Michaela Weiss: Michaela started her aerial journey in 2016. After her first silks class she was hooked. While silks remained her first love, she has also taken up Lyra/aerial hoop, hula hoop, aerial hammock and dabbles with pole arts. She received her Nimble Arts aerial silks teaching certificate in February 2020, and her CirqFIT Lyra certification in April 2021. Michaela has continued sharing her love for aerial by teaching, leading and creating aerial opportunities for students both in Kingston and Connecticut.

Amanda Panzer:
Amanda has been in love with circus arts ever since she took her first aerial silks class in 2013. She has been training with Hudson Valley Circus Arts in Kingston for over 8 years and continues to pursue aerial silks, hammock, lyra, hula hoop, and all matters circus as her passion project. In winter 2020, she received her teacher training with NECCA (New England Center for Circus Arts) as an intro level aerial arts instructor. That same spring, she also trained with CirqFIT to receive her Lyra teacher training. Since then, she has been working as client coordinator for Hudson Valley Circus Arts and advertently sharing her love and passion for all things circus. She hopes to inspire other folks to give aerial arts a try, as they are for every one and every body!

Felipa Gaudet: Felipa’s first experience on fabric was at her friend’s birthday party at HVCA in 2016. From the moment she inverted on the knotted silks, it was true love! As a yoga teacher, Felipa was originally interested in learning and teaching ways to interact with the fabric in a yoga-type practice, leading her to complete a 50-hour Aerial Yoga Teacher Training at OM Factory in NYC in 2017. When she first began her aerial journey, Felipa struggled with the core, pull up and grip strength required for an aerial practice. However, consistent practice with the hammock steadily built those muscle groups and gave her the strength she needed for more challenging endeavors. Not long after she began aerial yoga, Felipa became addicted to the cirque elements of the practice, finding them both exhilarating and wildly fun. Drops, wind-ups and belays quickly became her favorite things, especially when stacked and strung together. In 2018, Felipa returned to OM Factory to complete the 16-hour Advanced Aerial Yoga Teacher Training, where she learned to teach advanced, cirque-related skills and tricks. While hammock is her first love, she has also been enjoying learning split silks and Lyra at Hudson Valley Circus Arts and discovering the cross over between the apparatuses. In April of 2024, Felipa received her Lyra certification from CirqFIT, where she learned extensive teaching and spotting techniques. In addition to the physical and emotional benefits, Felipa enjoys the neural plasticity and proprioceptive gains that come from learning sequences and new ways of moving her body in space. Felipa loves teaching and practicing in the supportive Hudson Valley Circus Arts community, where people encourage one another and celebrate their accomplishments together. She is excited to help folks begin their aerial journey or bring their practice to the next level!