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.

  • Elise Southwick is an award winning aerialist specializing in Tissu, Strap Loops, and Handbalancing. Her performances include the Broadway Play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” AIDA Cruise Lines, and The Ringling Museum. She received her training at The New England Center for Circus Arts in the Professional Track Program (class of 2015).

  • I worked as a scientist for 4 years before getting certified as a personal trainer and starting my pole dancing journey 4 years ago. I have been strength training on & off for the past 13 years, and rediscovered my love for it when I found pole and aerial. I love designing training programs because it plays to my analytical strengths while still allowing me to be creative. I love to cross-train with aerial straps and play around with Lyra & Silks occasionally, and I have been teaching pole & active flexibility for the past 3 years.

  • Hello I’m Os. I’m a personal trainer, and an instructor for aerial fitness, pole and The Hive Bootcamp.

    I spent the early half of my childhood on a US military base in the Philippines playing war games in the jungle. Eventually I would move to San Francisco, spending my days with my face buried in comic books, dreaming of becoming a super hero when I grow up.

    As an adult, I was introduced to aerial & pole by a dear friend of mine who just happened to be the aerial & pole instructor at the gym I worked in at the time. I took a class. It kicked my butt! I was hooked and haven’t looked back since. Now I’m a full time aerial and pole instructor, coaching my students on how to flip and fly into action. Turning their own dreams of being a super hero into a reality.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Jenny Clise is a C-IAYT registered Yoga therapist with over 1000 hours of training and has been teaching yoga since 2012. Her classes are inspired by many schools of yoga, but her favorite style of yoga to teach is alignment-based flows. She is an avid traveler, leading retreats around the world, and author of the yoga e-book BLOCKASANAS. To learn more about Jenny, her classes, or upcoming events, check out her website JennyClise.com or Instagram @jennyclise_.

  • Ever since Jessica first stepped onto a yoga mat over 20 years ago, she has dreamed of teaching yoga. Through the door that yoga opened, Jessica went on to practice and teach competitive swimming, outrigger paddling, powerlifting, general fitness and CrossFit. But throughout her career, her first true love has been working with active older adults, folks with mobility difficulties, adaptive athletes and true beginners.

    Her breadth of experience across these domains make her uniquely qualified to reach folks who may feel left behind by mainstream yoga. Join her on the mat (or bolster, or chair) for a truly welcoming and grounding practice suitable for all ages and abilities.

  • 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.

  • Megan Williams Gallagher began her gymnastics training from a young age in her parents gym in Birmingham, Alabama. She competed competitively for 13 years making it all the way to level 8. She also coached from a young age for the family business and learned how to teach in a fun and supportive way. Megan loves working with children of all ages. She is a USA Gymnastics Pro Member, background checked, Safety Certified and also has training in dance and circus to give her a creative twist. Come tumble with Megan today!

  • 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.

  • 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.