Our Team

Having started aerial arts in with zero background in dance or gymnastics, Winnie understands the difficulty of being a true beginner. In 2009, after a frustrating seven weeks of being unable to climb a silk, Winnie approached the apparatus and found herself able to ascend! The magic of that moment has never left her. In June 2010, she founded Sky Candy, and her life hasn’t been the same since. Winnie primarily teaches silks, sling, trapeze, bungee, and flexibility. Winnie is also known for her incredible aerial performances (and yes, she played Charlotte in the 2016/2017 Zach Theater production of Charlotte's Web).

Julia fell in love with the circus when she was 11, but she thought she was too old to get started. (Spoiler: she was not.) A decade later, she moved cross-country to train at the San Francisco Circus Center. Julia has taught at Sky Candy since 2012 and is living proof that it’s never too late to pursue your upside-down dreams. You’ll most often find her on static and single-point trapeze but also teaches bungee, harness, and handstands. She’s low-key training her cats to do tricks so they can join the circus too.

Hannah is proud to serve as Sky Candy's Co-Operations Director with khattieQ! Inspired by a three-ring circus traveling through her Pennsylvania hometown, she began her own circus adventure at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, where she would also go on to teach wire walking. She continued training at Circomedia in Bristol, with a focus on aerials and partner acrobatics, and was honored to perform with many talented artists, including at Glastonbury Festival. She loves all things trapeze (solo, duo, flying, swinging) as well as bungee. She is the creator of our super fun Bungee Acrobatics program. Her favorite cryptid is Mothman.

khattieQ is an Austin performer from San Juan, Puerto Rico. They are a punk rocker who loves theatre. Their company jkjk creates and produces queer performances in Austin and around the world. In addition to serving as co-operations director, kQ loves teaching in the Bungee program and is Sky Candy’s Morning Bungee Bounce leader! Wake up early and come bounce! 

Adrienne started dancing at age 4, and studied ballet and jazz until she went off to college. When she moved to ATX, she jumped back into dance as a burlesque performer. Despite her fear that her lack of upper body strength would lead to total disaster, she was talked into trying an aerial silks class in 2007 and fell in love! She started performing regularly and was crowned Miss Texas Pole Star Amateur Silks 2012 and began teaching in 2015. She loves sharing the beauty and strength of aerial dance with new students and is excited to help all students meet their goals.

Alyssa loves all things rope! They started training in California as a teenager and were selected to tour with Circus Smirkus. (Fun fact! They also toured with their sister!) After several years out of the air, they found Sky Candy and rekindled their love of rope. Alyssa thrives on showing their students how much there is to love about aerial rope, and they WILL teach you how to perfect your beats!

Amy received her BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance from TCU. As a freelance performance artist, she has had the opportunity to dance all over the US, Europe, and on film with many companies/choreographers/musicians including (but not limited to) Ellen Bartel Dance Collective, Jennifer Sherburn, Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth, Blue Lapis Light, BlipSwitch, Sky Candy, Sorne, Kesha, Nightdrive, and many more. As a choreographer, Amy presents work for stage, music videos, corporate activations, and the occasional dance film. Amy is also a Certified Yoga Instructor, Licensed Massage Therapist, and creator of Amy's Apothecary. Amy's teaching style is a reflection of her varied learnings. She incorporates everything from Limón to Contact Improvisation to elements of chi gong and yoga.

Carolyn Logan is a graduate of the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA). After completing the pro-track program in 2015, she studied under Chloe Farah in Montreal.

Carolyn has been traveling and teaching Static Trapeze, Duo Trapeze, and Flying Trapeze for over a decade and enjoys teaching around Austin, usually with at least doggo in tow!

A special educator turned circus runaway, Caryn tried aerials in 2019 and has never looked back! When she's not working the front desk and living the circus dream in trapeze and lyra, Caryn can often be found playing board games with friends, surrounded by her pet cats, lizard, and snails.

Colleen has been Sky Candy's ball of golden string in the MindBody labyrinth since April 2014. If you need a ghost chased out of your account, who you gonna call? Colleen also serves as our external communications lead and front-of-house maven for all Sky Candy shows.

Emily is a native Austinite who has returned to the city after being away for college. She has taken numerous Sky Candy classes over the years and is particularly fond of the trapeze. Emily serves as our resident tech wizard and is the only one who can get Sonos to behave on a regular basis. Outside of the circus, Emily is a licensed massage therapist here in ATX with Knot Detective. She also plays rugby and enjoys going to TRF with her sister (who happens to be our very own coach Taylor!)

Ginger Snaps is a burlesque performer, aerialist, and enthusiastic shenanigan instigator! She was voted "Best Burlesque Performer" by the Austin Chronicle reader's poll for 10 consecutive years because she is fortunate to live in a city as weird as she is. She has been on stages and screens around the world and is an avid fat-activist and founder of the Aerials for Plus Sized Bodies program and professional development workshops. Ginger loves spending time in the ocean looking at sea creatures and has been an honorary mermaid ever since a whale shark forced her to ride it!

Ivy Baron, MSW has been teaching movement since 2005 and owns Requisite Pilates, a size-inclusive private studio in Austin, TX. Her judgement-free approach to teaching aerials and Pilates is informed by her Social Work and social justice background. Ivy is dedicated to creating an inclusive experience for all students to explore movement that works for their unique bodies, especially those who have not felt safe and included in traditional settings. She likes to make shapes in the air and on her reformer, while cracking her students and herself up with the latest and greatest in dad jokes.

Jennifer loves sharing her passion for aerial arts with her students. She first fell in love with the circus at age 16 after performing in her first flying trapeze show in Club Med St. Lucia. After graduating from SFA with a degree in Dance, Journalism, and Secondary Education, she joined Club Med Resorts as a choreographer, entertainment manager, and Circus Performer, traveling and performing around the globe, including the Caribbean, Thailand, Mexico, Japan, and Australia. After 12 years, she left Club Med to move to Texas, where she taught aerial classes at Vault Houston. Eventually, her love of Austin brought her to the capital city, where she has taught and performed ever since!

Kalyn has been a fat aerialist since 2019. She took Intro to Aerials on a whim and has never looked back! Her primary apparatus is lyra, though she also dabbles in trapeze, harness, and cube. All bodies are aerial bodies! She will be your loudest hype-person, loves to celebrate achievements no matter how small, and will 100% teach you a Marchetti split. In her spare time, she works at UT, plays the violin in a local orchestra, and watches way too many horror movies. 

Katie has had an interest in movement since an early age. Involved in dance from childhood through college, it was a natural progression to fall in love with the aerial arts. As a physical therapist, she enjoys empowering her patients through movement and exercise, and much in the same way finds joy in teaching the students at Sky Candy. She has been training Lyra since 2010 and teaching since 2014. In addition to spinning upside down, she enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, playing with her fur babies, and eating amazing food.

Kit Brooks began teaching with Sky Candy in 2023, and they enjoy working with budding circus artists of all ages and abilities. Kit is chronically ill and disabled, and they are passionate about creating inclusive educational environments where everyone can thrive. They began their aerial journey with a trapeze and lyra series several years ago and fell in love with the practice. Most of all, Kit appreciates the non-competitive nature that Sky Candy has cultivated; circus really is for everybody!

Lauren Campbell started her aerial journey in 2015 right here at Sky Candy! She loves being a part of the circus community as a student, member of the Front Desk team, and as an instructor. Her favorite apparatuses are Sling and Pole. Lauren hopes to inspire young minds to express themselves through art and movement. Her favorite part about teaching is encouraging students to believe in themselves.

Leigh Fisher (AKA Coach Berry) is a teacher, performer, producer, and secret witch. She started her circus career at Sky Candy in the Plus Size program and is honored to continue and steward the program with lyra and hooping classes centering plus-size bodies. She also teaches Lyra, aerial yoga, and Intro to Aerials for kids and adults. She believes in size-inclusive Joyful Movement classes for all, and thinks you (yes, you!) should run away and join the circus.

Marie has been training Aerial arts for almost 6 years, learning in Orlando, FL in a pre-professional program before performing around the country. She brings a unique perspective and background to every class she teaches at Sky Candy. She specializes in performing, choreography, specialty apparatuses, and helping youth and adult students reach their goals in their practice. 

Marisa has always had a passion for the performing arts and has many years experience in theatre, dance, and burlesque. She began her aerial training in 2011 and became an instructor in 2013. Her favorite apparatuses include lyra, sling, pole, and cube. She is a particular fan of partner work. Marisa loves seamless transitions, fluidity, and musicality. She also loves exploring and learning new things through her own training. Marisa has had some exciting opportunities over the years, including performing with Nas, Busta Rhymes, and Rev Run.

Mary Contrary spent her whole life dabbling in boring workouts, and stumbled upon aerials back in 2009. As a ex-theater kid and dancer, she was hooked. Now all these years later, Mary is still in love with the art form! She can be found teaching adult lyra classes and flying on various stages across the state. Mary specializes in lyra, static duo trapeze, specialty apparatuses, and flame effects. 

Melissa Swanepoel came to the circus and movement arts as an adult, after a childhood of wishing she wasn’t “too old” to join in the fun. She started training at Sky Candy in 2014 and was keen to try ALL THE THINGS, but with time she found her focus in lyra and handstands.

Melissa is excited to share the joy of movement and incremental progress with her students and teaches Lyra, Dynamic Lyra, Handstands, and Tumbling. When not pushing the ground away or spinning high above it, Melissa keeps busy and creative with her indoor jungle of plants and writing projects.

Michele is a professional aerial coach, physical therapist, Pilates instructor, and certified strength training and performance specialist. She has been teaching and performing aerial arts for 20+ years. With an extensive background in human anatomy and kinesiology, she specializes in aerial silks, sling, and rope. Before relocating to Austin, Michele taught in Seattle and at Versatile Arts (as seen in Oprah Magazine). In 2012 Michele attended advanced aerial silks teaching workshops with Elise Smith (NECCA). Michele is a sought-after instructor and has been hired to teach aerial workshops across the country and to coach and choreograph for silks artists in Cirque Du Soleil. Her advanced knowledge in injury prevention, body mechanics, neurodynamics, conditioning techniques, and alignment enables her to help students acquire fitness goals and aerial skills that they never thought they could.

Ruth's childhood dance experience eventually transitioned to dancing in the air. She's been a long-time aerial practitioner but has recently joined the teaching world for kids and adults. She is excited to continue her journey by helping students grow to their potential, realize their unique movement styles, and most importantly have fun in the air! She is motivated by the endless possibilities of creation, knowledge, and growth in aerial and circus arts . She wants to continue to live in this world for as long as physically possible. You'll usually find her in the silks or lyra, but most recently also doing some contortion handstands!

Sam's story started ages ago as a gymnast who was fortunate enough to be chosen to join Cirque du Soleil’s show, Quidam back in 1998. For the past 20+ years he has worked inside the circus entertainment business, as an acrobat/aerialist/dancer, as well as choreographer and act creator for other performers. He has had the pleasure of performing with la Clique in London, Soap in Berlin, Teatro Zinzanni in Seattle, and for the prestigious Cirque du Demain Festival in Paris. For over 7 years he led Odysseo, the largest touring circus show in the world, as the head acrobat and aerialist trainer, and then for the last 2 years as the resident artistic director. His passion is coaching artists and helping them find their own voice.

Austin native Sarah Marsh fell in love with the circus when she went to The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus with her mom and saw the sparkling aerialists and bendy contortionists. She loves circus arts for the expression of movement, physicality, and flexibility. In 2007, she discovered pole and has trained with exceptional talent such as Felix Cane, Natasha Wang, and Cirque du Soleil pole artist Jenyne Butterfly. Sarah has also studied at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), focusing on lyra. Sarah performs all over the US and the world. In July 2022, Sarah won the title of Exotic Generation USA Professional Pole Theatre Champion! Sarah has been teaching with Sky Candy since 2017 and loves seeing her students accomplish new skills and gain confidence in their strength and movement. Sarah has also been a featured aerialist and pole artist on The Jerry Springer Show. Twice!

Selima Harbison is a passionate aerial teacher with a background in dance and athletics. She studied psychology at the University of Texas and brings a deep understanding of human behavior and motivation to all her classes. Selima honed her skills in guiding students through years of experience as a barre, dance, and gymnastics instructor. As an aerial coach, she empowers her students to embrace creativity and discover their inner strength through the circus arts.

Siren started her pole journey in 2017 and fell in love with the art form! She believes pole fitness can help people gain strength and confidence to live their best life, so thats why she started teaching. In Siren's classes, you can expect fun sequencing, clear instruction, and pathways to help the movements work with your unique and beautiful body! Siren is also a chiropractor specializing in hypermobile clients and a proud cat mom to Miss Jackson, Baby Spice, and Pumpkin.

A theatre kid at heart, Taylor has a long history of teaching and performing on the ground. In college, she took a movement class with a trapeze unit and absolutely fell in love! Looking for more ways to fly, she found Sky Candy and never looked back. Now she teaches and performs in the air! Taylor is known around the studio for ALL THE THINGS and teaches silks, rope, trapeze, sling, and lyra to both kids and adults. When she's not working her body on one of her eleventy billion circus apparatus, she's working her mind as a tax accountant.

Xochitl Sosa grew up in California sandwiched between the urban culture of the Bay Area and the natural beauty of the redwoods. Exposure to circus at a young age gave Xochitl a purpose, opened doors, and taught her how to balance life with art. She has been an aerial artist and coach since 2007. Prior to forming her own company, Cirque Vida, she worked with Cirque du Soleil, Acrobatic Conundrum, and Zaccho Dance Theater and was recognized with an Isadora Duncan Award. Xochitl believes circus arts can be a limitless vehicle for profound storytelling. As Founder and Artistic Director of Cirque Vida, Xochitl is committed to collaborating and creating space for BIPOC and LGBTQ artists to bring their stories to the stage.