you’re trying to do it with your legs. And you should be doing it with your pelvis. The pelvis is the heaviest part of your body. When you spin, you create centrifugal force, and where your pelvis is while you are spinning is going to effect and change your spin, and allow you to control your movement. In a center spin and fast spin, you’re bringing your pelvis and the rest of your mass closer to being directly under the point, and that’s what makes you speed up. It’s also what makes it so hard to control: the centrifugal force wants to push the mass outwards. But when we flare, we’re using the centrifugal force to help us invert, and in order to do that, we need to get our mass as far away from the center as we can. What that means is that we want to get the pelvis as far to the outside of the circle as possible, and then move it in the direction of the centrifugal force. In order to do that, we need to use the spine a whole lot more than the legs. The movement that the spine is making is this basic circle is very similar to what it's doing in a C-shape: It flexes: It side bends to one side It extends It side bends to the other side Repeat. When I’m standing, my feet are fixed, so everything else is moving relative to my feet. In a spin, the hands and shoulders are the fixed point, so everything else is moving underneath. It looks something like this: Finding this big circle is step 1 of your flare. Was this helpful? Forward it to a friend who you'd think would like it! Love, Lauren |
Lauren Kehl Aerial Fitness
Lauren Kehl is a Seattle-based aerial coach, Pilates instructor, and GYROTONIC® trainer known for her technical expertise and innovative approach to coaching. She began her aerial training in 2008 and has been coaching for over 15 years, dedicating her career to refining technique and advancing coaching methodologies. As a curriculum developer and co-leader of the teacher training program at Versatile Arts, Lauren specializes in mentoring other coaches, helping them build a strong foundation in biomechanics, progressions, and student-centered teaching strategies. She has developed Movement First Aerial, her own methodology that focuses on understanding foundational movement patterns to create strength, efficiency, and artistry in the air. Lauren works with students of every level, tailoring her teaching to meet individual needs while fostering growth and confidence. Her approach blends aerial arts with Pilates and The GYROTONIC® Method, creating a holistic foundation for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Her work is a trusted resource for aerial instructors and students alike, providing tools to deepen technical understanding and refine their practice. Learn more about Lauren and her resources at laurenkehl.com.