Practices for Safer Air Steps

With gratitude to Bobby White and Jessica Miltenberger for their mentorship.

Air steps are exciting, expressive, and physically demanding. Practicing them safely protects you, your partner, and our wider dance community. The guidelines below outline shared expectations for everyone participating in an air-steps practice session.

Outside of Practice

• Air steps belong in jam circles, performances, and competitions—never on a crowded social floor.
• Never surprise a partner with an air step. Always obtain explicit consent and alignment, whether through planned choreography or a quick verbal check-in.
• Get consent before any movement that involves weight sharing or supporting your partner, including dips, leans, and jumps. Even on the social floor, a simple "dip?" can prevent discomfort and injury.
• Only perform air steps in public that you have mastered in practice. Attempting something at the edge of your ability is unsafe for you, unfair to your partner, and disrespectful to the venue and audience.

Our Responsibility to the Wider Scene

As the air-steps community grows, others may imitate what they see—sometimes without proper training or safety awareness.

• Be vocal and clear about the importance of safety protocols.
• Speak up compassionately when you see unsafe behavior, whether in practice or at public events.
• Model the culture you want others to adopt.

Roles in an Air-Steps Practice

Each person takes on one role at a time:

• Dancers – the partnership practicing the movement
• Spotters – the people actively keeping the dancers safe
• Coaches – those offering feedback and ideas

Spotting and coaching require full attention; please don't attempt both at once.

Dancers

Prepare for Safe Practice

Wear appropriate clothing:

• No jewelry, watches, or belt buckles
• Glasses only if okay to be bumped or bent
• Close-fitting, non-slippery clothing
• For flyers: shoes comfortable for landing
• For bases: shoes with enough grip for lifting/throwing

If it's your first time attempting an air step, or your first time doing it with this partner, request a spotter.

During Each Rep

• Confirm the step or progression with your partner and spotters before every attempt.
  Example: "Up-prep?" "Up-prep."
• Do not advance to the next progression until the current one feels comfortable, secure, and consistent for both dancers.
• Tell your spotter exactly what you want them to do, including:
  • Hands-on heavy spot
  • Hands-on light spot
  • Hovering emergency spot
• When incorporating feedback, change only one thing per rep (per partnership, not per person).

Take Breaks

Listen to your body and mind:

• Physically tired? → Take a breather.
• Losing mental focus? → Take a breather.
• Feeling anxious? → Take a breather.

Spotters

Spotters are essential to a safe and productive practice.

• Ask dancers to clearly describe what they're about to do. If they can't explain the movement concisely, pause until they can.
• Spot every rep as if something might go wrong.
• If you lose mental focus, swap out with another spotter.
• For emergency-only spots, keep your hands up and close enough to intervene quickly.
• When learning to spot a new step, ask the dancers to run the prep a few times so you can practice getting into position.
• A good way to build confidence is to practice spotting steps that the dancers already execute consistently.

Coaches

• Offer observations with humility, curiosity, and respect.
• Recognize that not every suggestion will be needed or correct—that's part of learning.
• Prioritize clarity: share only one or two key pieces of feedback at a time.