Instructors

  • Thai Lam is a professional aerialist who embodies versatility in his performance. He received professional training at the Circus Center in San Francisco and has trained extensively with renowned aerial coaches in multiple disciplines. Thai’s performances focus on smooth lines, clean technique and powerful movements — all the while giving the audience a taste of that Thai spice. He is an experienced and popular Bay Area aerial instructor and has taught at a number of studios and gyms locally.

  • In the winter of 2016 I took an aerial silks class and for the first time, I was able to combine my dance background with my sports background and talk about sparking joy! I'm not a performer, I'm not a contortionist, and there are lots of skills I haven't mastered, but this old lady (I remember when push-button phones were "high-tech") has been welcomed into the aerial/ circus family unconditionally. I wish for you this same experience. Oh, my favorite Cher song? That's easy. "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves". See you at the studio.

  • Layla Tripod is a San Francisco based circus artist known for all things that spin. She stumbled upon an underground aerial performance in 2017 and became obsessed with circus immediately. Layla started studying dance at a young age, which gives her an extensive knowledge of artistry and an ability to design choreography to captivate the eye. After originally focusing on Tissu, Layla switched her focus to Aerial Hoop which has become her specialty apparatus. Since beginning her circus journey in San Francisco, she has since followed her love of circus arts around the globe, training and performing internationally. As an instructor, Layla utilizes her knowledge of technique, injury prevention and body mechanics to help her students reach their training goals safely and customize curriculum for each individual body.

  • Kylie is a circus artist from southern California. Some of the skills she teaches include aerial, contortion, shuffle dance, flow arts, and acrobatics. Her passion for circus arts stems from it being a fun way to workout, beautiful to watch, and a community to be a part of. She originally started in a youth program, has been training for 12+ years, and teaching for 4 years. She enjoys teaching because it makes her happy to watch students grow as they unlock new things. Something she wants her students to know is she always promotes a positive learning environment, encouraging everybody to try a class regardless of what limitations they think might hold them back.

  • A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Rae discovered the world of Aerial Arts at a late age in Bangkok, Thailand. While working a full-time corporate job, she enrolled herself in an aerial silks class because she saw a segment on a morning talk show about an aerial studio in Bangkok and was intrigued. After the class was finished, she was hooked!

    Rae has traveled a long circus journey since then and has trained all over the world, including in Montreal, Canada with circus coach and choreographer, Choloe Farah. She was certified by North America’s Ecole Nationale de Cirque (ENC) and has also completed teacher training courses with Aerial Physique and at her home studio in Bangkok, Karasvic. 

    A multi-disciplinary artist, Rae has a background in a variety of aerial apparatus, including aerial silks, hammock and lyra, but has a special passion for dance trapeze, aerial straps and loops.


  • Veronica Blair is an accomplished aerialist, choreographer, and circus researcher. She is the recipient of the 2021 Gerbode Foundation's Choreographers Award, the 2020 American Circus Educators Award for Innovation, and the Community Impact at the inaugural International Circus Awards for her work on the Uncle Junior Project, a multimedia archive spotlighting People of African descent in American circus.

    Under the same project, Veronica curated a live exhibition titled "Entrapment to Entertainment: A Celebration of Black People in American Circus" in 2013. Her impactful work has earned her invitations to speak at the Smithsonian, San Francisco International Arts Festival, and facilitate panel discussions engaging conversations about institutional barriers, individual biases, and abuse prevention in the circus industry as part of the Circus and Changing Realities series in partnership with CircusTalk.com.

  • Thalita is a former Portuguese and literature teacher who started her journey in movement four years ago when she took her first aerial silks class. She's been passionate about it since then. However, it was her introduction to Pilates, specifically mat Pilates, that became the pivotal foundation for the skills she can now perform in the air. Pilates has been her guiding light, transforming her life and improving her overall health and well-being. Because she had a transformative path in her life through Pilates, she wants to share it with anyone looking to enhance their strength and potential by creating a supportive and inclusive environment.

    She understands the challenge of being a complete beginner and loves to motivate people who want to improve their physical well-being.

  • Phoebe Kimm is a San Francisco-based aerialist specializing in lyra. She first discovered aerial at her local climbing gym and quickly became addicted. As a life learner and instructor, Phoebe is passionate about exploring new movement pathways and finding the joy in experimentation.

    She is excited to create a a safe, positive learning environment for students to get in the air.

  • Michelle (or Shell!) leads a lifestyle grounded in movement.  She/They first discovered dance and aerial arts back in 2017, fell head-over-heels in love with movement, and consequently, dedicated her life to the practice. 

    Michelle now works in fitness full-time, teaching Pilates classes and personal training at various locations in the city.  Formal training and certifications include: Stott Pilates Advanced (Fully-Certified); NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).  Michelle believes in the transformative power of Pilates as a tool for helping people improve their lives in a sustainable way — it has completely changed her life for the better, and has empowered her to achieve goals using mindful practices.

    Michelle loves training in lyra, silks, dance, martial arts, and singing.  Combined with her interests in weightlifting and outdoor sports, her practice and teaching style draw inspiration from a wide breadth of experience and education about the body.

    Michelle truly loves teaching and encouraging people to explore the wonderful world of movement!

  • At age sixteen, towards the end of quarantine, Persia was first introduced to the wondrous world of aerial arts whilst scrolling on instagram. Completely enchanted, she couldn’t wait to take her first class as soon as studios re-opened their doors. With a strong background in Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Weightlifting (and a lifelong dream of being a dancer), everything about aerials felt natural to Persia, catapulting her into teaching aerial silks. After teaching for over a year, she moved to the University of San Francisco and quickly transitioned to teaching in the city!

    Growing up, Persia joined her parents in their tactical and close quarter combat training. It was during these training sessions that she began learning the intricacies of human movement, biomechanics, and body awareness. Drawing upon these skills, Persia’s teaching style centers around empowering her students to gain control of their minds and bodies in new ways as they embark on their aerial journeys.


  • Cassidy found aerial nearly a decade ago, and quickly fell in love. Her circus journey began in South America, and continued in Texas before landing in SF.

    She specializes in mostly vertical apparatuses, including silks, rope and a bit of pole. And she has a special fondness for duo aerial of all sorts.

    She most looks forward to helping students develop their aerial knowledge, strength, and quality of movement in the air!


  • Joey is a visually stunning aerialist known for his strength and graceful movement. On stage a good part of his life by way of performance groups, he has naturally taken to the skies. He performs on a variety of apparatus, specializing on dance trapeze and aerial straps. He has trained at the San Francisco Circus Center as well as Chez Victors’ and L’Acadamie du Monastere in Montreal. He is a resident artist at Berber in SF, codirected “Circus Pop Ups” as well as produces and directs the fundraiser “Spectrum”. Other performance highlights include: Montreal Completement Cirque, medalist at De Leon Cirquefest, Drago’s Odditorium, Cirquantique, Cirque de Boheme and Bow and Arrow Circus.

  • As a lifelong athlete, Mackenzie was thrilled to have found circus at the end of 2016. Circus took the best of her athleticism and creativity and enabled her to mold herself into the performer and instructor that she is today. Her main specialty is handbalancing, which she combines with contortion, acrobatics and dance—plus a heavy dose of creativity and a bit of goofiness—in her training and performance pieces. 

     

    Connection is a big reason why Mackenzie loves handbalancing. It gives her an avenue to connect to herself and her body daily. She sees the upside-down world as a place full of new perspectives and possibilities. For Mackenzie, there’s something special and playful about finding stillness through standing on her hands—an inexplicable moment of peace and connection that needs to be experienced to understand. Her passion lies in guiding others to this place of connection and peace, in understanding themselves better and in a more meaningful way.  

    Mackenzie has been teaching handstands along with mobility and flexibility since 2017. She has performed for Circus of the Moon, Circus Something, The Peoples Circus, Mongolian Contortion Center and many other small venues.

     Superpower: Video-bombing. She’s the extra you never knew you needed. 

  • Quinn Li began her aerial journey when a co-worker started offering group classes in lyra and contortion to her fellow workers. It was painful, and she wasn’t really hooked on either discipline. However, it did kick off a fascination with aerial arts that led her to try other apparatus before landing on aerial sling.

    Training initially with a Burning Man-inspired group in San Francisco, Quinn Li continued to hone her skills in New York at the Midtown Circus Center and at various studios in Miami. As an instructor, she loves helping her students feel empowered and accomplished through her aerial sling classes.

    Superpower: Barrier breaker

  • Sasha Sobol stumbled into aerial as a young adult. What started as a physical outlet grew into a joyful passion. Sasha's first love was silks but everything changed when the more powerful and dynamic style of rope stole their heart.

    As an instructor, Sasha creates a supportive and playful environment for you to challenge yourself. They're excited to celebrate the little wins, big wins, and not-yet-wins with you!

    The bulk of Sasha's training has been at San Francisco’s Circus Center. They have a B.S. in kinesiology and a personal trainer certification.