Meet Kendall Knowles | Aerial arts studio owner and instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kendall Knowles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kendall, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
As a professional aerial arts performer and studio owner for over 20 years my biggest concern for everyone is safety and the high dangers of aerial arts. SociaL media has been a big inspiration for circus arts getting so popular in the United States. How do I hang an aerial point in my home? This is by far the most common question I beta d it’s deeply concerning.
There is so much that goes into a professional aerial point and the education it takes for injury’s to not happen. For an aerial point to be safe for a human being it must be able to hold 10x their body weight. For example I weigh 165 pounds, therefore the structure that my point is attached to must have a breaking strength of at least 2300 pounds.
My biggest worry is the need for An aerial point in homes and/or buildings that are not built to withhold aerial loads. To do this safely a structural engineer that understands circus arts will create a safe point for the specific space. This could include scaffolding, steel reinforced beams and steel plates, homes and spaces will have to be completely rebuilt for these added reinforcements. After the engineer has created a safe point a professional rigger will then explain what the appropriate hardware is needed to make a successful rigging point. Home owners insurance will NOT cover any changes or damages to the home if an aerial point is involved.
In all of my years teaching and training another worry is having a student getting an aerial apparatus at home with little to no training. Not having the appropriate fundamentals and basic technique to the art can lead to serious Injuries and death. Students that have little to no experience can easily get tangled and get stuck for hours.
Parents that have no experience in aerial arts will not be able to help as they don’t have the appropriate knowledge to untangle, and spot safely.
This has become a huge issue in the aerial arts community, having a computer in your pocket anyone can lookup anything.!
Self teaching is another huge worry especially if there is no experience with a proper coach.
One wrong wrap, movement, weight placement can lead to serious injuries, not to mention horrible habits with technique and proper stability.

My passion is to educate the importance of why aerial arts is dangerous and for people to respect the dangers of what can happen if not taken seriously.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It has been a wild ride! I came across the circus world when I was 21, it was new and different. I took classes, trained and soaked it all up! After years of performing and training all over the Pacific Northwest an opportunity landed in my lap. I was offered a job as head aerial arts instructor for the bend circus center. I grew up in bend, or. And I needed a change from where my life was heading in Reno, nv.

I picked everything up and moved home, it was awesome to be close to my family. After three years with the circus center I decided to separate and create my own aerial arts program, my own curriculum and my own brand. This is where COAA was created (central Oregon aerial arts). My biggest lesson along the way I learned was respecting my own boundaries and what is best for me and my studio. It was hard!
I had to make some really tough descions, I had to learn to put myself first. My manger Lauren fletcher has been a big part of COAA if it weren’t for her I would have sold the business and moved on with my life. She has shown me how to deal with inappropriate situations form clients and employees, she helped me grow up. Needing the reassurance that not everyone is going to agree with your choices, the path for COAA a c that’s ok!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a huge introvert, I love to be outside besides being in the studio. I love to camp with my fiancée and my two fur babies gizmo and chip. Living in central Oregon hiking is very popular in the summer, we would do all the hikes and enjoy each others time in nature.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest encouragement for doing what I do are my students, my manager And my instructors. Watching their passion grow and creating goals for themselves and their students is so rewarding.

Aerial arts is hard, it hurts, and it takes a lot of time to reach goals. but it’s so rewarding when a goal is achieved!
Nailing a skill after months of training it, the bruises, the burns it’s all worth it.

My instructors mean the world to me!
They represent my studio and they are proud of it!
I’m so thankful to have instructors who are always wanting to grow, to watch their students succeed and respect the dangers of aerial arts.

Website: Www.centraloregonaerialarts.com

Instagram: @centraloregonaerialarts

Facebook: Centraloregonaerialarts