Kailena Van de Nes
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Kailena Van de Nes is a virtual coach specializing in dance technique, choreography, flex and fitness
06/10/2026
Acro and gymnastics are both incredible disciplines—but they are not the same thing.
While many skills may look similar on the surface, the training goals, arm positions, class structure, artistry, and application are very different.
Gymnastics is a sport designed around power, precision, and competitive events.
Acro is a performance art that combines dance, flexibility, balance, strength, and tumbling to create movement that can be performed on stage.
Neither is “better” than the other. In fact, many athletes benefit from training both.
✨ Understanding the difference helps dancers train more effectively and parents make informed decisions about their child’s training.
Did anything in this carousel surprise you?
👇 Tell me in the comments:
Acro, Gymnastics, or Both?
Acro is so much more than learning tricks.
At my Acro workshop, dancers worked on all of the foundational elements that support long-term success:
✨ Limbering for flexibility and range of motion
⚖️ Balancing for control and body awareness
🤸 Tumbling progressions for safe skill development
💪 Strength training to support technique and prevent injury
The strongest acro dancers aren’t always the ones learning the most tricks—they’re the ones building the foundation that allows those tricks to be performed safely, consistently, and beautifully.
Thank you to Vantage Pointe Dance for having me! ❤️
What partner skills teach dancers that solo skills can’t. ✨
Partner skills are about so much more than learning fun tricks together.
They teach dancers how to:
🤝 Trust one another
🗣️ Communicate
⏱️ Develop timing and awareness
💪 Build strength and control
❤️ Support their teammates
In a world that often focuses on individual achievement, partner work reminds dancers that some of the most important skills are built through teamwork.
And as a coach, there’s nothing better than watching dancers learn to work together toward a common goal.
What I wish every dance parent knew about acro…
The goal isn’t just to get the skill.
It’s to build a dancer who is strong enough, balanced enough, and technically sound enough to perform that skill safely and consistently.
The aerial, walkover, back handspring, or needle is the result of hundreds of small pieces coming together: strength, flexibility, body awareness, coordination, control, and proper progressions.
The dancers who improve the fastest aren’t always the most naturally talented. They’re the ones who build a solid foundation and trust the process.
As a coach, that’s what I’m looking for every time I work with a student.
✨ Strong foundations create confident dancers.
📍Acro Training Center | Boca Raton, FL
💻 Virtual & In-Person Training
📅 Currently booking private sessions several weeks in advance.
Headstands are so much more than just a fun trick ✨
They help build foundational strength, balance, body awareness, control, and confidence — all essential for progressing safely in acro. From beginner skills to advanced balancing work, strong headstand foundations carry over into so many areas of training.
And of course… they also make for some pretty fun choreography moments too 🤸♀️💫
Thank you and ’s back walkover variation inspiration from AcroDance Resource Center for this weeks class challenge 🫶🏼 we even added to the end 🩷 Who’s adding more to this one? 👀
A standing side aerial is about so much more than “just cartwheels.” 🤸
Yes, you’re seeing the progressions here — from cartwheels on both sides all the way to the aerial — but what you don’t see is all the work happening behind the scenes. Strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, confidence on both sides, body awareness, technique, and consistent training across all areas of acro.
This dancer didn’t just practice aerials. She built the foundation necessary to support them safely and correctly through progressive training in flexibility, strength, balancing, limbering, and tumbling.
That’s why I love using the Acrobatic Arts methodology as my guide for teaching acro skills. Every progression has a purpose, and strong foundations create strong, confident athletes 💫
05/09/2026
Reading messages like these never gets old. 🥹✨
So much of what I do goes beyond teaching tricks or flexibility. My goal is to help dancers grow with strong technique, safe progressions, confidence, discipline, and a genuine love for the process.
Whether we’re working on acro fundamentals, flexibility, aerials, strength, or performance quality, I want every student to feel supported, challenged, and proud of their progress. 💖
To all of the families who trust me with their dancers — thank you for your kind words, support, and belief in what I do. It truly means the world. 🤍
FlexibilityTraining AcroInstructor SouthFloridaDance DancerDevelopment PrivateLessons DanceCoach AcroLife
A full scorpion/needle takes more than just flexibility ✨
Control, alignment, strength, active mobility, and proper warm up all play a huge role in training this skill safely and correctly.
Hyper-mobile dancers especially need stability and strength to support the range of motion they naturally have.
So proud of these dancers at Milani Dance for the work they continue to put into building strong, healthy technique — not just pretty shapes 🩷
What if summer didn’t pause progress—but actually built it?
In just a few focused months, your child can gain strength, confidence, and skills that truly stand out when they return to the studio.
My private sessions are designed to meet each dancer exactly where they are—so they don’t just stay busy over summer… they move forward with purpose.
From foundational technique to advanced acro skills, every session is intentional, safe, and tailored to real growth.
Summer spots are filling fast!
DM to book or learn more.
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