Our Studio

Rachael is a silks specialist but dabbles in anything aerial. She has been training in silks since 2018. She has learned from several local instructors over the years and has also taken multiple workshops from visiting coaches.  When she travels, she loves visiting the local studios in different locations around the country. In her free time she loves to hike, bike, run, kayak, swim and be outdoors, especially during the summer. Rachael teaches our youth and adult intro classes at our Northtown studio.

Hannah is a trained dancer, aerialist, and performer. Originally from Massachusetts, after graduating with her Dance degree, she moved to Buffalo and discovered B.A.D. while looking for something new and creative. She has been training in aerial arts since 2017 and has performed at many local events in the Buffalo Niagara area.  Hannah is a highly logical human, gifted with “silks brain” or the ability to look at 7 layers of crisscrossed fabric and understand exactly how it’s all put together. She has trained with Gena DuBose, Brande Lee, Tyler Jacobson, Gretchen Ernst, and Kate Critzer.

Hannah is a trained dancer, aerialist, and performer. Originally from Massachusetts, after graduating with her Dance degree, she moved to Buffalo and discovered B.A.D. while looking for something new and creative. She has been training in aerial arts since 2017 and has performed at many local events in the Buffalo Niagara area.  Hannah is a highly logical human, gifted with “silks brain” or the ability to look at 7 layers of crisscrossed fabric and understand exactly how it’s all put together. She has trained with Gena DuBose, Brande Lee, Tyler Jacobson, Gretchen Ernst, and Kate Critzer.

Amanda leads our youth programs and there could be no one more perfect for this role.  She has years of experience as a youth educator, loves kids, and of course loves circus.  Before becoming an aerial instructor, she danced for 10 years and started training aerial arts since 2018. Amanda has completed specialized training in Youth Aerial Arts with XPERT and took a rigging workshop with Craig Lewis. She has trained with Brande Lee, Gena Dubose, Tyler Jacobson, Joanne Galligan, and Katie Critzer. Amanda coaches our level 2 silks classes, level 1 youth silks class and level 1 youth hoops. Amanda is also our studio admin and can help with any question you might have about us.

Caitlyn is our water-loving, aerial mermaid.  In her youth she was active in gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, as an adult she fell in love with circus as a way to keep herself in the air.  She has been training in aerial silks and lyra since 2019 and has been performing with B.A.D. since 2020. She teaches many of our silks and lyra classes for both our youth and adult programs. She is also a certified professional mermaid and a licensed mental health counselor. This helps make her perfect for coaching to build the confidence, motivation, and performance skills most students are looking for.

Colleen is our graceful and fearless Advanced Lyra Coach, and the mother of an equally fearless son. She has trained in lyra since 2017, and picked up lyra very quickly and naturally. She has performed at the studio several times, as well as performing at the Witches Ball, Old Falls Street, and Elmwood Avenue Festival for the Arts.

April found aerial arts over a decade ago at Buffalo Aerial Dance as an adult student She spent her childhood playing video games and watching Star Trek. She would not be the person she is without the community, collaboration, and connection circus brings to her life. Outside of the studio, April is a single (cat) mom who works 2 jobs who loves her (cat) kids and never stops. She hosts trivia, climbs, still plays video games, and watches Star Trek.

April currently coaches lyra and has taught trapeze, silks, and hammock to a variety of ages.She completed Nimble Arts Introduction to Teaching Aerials in 2019 and has the profound fortune to have trained with the greats: Dream Frohe, Shannon Grey Collier, Jenn Bruyer, Niff Nichols, Jessica John, Megan Mallouk, Jenna Ciotta, Megan Gendell, LeeAnn Ball and many others. April attended the Paper Doll Militia Vertical Theatre retreat in Chania, Greece in 2017 led by Rain Anya and Sarah Bebe Holmes. She has performed at the Cobblestone Festival, Music is Art, and several Curtain Up! shows. 

Kelly is an aerialist and pole dancer from Buffalo. She has been pole dancing for 3 years and has a variety of XPERT certifications. Additionally she’s been training on other apparatus since 2021. She has attended many workshops and NECCA summer programs. Out of the air Kelly is a lovely cat lady who is excited to help students find the love aerial.

Shannon currently teaches our trapeze classes. She comes from a background of cheerleading in high school and discovered aerial in 2018. She primarily trains in trapeze and lyra but has dabbled in the past with silks, sling and pole.

Shannon has trained under a variety of local instructors but has also spent time training at LADD Miami Circus Art Center, several studios in St. Augustine FL and in North Carolina under various instructors including Gena Du Bose. She has also attended workshops with Joanne Galligan, Britt Howlett, Camille Swift, and Caitlin Wallace. Outside of aerial Shannon loves to travel and practice yoga regularly!

Molly is a fan of all things aerial. She especially loves the beautiful patterns and techniques you find in her two focuses trapeze and aerial rope. She comes from a strong gymnastics background but switched to aerial in 2016 because she found the amazing community that Buffalo Aerial Dance has to offer. She has always loved to fly and can’t wait to share that love with anyone she can. If she’s not at the aerial studio you’ll find her cuddled up with her cat and either her latest craft project or a sudoku puzzle, which she she swears are the key to understanding all her aerial puzzles!

Kristen is one of our current trapeze coaches. She has been doing aerial since 2013. She primarily focuses on trapeze and lyra, but is known to play on any apparatus nearby.

Kristen loves to take classes and workshops wherever she can and is always looking forward to the next opportunity to learn more.

Erica trained in silks, corde lisse, aerial sling, and trapeze at Versatile Arts in Seattle, WA from (2008-2011).  She has completed NECCA’s Introduction to Teaching Aerials (2013), Foundation to Aerial Silks (2015), Foundation to Trapeze (2016), and Level Up Symposium (2023, 2024).  She has completed aerial rigging workshops with Jonathan Duels (2014), NECCA (2016) and two with Craig Lewis (2020 and 2021).  Erica has been lucky enough to train with many amazing aerialists such as: Joanne Galligan, Shannon Grey Collier, Fred Deb, Camille Swift, Charlie Faraday, Jill Marissa, Liza Rose, Anna Thomas-Henry, Michelle Francis, Tyler Jacobson, T Lawrence Simon, Jenn Bruyer, Gena DuBose, Shannon McKenna, Nick Ng, Maia Castro-Santos, Naomi Ullian, and Molly Graves. In 2022, she participated in the Artpark Institute for Devised Performance – with Mara Neimanis, Art Move Concept, Cirque Barcode, Anouk Vallée-Charest

Erica’s teaching style is influenced by ballet, modern dance, and yoga, all of which she has studied for many years. She loves the fact that aerial arts serves as a gateway for people to understand their own bodies and movements. Besides training aerial arts, Erica loves cats, cats, and more cats!

Alicia is a rope wizard. Some of her powers certainly come from years of hard work, but the rest we believe comes from drinking copious amounts of tea.  She also has a fabulous understanding of technique and will give you great advice on how to improve yours! Alicia has been taught and inspired by P.J. Perry especially, but has also trained with many internationally renowned rope artists including Emiliano Ron, NECCA’s Rope Meeting, Jenn Bruyer (aka Heel Hang) and Joanne Galligan.  Recently, she has broadened her circus skills to include handstands and juggling. Besides being a highly respected circus artist, she is also a talented computer scientist.

Amanda leads our youth programs and there could be no one more perfect for this role.  She has years of experience as a youth educator, loves kids, and of course loves circus.  Before becoming an aerial instructor, she danced for 10 years and started training aerial arts since 2018. Amanda has completed specialized training in Youth Aerial Arts with XPERT and took a rigging workshop with Craig Lewis. She has trained with Brande Lee, Gena Dubose, Tyler Jacobson, Joanne Galligan, and Katie Critzer. Amanda coaches our youth and adult silks classes level 1 & 2 and is the studio admin.

Caitlyn is our water-loving, aerial mermaid.  In her youth she was active in gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, as an adult she fell in love with circus as a way to keep herself in the air.  She has been training in aerial silks and lyra since 2019 and has been performing with B.A.D. since 2020. She teaches many of our silks and lyra classes for both our youth and adult programs. She is also a certified professional mermaid and a licensed mental health counselor. This helps make her perfect for coaching to build the confidence, motivation, and performance skills most students are looking for.

Rachael is a silks specialist but dabbles in anything aerial. She has been training in silks since 2018. She has learned from several local instructors over the years and has also taken multiple workshops from visiting coaches.  When she travels, she loves visiting the local studios in different locations around the country. In her free time she loves to hike, bike, run, kayak, swim and be outdoors, especially during the summer. Rachael teaches our youth and adult intro classes at our Northtown studio.

Jess wears a crown made of a steel bar and two ropes.  That’s right, she’s the trapeze queen!  She has skillfully transferred years of gymnastic and ballet training to this apparatus and regularly performs moves that inspire awe.  She channels much of that awe into being an awesome instructor, successfully leading students beyond their fears and doubts and into trapeze glory.  Jess is well-versed in solo as well as duo trapeze.

She has trained with many top-notch aerialists including Shannon Gray, Karen Fulmar, Jenn Bruyer, Megan Gendell, and Kirsten Edwards.  Besides upholding her royal duties, she is a registered dietitian who loves vegetables, Celine Dion, and anything punny.

Mary earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Design from Buffalo State College and her M.F.A in Dance from the University at Buffalo.  She has been a longtime member of the Greater Niagara Ballet Company, serving as a principal dancer and and recently became the Artistic Director. She has performed with and choreographed for various dance and theater companies including the GNBC, Configuration Dance Theater, Neglia Ballet Artists, The National Ballet of Canada, Red Thread Theatre, Buffalo Aerial Dance and Torn Space Theater.

Mary began training on silks in 2016, and began incorporating aerial work into her dance choreography shortly afterwards. With Buffalo Aerial Dance, she has performed at Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, Music is Art, Old Falls Street (Niagara Falls), Lancaster Steampunk Festival, and The Great Blue Heron Music Festival. She also performed aerial silks in the Lockport Palace Theater’s production of Pippin, and she has choreographed many innovative aerial pieces for Buffalo Aerial Dance.

Jenn grew up as a cheerleader and a gymnast, and found circus arts in 2016.  She began her aerial journey on the silks and soon after, fell in love with rope and trapeze.  She also trains in acroyoga and general goofiness. Jenn loves creating new drills and sequences.  She is known for her dynamic style, tornado-speed spins, and for kicking everyone’s butts in the best of ways.