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Flight Crew
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Jamie Wagner-Suh
Aviary Owner
Pole, Lyra, Hammock, Floor & Summer Camp Coach.
Jamie Wagner-Suh is the fearless leader of the Aviary: truly an irreplaceable coach, sometimes known as Drill Sergeant Jamie (but always in a loving way), an instructor with the biggest heart possible. Jamie started her aerial journey on pole 11 years ago, and went on to compete in over 15 competitions, winning many prestigious titles- one being 2016 Pole Theatre World Champion. After taking a break to live in Egypt, meet her now-husband and grow a tiny human, she joined the Aviary and became the owner in 2020. She strives to create an inclusive, welcoming and fun space for students to explore, learn and create. These days her favorite classes are Pole Dance, Flexibility 2, and CirqueHIIT. In her classes you can look forward to learning your skill fundamentals, the break down of form & function while nerding out on the physics behind it all. Get ready to be love-bombed, receive endless cheerleading and maybe being shot at with a squirt bottle when you don't point your toes. But don't worry, that's usually reserved for when she really loves you.
Pole, Lyra, Hammock, Floor & Summer Camp Coach.
Jamie Wagner-Suh is the fearless leader of the Aviary: truly an irreplaceable coach, sometimes known as Drill Sergeant Jamie (but always in a loving way), an instructor with the biggest heart possible. Jamie started her aerial journey on pole 11 years ago, and went on to compete in over 15 competitions, winning many prestigious titles- one being 2016 Pole Theatre World Champion. After taking a break to live in Egypt, meet her now-husband and grow a tiny human, she joined the Aviary and became the owner in 2020. She strives to create an inclusive, welcoming and fun space for students to explore, learn and create. These days her favorite classes are Pole Dance, Flexibility 2, and CirqueHIIT. In her classes you can look forward to learning your skill fundamentals, the break down of form & function while nerding out on the physics behind it all. Get ready to be love-bombed, receive endless cheerleading and maybe being shot at with a squirt bottle when you don't point your toes. But don't worry, that's usually reserved for when she really loves you.
Tasha Powell
Studio Manager
Pole, Hammock & Floor Coach.
Tasha is one of The Aviary’s two pole instructors, but she’s one of a kind when it comes to twerk. If you’d like to hear someone use the phrase “cookie box” in a sentence, stop by one of her choreography classes. You’ll get a surprisingly good workout snuck in there between the laughs and butt jokes. Tasha has been teaching pole since 2017, and has done everything from absolute beginner classes to competition prep. If you’re just starting your pole journey, you want Tasha there next to you: she has a talent for making everyone feel welcome and supported, whether they’re flying into an invert or nervous to try their first spin.
Pole, Hammock & Floor Coach.
Tasha is one of The Aviary’s two pole instructors, but she’s one of a kind when it comes to twerk. If you’d like to hear someone use the phrase “cookie box” in a sentence, stop by one of her choreography classes. You’ll get a surprisingly good workout snuck in there between the laughs and butt jokes. Tasha has been teaching pole since 2017, and has done everything from absolute beginner classes to competition prep. If you’re just starting your pole journey, you want Tasha there next to you: she has a talent for making everyone feel welcome and supported, whether they’re flying into an invert or nervous to try their first spin.
Angela Wiborg
Hammock, Silks, Floor & Summer Camp Coach
Angela Wiborg warms up (nearly) every class to Genuwine's Pony and if that doesn't make you love them, we don't know what will. As one of the OG teachers of The Aviary, they have over 8 years of experience in aerial hammock.
Favorite phrases of theirs include "perfection is the minimum" (this is only for level 3 students), "big day today" (something they say about literally every class they teach), & "healthy tissue doesn't hurt" (usually while they are wincing in pain during foam rolling). Angela teaches high level hammock courses & split panels, & their classes always offer tons of mods & progressions so there's no need to be intimidated. Outside of The Aviary, Angela is a personal trainer who is more or less a walking encyclopedia of muscles & bones. If you're ever curious why a stretch or movement works a certain way, get ready for Anatomy Time with Angela as they’ll break down the science in super accessible ways. Angela’s true love is their dog JoJo & their favorite activity is looking really hot while hanging out with 10-20 aerial friends.
Angela Wiborg warms up (nearly) every class to Genuwine's Pony and if that doesn't make you love them, we don't know what will. As one of the OG teachers of The Aviary, they have over 8 years of experience in aerial hammock.
Favorite phrases of theirs include "perfection is the minimum" (this is only for level 3 students), "big day today" (something they say about literally every class they teach), & "healthy tissue doesn't hurt" (usually while they are wincing in pain during foam rolling). Angela teaches high level hammock courses & split panels, & their classes always offer tons of mods & progressions so there's no need to be intimidated. Outside of The Aviary, Angela is a personal trainer who is more or less a walking encyclopedia of muscles & bones. If you're ever curious why a stretch or movement works a certain way, get ready for Anatomy Time with Angela as they’ll break down the science in super accessible ways. Angela’s true love is their dog JoJo & their favorite activity is looking really hot while hanging out with 10-20 aerial friends.
Natalie Lanners
Hammock, Lyra, Floor & Summer Camp Coach
Natalie has been a part of The Aviary since 2015, when she started taking classes, but by 2018 she was teaching hammock. In the coolest move of all time, she taught her first ever hammock class at a retreat in Nicaragua. While hammock was her first love, lyra has started to steal her heart. Why not take both her hammock and lyra classes to see which one you think will win? She particularly loves helping students transfer hammock skills over to lyra, so if you’ve been intimidated by the hoop of pain, ahem, aerial hoop, she’s a great person to help you make the switch!
Whether she’s teaching hammock or lyra, she’s all about the splits, so drop in to her classes to make beautiful open shapes. She can’t count to save her life, but you’ll always be able to find accessible movements and collaborative time to explore your own style in the air. Few things in this world are more joyful than Natalie’s laugh, and you’ll definitely hear it a lot around The Aviary. One of her greatest skills is helping students see “mistakes” as variations: it’s just a new trick or transition. In her off time, you can find Natalie snuggling her 3 dogs and 3 cats (no, it’s not too many), doing wedding hair, chugging coffee, reading murder mysteries, or binge watching something on Netflix.
Natalie has been a part of The Aviary since 2015, when she started taking classes, but by 2018 she was teaching hammock. In the coolest move of all time, she taught her first ever hammock class at a retreat in Nicaragua. While hammock was her first love, lyra has started to steal her heart. Why not take both her hammock and lyra classes to see which one you think will win? She particularly loves helping students transfer hammock skills over to lyra, so if you’ve been intimidated by the hoop of pain, ahem, aerial hoop, she’s a great person to help you make the switch!
Whether she’s teaching hammock or lyra, she’s all about the splits, so drop in to her classes to make beautiful open shapes. She can’t count to save her life, but you’ll always be able to find accessible movements and collaborative time to explore your own style in the air. Few things in this world are more joyful than Natalie’s laugh, and you’ll definitely hear it a lot around The Aviary. One of her greatest skills is helping students see “mistakes” as variations: it’s just a new trick or transition. In her off time, you can find Natalie snuggling her 3 dogs and 3 cats (no, it’s not too many), doing wedding hair, chugging coffee, reading murder mysteries, or binge watching something on Netflix.
Elyce Haskins
Bungee, Hammock, Floor & Summer Camp Coach.
Elyce Haskins is the resident bungee expert at The Aviary, and you can thank her for it when you’re bouncing across the studio with a smile on your face. She is the backbone of the bungee program here, and she’s improved it by leaps and bounds (get it? It’s a jumping pun). She started aerial in 2013 with yoga trapeze and immediately realized that her feet belonged in the air. That realization was helped along by the small bonus of finding mental, physical, and emotional growth through aerial. No biggie.
Like many of our instructors, Elyce quickly found that one apparatus was not enough, which is why she’s taught yoga trapeze, hammock, bungee, and split panels as well as floor flexibility and acro. Pop in to her classes for the most welcoming atmosphere you’ve ever experienced, with a side helping of solid challenges. Elyce wants to share the way aerial makes her feel (like a total bad*ss) with the students she teaches, and you’ll never meet someone more ready to celebrate your wins. Get ready for a lot of high fives and the occasional side eye when she knows you can do better. Outside of all that, she even manages to have a life outside of circus, which she usually spends hanging out with her kiddo, exploring all outdoor sports, and traveling.
Elyce Haskins is the resident bungee expert at The Aviary, and you can thank her for it when you’re bouncing across the studio with a smile on your face. She is the backbone of the bungee program here, and she’s improved it by leaps and bounds (get it? It’s a jumping pun). She started aerial in 2013 with yoga trapeze and immediately realized that her feet belonged in the air. That realization was helped along by the small bonus of finding mental, physical, and emotional growth through aerial. No biggie.
Like many of our instructors, Elyce quickly found that one apparatus was not enough, which is why she’s taught yoga trapeze, hammock, bungee, and split panels as well as floor flexibility and acro. Pop in to her classes for the most welcoming atmosphere you’ve ever experienced, with a side helping of solid challenges. Elyce wants to share the way aerial makes her feel (like a total bad*ss) with the students she teaches, and you’ll never meet someone more ready to celebrate your wins. Get ready for a lot of high fives and the occasional side eye when she knows you can do better. Outside of all that, she even manages to have a life outside of circus, which she usually spends hanging out with her kiddo, exploring all outdoor sports, and traveling.
Erin Gargaro
Substitute & Summer Camp Coach.
Erin got her aerial start in 2018 and found The Aviary in 2019. Erin’s original aerial goal was to get to a place where she could move through big feelings in the air. Thanks to lots of support from The Incredible Jamie, she got a start in finding her own voice as performer and human.
She started teaching trapeze and bungee at The Aviary in 2021, and as a “Swiss Army Knife” has a little bit to teach on just about anything aerial.
Erin’s a firm believer in building super solid foundation skills and revisiting them over and over and over. Erin especially loves drops, dynamics and power moves, all of which depend on a rock solid foundation.
You’re likely to see Erin in classes as a student more often than as an instructor as she preps for upcoming competitions.
While Erin’s proud of her competitive success (who doesn’t love a trophy?) her biggest “win” from competing has been learning to own her unique artistic voice and presence as a performer and human.
Erin got her aerial start in 2018 and found The Aviary in 2019. Erin’s original aerial goal was to get to a place where she could move through big feelings in the air. Thanks to lots of support from The Incredible Jamie, she got a start in finding her own voice as performer and human.
She started teaching trapeze and bungee at The Aviary in 2021, and as a “Swiss Army Knife” has a little bit to teach on just about anything aerial.
Erin’s a firm believer in building super solid foundation skills and revisiting them over and over and over. Erin especially loves drops, dynamics and power moves, all of which depend on a rock solid foundation.
You’re likely to see Erin in classes as a student more often than as an instructor as she preps for upcoming competitions.
While Erin’s proud of her competitive success (who doesn’t love a trophy?) her biggest “win” from competing has been learning to own her unique artistic voice and presence as a performer and human.
Zephyr James
Bungee Party Coach.
Zephyr James (any pronouns), aka Juice aka Z aka whatever comes out of your mouth has been a student at The Aviary since 2018, and they have no idea how to say no which is why you’ll see them in literally every class The Aviary offers. As a new teacher in 2023, she’s absolutely hype to get started, and you’ll likely see her hurling her body around in bungee classes in the near future. Z loves to nerd out about aerial theory, and is game to try anything once, so if you’re looking for an instructor who will “just try out” that Instagram move you found, Z’s your boy. In their day job, they work at the Autism Society of Minnesota doing marketing, and they’re happy to be repping the neurodiversity community here at The Aviary. Visit his classes for excess enthusiasm, tangential ramblings, and random facts you never needed to know (fun fact: octopuses can taste with their skin!)
Zephyr James (any pronouns), aka Juice aka Z aka whatever comes out of your mouth has been a student at The Aviary since 2018, and they have no idea how to say no which is why you’ll see them in literally every class The Aviary offers. As a new teacher in 2023, she’s absolutely hype to get started, and you’ll likely see her hurling her body around in bungee classes in the near future. Z loves to nerd out about aerial theory, and is game to try anything once, so if you’re looking for an instructor who will “just try out” that Instagram move you found, Z’s your boy. In their day job, they work at the Autism Society of Minnesota doing marketing, and they’re happy to be repping the neurodiversity community here at The Aviary. Visit his classes for excess enthusiasm, tangential ramblings, and random facts you never needed to know (fun fact: octopuses can taste with their skin!)
AJ Jacobson
Hammock Coach
-Bio to come-
-Bio to come-
Maggie Murphy
Youth, Silks & Summer Camp Coach.
Maggie joined the world of aerial arts in 2019 when she decided to start with two very different and very challenging apparatuses: pole and split panel silks. That wasn’t enough for her, so soon after she started training flexibility, because let’s be real: more is always better when it comes to aerial. In recent years she’s added hammock and lyra, plus an American Sports & Fitness Association certification in stretching instruction (look at this overachiever). But she’s not just super accomplished: she also loves spreading her own passion for aerial with the kids she teaches, because her philosophy is that aerial is for all people and all ability levels. Also bonus: the best people take aerial classes, and teaching means she gets to meet them all. During her classes you might hear some screaming from across the studio, but that’s just her being wildly hyped for everyone’s success: screaming is cheering right?
When she's not in the air, Maggie loves some good coffee, making sourdough, hitting the gym, and finding new sewing projects!
Maggie joined the world of aerial arts in 2019 when she decided to start with two very different and very challenging apparatuses: pole and split panel silks. That wasn’t enough for her, so soon after she started training flexibility, because let’s be real: more is always better when it comes to aerial. In recent years she’s added hammock and lyra, plus an American Sports & Fitness Association certification in stretching instruction (look at this overachiever). But she’s not just super accomplished: she also loves spreading her own passion for aerial with the kids she teaches, because her philosophy is that aerial is for all people and all ability levels. Also bonus: the best people take aerial classes, and teaching means she gets to meet them all. During her classes you might hear some screaming from across the studio, but that’s just her being wildly hyped for everyone’s success: screaming is cheering right?
When she's not in the air, Maggie loves some good coffee, making sourdough, hitting the gym, and finding new sewing projects!
Alexia Skelton
Dance & Summer Camp Coach.
Alexia is the kind of person who is all in. One of her mentors once told her "Dance is for you, what air is for everyone else." So if you’d like to live and breathe movement, shimmy your way over to a class with Alexia because it truly is the air she breathes. She has been doing both ballet and gymnastics since she was literally two, which feels like an unfair advantage against the rest of us (it shows in the way she even walks like she’s dancing). Want some big fancy titles? Alexia has been a three-time Timberwolves Dancers Finalist, earned Top Talent awards for her self-created pieces in the Miss America Organization, and won the local titles Miss West River 2010, Miss Rushmore 2011, Miss Rapid City 2013 and 2015, and Miss Congeniality for Miss South Dakota. And if that wasn’t enough, she also does hammock.
If you’re picturing someone intimidating, stop. Throw that picture away. Start with this: Alexia is joy made physical. You’ll walk into her classes and find someone who has energy to spare. She has a particular talent for coining amazing names for her dance moves, including gems like "zombie dab" and "boob present" which made appearances in her very first Aviary class. It's only going to get sillier from here.
Alexia is the kind of person who is all in. One of her mentors once told her "Dance is for you, what air is for everyone else." So if you’d like to live and breathe movement, shimmy your way over to a class with Alexia because it truly is the air she breathes. She has been doing both ballet and gymnastics since she was literally two, which feels like an unfair advantage against the rest of us (it shows in the way she even walks like she’s dancing). Want some big fancy titles? Alexia has been a three-time Timberwolves Dancers Finalist, earned Top Talent awards for her self-created pieces in the Miss America Organization, and won the local titles Miss West River 2010, Miss Rushmore 2011, Miss Rapid City 2013 and 2015, and Miss Congeniality for Miss South Dakota. And if that wasn’t enough, she also does hammock.
If you’re picturing someone intimidating, stop. Throw that picture away. Start with this: Alexia is joy made physical. You’ll walk into her classes and find someone who has energy to spare. She has a particular talent for coining amazing names for her dance moves, including gems like "zombie dab" and "boob present" which made appearances in her very first Aviary class. It's only going to get sillier from here.
Anna Olson
Youth & Summer Camp Coach.
-Bio to come-
-Bio to come-
Carly Martin
Youth & Summer Camp Coach.
-Bio to come-
-Bio to come-
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