Judges
Liz Straub
The best decision of Liz’s life remains running away with the circus. As a kid she would spin for hours trying new poses and flips on an old tire swing her grandfather hung in their carport. Since this was in a small southern town in the 80’s and 90’s, we’ll just say she was ahead of her time…. Her world opened up the second she learned her dreams of dancing in the air could actually happen. She has taught some form of dance or movement since 2002 and began coaching in the air in 2006. Liz traveled the world working with Cirque du Soleil, and their outreach program Cirque du Monde.
In 2014, Liz decided to bring her professional skill set back to the US. Settling in Brooklyn allowed her time to develop and coach a strong Kids Aerial Acrobatic Program and her own performance company, Single Point Aerial Dance Company. Her company trained students for Aerial Competitions across the US and produced several shows for NYC Venues. The company’s first full show, Fallen, was the first of many standing room only events presented at The Slipper Room. Due to 2020’s mandatory studio closures Liz was forced to close her Manhattan studio and moved back to the South. Since 2020 Liz has developed four Aerial Acrobatic programs in southern Virginia and North Carolina, an 100-hour Teacher Training Program, and is owner and Head Coach of the competition team Valkyrie.
Liz coaches several disciplines in Acrobatics, Dance, Gymnastics, Fitness and Yoga for youth and adults. In order to be a well rounded performance Coach she works with fabric based apparatuses (Slings/ Hammock, Silks/Tissu, Straps, Corde Lis, Spanish Web, etc) Cradles (Cerceau/Lyra/Hoop, Cubes/Dimensional Frames) Poles, Trapeze (Dance and Static), and Harness (Dynamic/Bungee and Static) Liz holds certifications in multiple Aerial Acrobatic Disciplines, Dance, Gymnastics and Yoga. Additionally, She has completed an OSHA 10 hour certificate course and multiple supplemental Rigging safety courses in order to expand her knowledge in Aerial Safety and Rigging.
CeLes Hawkes
CeLes Hawkes spends every spare moment with her three sons, daughter, daughter in law, and devoted husband of 25 years. She has a BA in Secondary Education from Utah State University and works as a Behavior Intervention Specialist by day and an Aerial Instructor by night.
Her second love is being the owner and head coach at Up Side Down Tumblers in Burley, ID. Her favorite part is cheering for her clients personal successes, as they reach their fullest potential when they overcome fears and challenges in and out of the gym with confidence. She believes in character building opportunities taught through her Aerial Silk Curriculum she developed, as well as her other recreation and Junior Olympic programs. She feels privileged to work with so many individuals.
She has judged and been a professional member of USA Gymnastics for 7 years, American Circus Educator 8 years, and an Aerialympics judge for 5 years. She brings with her 40+ years of experience as an athlete, coach, and certified judge for all levels of cheerleading, tumbling, gymnastics, dance, German wheel, aerial silks, Lyra, AntiGravity Fitness, and parkour. For 8 years, she has enjoyed organizing and choreographing the International Music and Dance Festival of Southern Idaho. Theatrical arts has been an enjoyable avenue to incorporate her aerial talents within play productions.
She has a passion to serve others through foster care, church service, and advocate for Operation Underground Railroad. She is a rescuer by heart.
She wishes all the aerialists the best as they blow us away with their talent and reap the benefits of their dedicated efforts. Remember to “Be STRONG when you are weak, BRAVE when you are scared, and HUMBLE when you are victorious.” Unknown
Brennan Figari
Brennan Figari is an aerial artist, aerial choreographer, and coach. He has spent over half his life captivating and entertaining millions world wide. As a freelance aerialist Brennan has performed for a variety of companies and events. Some of these include America’s Got Talent, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Wintergarten Varieté, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Google, Emirates Airlines, P&O Cruises, Sea World San Diego, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and many more. For five years and over 1,000 shows, Brennan traveled with the equestrian performance company Cavalia, as an aerial hoop soloist and rotating pole specialist in their show Odysseo. Heavily involved in its creation, Brennan traveled under the largest touring big top in the world and frequently acted as a company spokesperson for media events and special tours.
Currently, Brennan lives in Berlin, Germany and is the head acrobatic coach and choreographer for Friedrichstadt-Palast, one of the largest shows in Europe. While his base is in Berlin, he also spends a lot of time teaching workshops; teaching thousands of students in over 10 countries. In addition, he also works with emerging professionals and choreographing for artists and large scale events.
Megan Loreen
Megan Loreen is an any-and-all apparatus professional aerial performer and instructor. While teaching in studios under her name (meganloreen.com) and founding Creative Movement Arts (creativemovementarts.com) for circus productions, she still finds it important to give back to the aerial community and be a judge of all levels and apparatuses in competitions around the world. Assisting others in their journey and watching them learn skills in a fraction of the time it took her, gives Megan immense joy.
She always knew performing was a part of her soul since a child, and that took many forms before she found her forever home with aerial. Singing, theatre, instrumental music, collegiate drum major, drill team, dance, anything that involved learning a new skill to perform served as fuel. Thinking she had it figured out, Megan graduated college with a Music Education degree and taught in schools for 10 years, though during this time, she still wasn’t satisfied. She coached and choreographed many drill teams, began taking pointe as an adult, but then eventually stumbled across aerial in 2013. Since then, she slowly realized that aerial and movement were her passions and ultimately transitioned to creative movement full time in 2022.
Megan holds multiple regional and national titles in lyra, sling, trapeze, and chains, and has performed those as well pole, lyra-pole, cube, acro prop, silks, and fan dance around the country. She is an ambassador for Dew Point Products and Rogue Bodyworks, and a USA Lyra Legend for Miss Lyra Australia. Fun fact, Megan was the 2021 Miss Mermaid Iowa of Miss Mermaid USA.
Ashley Robinson
Ashley is the founder and owner of FlexyFit and Aerial Ashletes, out of Dallas, Texas. This dynamic and melanated aerialist and coach helps people achieve their aerial ambitions in pole, flying pole, lyra, trapeze and aerial yoga. She specializes in the coaching of competitors and plus-size aerialists.
Ashley started in the world of pole fitness over a decade ago, and her passion for aerials, circus, flexibility and fitness has grown into an obsession. She's immersed herself physically and mentally through learning new apparatuses, performing, competing, and certifying in multiple disciplines. She received her USPDF Pro Card in 2017 and was the 2017 PSO Level 4 1st place champ! She has gone on to train dozens of winning pole and aerial competitors. She just recently completed her USPSF Judge's Training and hopes to become an International judge one day!
Addicted to learning, Ashley is a master nerd and body sorceress, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist and Human Movement Specialist with ten years of experience in fitness, flexibility, dance conditioning, pole and aerial.
Before becoming a circus geek, Ashley was a business creative and now enjoys hanging out at the creative intersection of those two passions. When she’s not dangling in the air or coaching, you can find her putting her MBA and marketing expertise to use to help spread the love of aerials and circus with the world.
She's also an instructor at Shine Fitness Studio and Vertical Fitness Dallas, and a member of the Fly Black Aerialists community.
Read more about Ashley here: https://flexyfit.co/about/
Lance Nielsen
Lance is the founder and director of Aerobatics Performing Arts, a circus school in Draper, Utah. Inspired by Jackie Chan videos as a kid, Lance discovered a passion for flipping and stunting. He was a scholarship collegiate cheerleader and collegiate starting lacrosse player. His background in athletics, cheer and tumbling led him to international performing contracts. He worked as a professional acrobat and aerialist for Franco Dragone Entertainment, Chimelong International Circus, Cirque de la Mer- Sea World San Diego, World Entertainment, Flippin’ Out Entertainment, Utah Jazz Dunk Team, Blaze Stunt Team, and more. He received certification in Circus Arts Instruction from the Ecole Nationale de Cirque. He has written, choreographed and directed numerous full length circus productions.
Ramsi Nia Stoker
Ramsi’s extensive background as a competitive gymnast and professional dancer led her to the circus. Inspired as a youth by Cirque du Soleil, she added aerial arts to repertoire over twenty years ago and has about a dozen apparatuses in her bag of tricks. Her talents have been seen around the world, performing in theatrical productions, awards shows, sports arenas, theme parks, conventions, music videos, software apps, fitness videos, cruise ships, commercials, and on television. She is a member of the nation’s premier acrobatic troupe – Anti-Gravity. Some of her favorite performances have been for Walt Disney World where she was a principal aerialist in Tarzan Rocks!, Universal Studios, Odyssey Dance Theatre, and ICON Health & Fitness. Ramsi graduated from Utah State University, which she attended on a dance scholarship. She is starting her ninth season as the Aerial Choreographer at the award-winning Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah. Ramsi shares her passion for the aerial arts through her pro-level classes at Defying Gravity Utah.
Byambatsetseg (Byamba) Jigdengombo
Byamba is a globally recognized, world class, professional circus arts performer. She started gymnastics at age 5 and began her journey in circus arts at age 10. She has many years of experience in a variety of acts such as flying trapeze, aerial silks, contortion, aerial lyra, duo straps, hand balancing, juggling, duo trapeze, jump rope, perch act, and more!
In 2016, she was awarded the ‘Medal of Honorary Performing Artist’ by the Government of Mongolia! She carries a collection of awards ranging from aerial to contortion to hand balancing and more from globally recognized competitions. Byambatsetseg has been professionally coaching circus for over 26 years and enjoys sharing her passion for circus arts to everyone who is ready to learn!
She has performed in thousands of world class circus shows across multiple continents. She has also performed in incredible circuses such as the Mongolian State Circus, Boswell Wilkie circus , Moscow International Circus, Cirque De La Symphonie, Big Apple Circus, Cirque Hawaii, Cirque Dreams, and more! Byamba is so excited to see everyone’s performances and wishes you all luck!
Kim Simon
Kim is a co-owner, manager, and instructor at Aerial Dance Green Bay. She loves working with athletes training to perform and compete. Kim has been teaching pole and aerial for over 7 years and loves watching the sports continue to grow. When she isn’t at the studio, you can find her working in her yard or snuggling her 3 dogs.
Jennifer Wang
Jennifer Wang comes from NYC where she first fell in love with aerials. Aerial arts was life changing for her and she really wanted to share her passion with the world. Jennifer was training at the top aerial studio in NYC, Body and Pole, as well as training with the amazing Laura Haley, owner of Aerial Haven in NYC, before moving to Washington State. Her passion soon translated to teaching, receiving her certification in Lyra through CirqFit and Aerial Yoga Hammock certification at Om Factory in NYC.
Jennifer's approach to aerials is using her Biology degree and physics to focus on proper muscle building, engagement, form, and body movement. Jennifer moved to WA from NYC at the end of 2020 hoping to continue spreading her love for aerial arts with the opening of her studio, Akasha Aerial Arts, in Washington state. She hopes to bring out the same passion for aerial arts in all her students.
Her all inclusive attitude has landed her studio on the list for body positive gyms in the area. Her school has also been referred by doctors for after post surgery strengthening and recovery in a fun, and safe environment. Jennifer truly believes and consistently showcases that aerial arts is for every one, every shape, and every body.
Roaa Alsahhaf
Roaa Alsahhaf, first Saudi circus performer, Art graduate, Sports
instructor (with certifications in fitness, gymnastics, sports rehabilitation and injuries and sports management), aerial show performance director and costume designer, and a proud mother of three beautiful smart girls.
Roaa received her bachelors degree in Art from King Abdulaziz University, and her master course in Old Arts from Prince School UK. She is currently a Sports Director in Neom City, and was the Project Manager at Loca Studios in Jeddah before that.
At the young age of 8, Roaa’s interest in show business and the circus sparked and ever since dreamt of becoming a circus performer. With not many options on this choice at the time, she chose arts and sports to fulfill this passion, cutting her way into the fitness industry.
After a decade in the sports business, she opened the first of its type Aerial and Pole training studio (Aerial Arts™) paving the road as she lead the way by becoming the first Saudi female to participate and perform in an international circus in Saudi in 2019.
Daniela Veliz Jensen
Daniela Veliz Jensen is from Caracas, Ven. She received her formal dance training at the Orlando Ballet and Central Florida Ballet where she danced for many seasons. Daniela has worked for Universal Studios as a dancer and aerialist, as well as appearing in national print and commercial campaigns for the company. She has performed and assisted as an aerial associate choreographer at regional theaters, national tours, and internationally. Daniela is very passionate about circus arts and loves aerial and partner acrobatics, she regularly works nationally as a specialty act for galas, corporate, and industrial events. Daniela has had the wonderful experience of actualizing so many dreams and has performed with her husband Tyler as a featured act at the hit show Absinthe at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, as well as headlined NYE events alongside pop stars . Daniela is excited to be joining the panel of judges for Aerialympics and truly wishes all competitors all the best! Never stop dreaming and fully enjoy your time on stage.
Naami Wagner
Naami is an aerialist specializing in fabric and flirting with flying trapeze. While her first foray into the circus-sphere was flying trapeze, she ultimately decided to major in aerial fabric while training at the New England Center forCircus Arts (Intensive, 2014-2015). Naami subsequently coached and performed part time in order to pursue a degree in Exercise Science. Much to her professors’ chagrin, she applied this newfound scientific underpinning to circus arts everychance she got. She turned in assignments such as Metobolic adaptations to specific fabric act creation and performance, a case study and Bioenergetic Needs Analysis of a Professional Flyer -ultimately to the great benefit of her numerous students. Naami has coached both children and adults in disciplines including lyra, static trapeze, hammock, rope, and -of course- aerial fabric and flying trapeze. She has worked at studios spanning the country including Trapeze School New York (DC branch), In The Dark Circus, DivaFit, Versitile Arts, and Emerald City Trapeze. Additionally, she has had the great pleasure of performing both in person and virtually with Artstella Productions, Skylark Creative Group, and the Acrobatic Conundrum.
Kálya Tigris
Kálya started his journey dabbling on pole and silks almost a decade ago. Through the circus community he came across partner acrobatics and duo trapeze and fell in love with both. He has performed for in a plethora of private and corporate events, traveled with a circus show in Mexico, and took first place in two aerial competitions with his then-current trapeze partner. He loves the creativity and passion that humans bring to the stage, and thoroughly enjoys being inspired every day by the community at large.
Havoq Luscivia
Havoq Luscivia is a professional multidisciplinary performer with 20 years stage experience, 10 years aerial experience, and comes from a background in dance as well as both competing in and coaching gymnastics. They carry a collection of awards ranging from global burlesque titles for acrobatic balancing acts to top placements in Aerialympics Steels and Specialty Apparatus categories, and they perform professionally on everything from the traditional lyra, pole, silks, lollipop, and hammock, to chains, spansets, found location objects, and invented apparatus. Havoq regularly produces local underground circus shows, and they conduct rehearsals for performers of all levels to create and develop acts in all disciplines with a focus on bringing out a performer's artistry, emotion, and intention while remaining safe in the executions of their skills. They are excited to be on the Aerialympics judging panel and they can't wait to see what everyone brings!
Ashley Neptune
Professional Aerial and circus performer and mermaid — Ashley Neptune is always the life of the party. Having been teaching and performing in the aerial world for 10 years, Ashley specializes in unique apparatuses and is a successful performer and instructor based in Miami.
Miah James
Miah James fell in love with aerials at the age of 7 and now it is an art that she cannot live without. Miah has paved the way for many young artists and continues to be a game changer in the aerial world and her community.
Miah was the first young artist to perform at Aerialympics, as an exhibition act. The following year she competed against adults and placed Bronze. Miah is the first and only, thus far, aerial artist to be featured in ShowStopper Magazine for aerial dance and her philanthropy work.
Performing and competing all over the US has been fulfilling, as well as making her an award winning Lyra, Chinese Pole and Pole Art artist. In 2020, she co-produced with Free2Luv a suicide prevention cirque production for underresourced youth in Las Vegas. This was the second annual production of "Tour De Force" that Miah and Free2Luv collaborated on together to create in 2018 supporting youth struggling with self-harm and/or bullying. When her humanitarian and cirque passions collide, amazing change is created.
Courtney Stevens
Courtney Stevens is a professional performer and full time instructor in multiple disciplines. She teaches and specializes in silks, flexibility/contortion, and chair dance, but also has experience in Lyra, Rope, Hammock, Duo Trapeze, Duo Straps, Specialty Apparatuses, and more. She also studies partner acrobatics and burlesque.
Courtney has over 25 years of stage and competition experience. She did gymnastics for 8 years. She has danced for over 15 years, with a heavy focus on ballroom dance. She was a ballroom dance major at Utah Valley University. Upon graduating, she decided to pursue a new route with circus arts. She began silks in 2014 and never looked back.
Courtney began teaching in 2015, and now teaches at 5 different studios across Utah. She is NASM and Xpert certified. She is a full time performer with multiple production companies, such as Voodoo Productions, and is a resident performer at Prohibition Utah. She also is the owner and founder of circus activewear company, The Cirque Boutique.
Autumn Arnett
Aerial Hammock/Sling addict since 2014.
Autumn’s journey of falling in love with performing arts started when she was 4 years old, dancing in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance as a child. In high school she tumbled and joined the high school dance team class.
She has taught and trained many kids for performances and competitions, as well as teaching classes for studios in her area. She currently performs for various venues and groups in the Ogden/Salt Lake City area.
2016 2nd Place Pro All Star Aerial Hammock, 3rd Annual Aerialympics Pole & Aerial Competition (Salt Lake City)
2017 Pro All Star Aerial Hammock Champion, 4th Annual Aerialympics Pole & Aerial Competition (Salt Lake City)
2017 Semi Pro Aerial Hammock Champion, Capital of Texas Aerial Championships (Austin)
2017 Crowd Favorite Award, Semi Pro hammock Division, Capital of Texas Aerial Championships (Austin)
·2019 Aerialympics judging panel for Salt Lake City, FitCon
