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CARMEN CURTIS
Founder / Program Director Carmen Curtis is flying high as one of the premiere experts in the world of aerial yoga and fitness. But that is only the beginning. This petite powerhouse is simultaneously raising the bar on what it means to be a modern-day renaissance woman. Balance is key after all, according to the inspirational and acclaimed yogi; who also counts successful entrepreneur, business owner, teacher, professional Cirque performer, aerialist, choreographer, accomplished athlete, master motivator and, most importantly, wife and mother, among her many titles. Read more about Carmen's extensive accomplishments |
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GREGG CURTIS
Founder / Executive Artistic Director Gregg Curtis is an aerial & acrobatic director and aerial theatre creator. Conceiving of gravity-defying action for live events, theatre, and filmed media, Gregg has worked with and for the likes of The Golden State Warriors, Google, Julie Taymor, Es Devlin, Miley Cyrus, Diane Martel, Franco Dragone, Cirque Du Soleil, The LA Philharmonic, De La Guarda and The Metropolitan Opera to name a few. Gregg found his acrobatic roots in the sport of gymnastics in which he is a former US National champion and US National Team Member. He has been intimately involved with the creation of several large scale shows, most recently Miley Cyrus "Bangerz" Tour, Julie Taymor's, "A Midsummer Nights Dream", "Le Reve" by Franco Dragone as well as "Alegria" by Cirque du Soleil. He was a captain of the off-Broadway sensation "De La Guarda" and founder of a radical aerial theater company. See what Gregg is up to |
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ADINA
Studio Manager Aerial Artis Teacher Sage was born and raised in Ventura, CA. She found a love for movement while living in the mountains of Humboldt County, CA, where she went to college and worked as a Social Worker at various agencies and non-profits. The difficult work she did led her to find a need for a physical outlet, and she begin diving into various forms of yoga and fitness. She moved back to Ventura in 2017, and did courses for NASM personal training & TRX, as well as regularly practicing hot yoga. This led her to join the 200 hour AIReal & Hatha Yoga Teacher Training held at The Aerial Studio! She had taken additional training's focused on recovery and myofascial release. Sage currently teaches a gentle flow/myofascial release class at TAS. |
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JENNIFER BRENNEMAN
Homeschool Aerial Arts Teacher Jennifer found her passion for movement high up in the Andes Mountains of South America where she trained under a creative passionate teacher with influences from Butoh, Dance/Circus therapy, and creative movement through aerial and flying. She fell in love with circus and has never found such joy in dance and sharing through movement and flying. She loves every part of the aerial world and believes that it has the power to heal and nurture growth, both physically, and emotionally. Jennifer holds a degree in Child and Adolescent development, and worked in research for a short time during and after school. She also paints murals and participates in art shows. She spent a summer in Kenya developing an educational program at a center for Massai children and taught art at CEDEI School in Ecuador for two years. In her free time, she plays with fire, writes and illustrates children’s stories, and takes black and white photos. She is so grateful for the loving community at The Aerial Studio, and is beyond excited to be teaching among such inspiring talent. |
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Beg & Adv Beg & Intermediate Aerial, Tots, Contemporary, Modern Dance Kevin was inspired by the circus arts from the first moment he saw his first Cirque du Soleil show Mystere. With no previous background in dance or gymnastics, Kevin began exploring his new found passion at The Aerial Studio by taking a summer camp at the age of 14. He instantly fell in love with the silks began his path into The Aerial Studio's Pre-Professional Performance Troupe. Kevin began rounding out his skills by incorporating handstands, trampwall, acrobatics, contemporary dance and character work alongside his aerial training. This has made Kevin into the unique, adaptable, extremely talented individual he is today. In 2016, Kevin graduated from the TAS Pre-Professional Performance Troupe and began his performance career, mentored by studio owner and internationally renowned Aerial Director, Gregg Curtis. At the young age of 19, Kevin was cast in the groundbreaking performance for the Chase Center in San Francisco, in a National Commercial for Dixie and in a corporate event hosted by the wildly popular interactive entertainment company, Activision. Kevin also completed The Aerial Studio's Aerial Teacher Training with Carmen Curtis upon his graduation and can be seen at TAS teaching beginning students all the way to intermediate. When Kevin is not performing or instructing, he is studying dance and choreography at Ventura College to further his education in the performing arts. |
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KIRSTYN BURNS
Beg & Adv Beg Aerial Aerial Fitness, Stretch & Flexibility, Hand Balancing Front Desk Attendant Kirstyn was born in Ventura County, and is currently a student at Ventura College. She began circus and flying when owners Carmen and Gregg Curtis first opened a studio in Ventura. When she was younger, she spent a lot of time learning and practicing ballroom dance. Kirstyn never really enjoyed contemporary dance and ballet until she was trained by some of the instructors at The Aerial Studio. “There had been many times when I felt I was not progressing or that I was progressing slower than the other students, but my loving instructors reassured me that it is not about competition, helping me learn that I can change that intimidation into inspiration. Doing aerial has really helped me grow physically, emotionally, and mentally. I aspire to be the kind of teacher that impacts a student dramatically, in the same way previous instructors from The Aerial Studio have impacted me.” |
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WHITNEY TICE
Aerial / Acro, Fitness, Handstands When Whitney was a little girl she was often found climbing on anything that could be climbed. She wanted to find a way to get off the ground and up into the air. It wasn’t until the age of 10 that she discovered an enthusiasm for gymnastics. After doing gymnastics competitively for a couple of years and dealing with a reoccurring back injury, it was time for her to try something new. A month later she found a passion in the aerial arts, and it has stayed with her since. She jumped into the teen performance troupe and discovered the thrill of performing. When Whitney is not up in the air she can often be found upside down on her hands. The variety cirque offers from aerial to handstands to dance to tumbling always provides her with something to work on. After graduating from the teen performance troupe during her senior year of high school, Whitney faced a tough decision between trying out for a professional show and continuing her education. She is now excited to be entering her second year at Westmont College, making good use of the gym there and doing aerial at every opportunity. Whitney doesn’t know what the future holds, but her passion for aerial and performing remains and she is excited to see how that passion fits into God’s ideal plan for her life. |
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AUSTIN GALL
Parkour, Superhero Training, Acro & Tumbling Austin Gall has over 15 years of experience coaching students of all ages in disciplines that include Gymnastics, Parkour, Trampoline, and Martial Arts. Austin grew up in Alameda CA, and moved to LA around 8 years ago where he attended UCLA to study Neuroscience with a focus on human balance and proprioception. After school he has continued coaching and also works in the entertainment industry. He has performed in stage shows for Katy Perry, done stunts for films and TV shows, and has been featured in commercials for companies including Adidas and Under Armour. You can find him on Instagram @Austingpk |
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LAURA SINGER
Beg Aerial Laura Singer is an aerial instructor and RYT-500 yoga teacher. She is passionate about breathing fresh air, expressing herself through dance & the aerial arts, playing, taking care of her two dogs, laughing, and exploring the curiosities of life. When Laura started aerial, she could not even get her hips above her head. She had grown up doing yoga, ballroom dancing and salsa dancing, but it had been a few years since she had been consistent in a practice. She was feeling uninspired and wondering if she was just 'getting older.' She began aerial with very little strength or flexibility, but she got hooked the very first day. "DANCING in the AIR? Excuse me??" she marveled as she looked around. She kept coming back, and has been greatly rewarded, in ways she'd never experienced in any other type of class. "It has been so empowering accomplishing one goal after the next, not only seeing my body change, but feeling like a completely different person than I did when I started. Alive. Vibrant!" Laura is now passionate about sharing this art and fitness tool with everyone, but particularly adults. "Adults are the ones who tend to become dis-empowered in their bodies as they get older. They leave the fun to their kids. But aerial really is for everyone. It shows all of us that we still have that childlike spirit, and that we can let ourselves play and really have fun, all while getting the best workout of our lives! The most common message I share when people ask me about aerial is, you don't have to have been a gymnast to do this. This IS accessible to you!" |
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JENNIFER LAYTON
Adv Beg Aerial Aerial for Special Needs Hailing from the Garden State, Jennifer (Trendowski) Layton grew up in the theater world just outside NYC, where she started on stage at age 10 and was professionally performing by age 16. She received her BFA in Theater from New World School of the Arts (U.Florida) in Miami and spent summers doing regional theater “summer stock” in NH (American Stage Festival, North Country Center for the Arts), RI (Astors Beechwood Theater), CT (Connecticut Shakespeare), and PA (Historic Philadelpia Inc.). Out of NYC, Jennifer nationally toured 3 times (Cherry in The Outsiders, Calypso/Eurycleia in The Odyssey, and Beezus in Ramona Quimby) enabling her to perform in most major theaters in the United States (including amazing venues like the Jones Theater in Dallas, Grand Ole’ Opry in Nashville, Fox Theater in Atlanta, the Goodman Theater in Chicago, and the Guthrie in Minneapolis just to name a few..) Jennifer returned to NYC and performed off-Broadway (Ramona Quimby) for a season, before making her way to California in 2000. While working in TV (credits include Days of our Lives, Nat Geo’s Seconds from Disaster, and Nickelodean’s Welcome Freshman), film (credits include Bottoms Up w/ Kevin Smith, Paris Hilton,& Jason Mews), and commercials (which include national spots for Carl's Jr/Hardees, Southwest Airlines, Hallmark, Subaru, & Walgreens), Jennifer started assisting both in feature film casting (Ali w/ Will Smith, All that Glitters w/ Mariah Carey) and as an agent (CESD, HOR), and eventually headed up the commercial department of Kathleen Schultz Assoc. in 2004 and finally FireStarter Entertainment in 2014. Jennifer's clients over the past 12 years have been in hundreds of major TV and print ads across the globe! In her spare time, Jennifer trained in modern and ballet, performing with Media City Ballet (now Pacific Ballet Theatre) from 2003-2013, teaches improvisation and acting with Much Ado About Shakespeare, is a shark-loving PADI SCUBA diver, skis, and loves traveling the world with her husband Jeff and daughter Sage. Jennifer has been training at TAS since it opened in 2012 and received her teaching certification in 2015. She adores teaching, training, and performing with TAS and loves the “artistic home” she has found her in Ventura. |
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ANDY LEWIS
AIReal Yoga™ / Hatha Amanda, "Andy" to her friends, discovered The Aerial Studio in 2013 and was immediately hooked. Starting from square one, with no dance, gymnastics, or cheer background to fall back on, Andy threw herself into aerial classes. Slowly, she began to study AIReal yoga alongside the aerial (circus) classes, ultimately achieving her 200 hour AIReal Yoga Teacher Certification in early 2015. Though initially she struggled with feeling very self-conscious, through both Aerial (circus) and AIReal Yoga (with the help of the supportive family at The Aerial Studio), Andy learned to try to let that sense of embarrassment go, and blossomed with a new degree of self-confidence within her body. This struggle, along with the sense of starting from square one, gives her enormous compassion for others working their way through similar feelings and issues. In her yoga practice, Andy strives for an approachable, relatable, and adventurous class, which encourages students to first bring their minds inside the room, then to quiet and shift their awareness within their bodies and explore their experience. She is inspired by the ability of music to draw our minds into the moment and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and regularly uses tracks by such artists as The Pixies, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, The Cure, and even System of a Down and Metallica! In addition to embarking on the journey to become an AIReal yoga teacher, 2015 was full of change, adventure, and personal growth for Andy. She first showcased her skills in the inaugural "Delicious Life of Love" production, and has gone on to perform in "A Night at the Movies" adult aerial showcase, and then well outside the "safe" confines of the studio, at the LA Day of the Dead Festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Later in 2016, she will have the incredible fortune to participate in numerous yoga festivals, sharing AIReal yoga™ with Wanderlust 108s in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, and the four-day Wanderlust Festival in Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe. In August, she will be once again teaching AIReal yoga at the Big Bear Yoga Festival! Only time will tell what other new adventures are in store! |
TAS Guest Instuctors
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ED BOSSERT
Acro / Parkour / Aerial Surf Training Handstands / Superhero / Martial Arts from Morrison Colorado. Avid Rock Climber and Outdoors enthusiast. Over 21 years spent training in more than 6 Martial Arts. Holding 4 Black Belts and an Honorary Black Band in the CMA curriculum of tricking. 2014 ATA invitation Trick Battle competitor. 2013 Red Bull Throwdown silver Medalist. 2012 Denver Broncos Cheer/Rocky Mountain Tumblers. 2006 ATA Colorado State XMA Champion. "My favorite thing is knowing I have helped someone grasp firm footing and understanding on the path to self Mastery." |
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KEILANI MUSSETTER
Currently on the Marvel Universe Live Tour Performance Troupe Graduate Keilani first saw the aerial arts at the age of nine at a demo on the Santa Monica Pier. After watching the performers flip and twirl she knew "I have to do this!". Having tried everything from dance and gymnastics to dirt bikes and bmx, in 2011 she found The Aerial Studio and from her first climb up the silks she was hooked. Keilani trained at The Aerial Studio in the Pre-Professional Performance Teen Troupe program for five and a half years in aerial, acrobatics, dance, choreography, character, and all things circus! She graduation performance in 2016 starred Keilani as BeetleJuice in The Aerial Studio's "As Above, So Below". Keilani has also been cast as a flying monkey from the Wizard of Oz for a private event in Bel-Air and a zombie for the widely enjoyed Activision Call of Duty: Zombies and Spaceland launch party. |
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MARY ROBERTSON
Aerial, Conditioning, Fitness, AIReal Yoga™, Hatha Yoga I am currently a graphic designer by trade but my past consist of teaching group exercise for 21 years, I'm an AFFA Certified Personal Trainer, AFFA group X Instructor and a Star Level 3 Spinning Instructor. I am now a certified ERYT 200 hour AIReal Yoga teacher. Once my 3 children were old enough not to need my undivided attention I balanced my career with training for triathlons, road and mountain bike racing. For years I was very focused on putting in many miles of training which I believed I thoroughly enjoyed. Today, I’m happy to say that I’ve found new ways to challenge myself, for example taking classes at The Aerial Studio. I have found more balance in my life and feel healthy. I truly enjoy the community of people at the Aerial Studio and love watching people progress in their practice. |
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BRITTNEY NEVISON
Contemporary Dance Brittney was introduced to dance at first by her mother who noticed her love for movement when she would dance across the stage during her Jazzercise classes. Following in her mother's footsteps, Brittney found a passion in dance and a love for leading others that lead her to pursue her dream of being a choreographer. Accepted into Broadway Dance Center's Internship Program, Brittney moved to New York City where she trained intensely and showcased her talents at numerous venues including BET's The Monique show, Glamour Magazine, and Madonna's Material Girl Launch. She then returned to California to further her education in choreography and dance instruction through CSUCI. Most recently she choreographed, directed, and edited an original dance film "Untied", that placed second in CSUCI Film and Animation Festival. Brittney is excited to complete her degree and utilize the tools she has gained throughout her career to teach and inspire dancers of all ages. |