Cheetah Platt

May/June Spotlight on:

AerialDownloads.com is excited to shine our May/June spotlight on an incredible performer, inovator, entrepreneur and probably one of the warmest of people you will ever meet, Cheetah Platt.

Cheetah has traveled the Globe performing for Cirque Du Soleil, Paramount pictures, Disney Cruises, and many others. You may have even seen Cheetah as a quarter finalist on America's Got Talent. Cheetah has been a mover and a dancer all of his life. In 2004, while in college, Cheetah was offered an opportunity to be a mover in an extravagant show. Working nights he had his days available and persuaded a trapeze instructor to take him and his brother on for day classes. Within 2 years Cheetah was running his own company in San Diego and had his first contract with Cirque Du Soleil.

Then in 2013 Cheetah met Rhiann ...and in 2015 they embarked on an around the world wedding adventure. They each obtained a license to perform weddings with the intention of officiating their own. ...well 58 of their own to be exact. Yes that is right! 58 weddings to date and in 14 different countries blowing up social media and creating images of acrobatic matrimonial perfection in the most exotic of locations. Cheetah and Rhiann decided instead of spending thousands of dollars on one wedding "day"....why not use the same money to travel for three months and have everyday be a wedding day. Genius.

Check out our podcast above with Cheetah and learn more about this incredible performer, innovator and entrepreneur. In the podcast Cheetah shares with us his adventures in engineering a 24' rig in his new Las Vegas home. Hear more about his upcoming June 8th performance on "Tonight at the London Palladium", with Abigail Beard and Aerial Animation and he shares a bit about his move from San Diego to Las Vegas,and performing in Las Vegas with e+ entertainment.

Aerial Essentials is a company Cheetah started in his bedroom, over 10 years ago, as a way to provide a one stop shop for hard to find hardware for his local San Diego aerial community. Together Cheetah and Rhiann have cultivated the business as an innovative aerial equipment resource. Their intent is to educate and support anyone with a passion for aerial, whether it be a professional performer or those who just want a fun way of working out. Cheetah and Rhiann see aerial as a sport you can pursue at any level you want, it is not just for those who aspire to be professionals anymore. Cheetah is taking the circus out of the tent while still promoting the amazing art that it is in that environment. I love Cheetah's metaphor about a man who just wants to go throw a football with his son in the backyard. This man may have no aspirations to join the NFL but that does not mean he has no reverence, appreciation or desire to enjoy it.

Customers often ask Cheetah to pre-rig, wrap and prep the equipment they purchase from Aerial Essentials, (when they do not have the knowledge to do it themselves), at which point Cheetah gracefully declines providing resources where they can proficiently learn to do it themselves ...this is an Aerial Essential, you must be able to pack your own parachute. A main passion for Cheetah's is to provide a line of aerial equipment that removes the guess work and oversaturation of less practical hardware options while directing people to equipment that he and Rhiann have personal successful working experience with. Instead of re-purposing rock climbing equipment, which is what we've all been doing thus far, Cheetah is branding essential aerial hardware with the Aerial Essentials name and providing tutorials on the equipment he offers so you know exactly what you are getting and the most efficient way to use it.

I made a visit into Cheetah and Rhiann's Las Vegas store front, the first aerial specific store of its kind. What a treat! In addition to a rig set up with some new oval biners,( that spin so much smoother then my D's ever have), I also received some great little tricks in rigging and a lesson in wrist wraps! The prices were very reasonable, I was able to hold the hardware, feel the fabrics and make sure everything fit what I needed. All that and I walked out wihout paying for shipping or waiting for everything to arrive in the mail! Expect great things ahead from Aerial Essentials, I have no doubt they will continue to deliver.

...and with integrity.