MEET THE TEAM.

yoga instructor

Alchemy (she/her) has been teaching yoga for six years. She has a 200-hour RYT Certificate from the Himalaya Yoga Valley Centre. She was determined to get certified after taking a Yoga college course and loving the weird and wonderful ways that yoga moves the body. She strives for her students to experience each pose and how it relates to their own body. She loves that a good prop will assist any pose and help bolster (pun intended) confidence! Her favorite pose is Savasana with a weighted eye pillow and bolster for leg support.

aerial silks instructor

Alysha's (she/her) journey with embodied movement began in 2011 was when she felt the euphoria of ‘flow state' inspired by none other than the hula hoop. Since then, she has completed a 900 hr YTT in India, taught workshops at kid empowerment homes on her travels, received her teacher certification under Aerial Physique, trained for a summer at N.E.C.C.A., and has evolved into a professional fire dancer & aerialist founding Embodied Arts & Co-Founding Grand Rapids Entertainment Group performing internationally & here in the Midwest.

Drawing from her own transformative experiences, Alysha believes in the power of embodied movement as a tool for growth and empowerment. She fosters an inclusive and supportive learning environment where students can lean into a judgment free zone & find joy in their personal journey with aerial silks or flow arts.

Outside of the studio, Alysha can be found hanging with her cats, crafting, whistling, dancing with fire, or traveling!

dancer series / grounded movement instructor

Amber (she/her) grew up dancing and has never stopped. She enjoys all styles of dance, but is particularly fond of the rhythms of tap and the freedom that contemporary brings. She was the director of a local studio for 10 years where she was blessed with wonderful dancers and fellow teachers. She is now a proud member of Atelier Dance Company where she has had the honor of performing for Moms Demand Action “Wear Orange” event, DaCi, the Detroit City Dance Festival, and Festival of the Arts.

yoga instructor

Autumn (she/her) is an experienced certified yoga instructor and endurance running coach who has been working with all types of movement lovers since 2013.

Whether you're just starting to explore the various forms of yoga or you've been practicing for decades, Autumn's classes at MMC are designed for all levels, bodies, identities and abilities. In her classes, props are not just used as an option to modify specific moves but are incorporated as part of the class to allow all students to choose their level of comfort in various shapes and poses.

Additionally, Autumn aims to challenge her students to slow down both the body and mind in a world of non-stop stimulation. From Deep Stretch to traditional Vinyasa Flow, there's something for everyone!

pole instructor

Beverly (she/her) began pole dancing in October of 2013 and instantly fell in love with it. She became an instructor and began teaching in March of 2014. She is a certified and licensed PFA level 1, 2, and 3 pole fitness instructor as well as a certified and licensed PFA Acro Pole Instructor. She’s also certified in Liquid Motion 1.0, and has a background in diving and gymnastics.

Bev is thrilled to be an instructor at MMC and is eager to share her knowledge of pole fitness and movement with everyone! She can’t wait to see you in class!

pole / silks /lyra instructor

Cassie (she/her) has been a movement artist her whole life! She started as a competitive gymnast and dancer then joined the circus in 2001.

Performing all over the world and starting her own company Daredevil Circus! For over 20 years, Cassie has trained, performed, and taught pole, aerial silks, hoop, and more! She has been seen on America's Got Talent touring with bands and performing on stages across the country.

Cassie is a mama to two lovely girls, an office manager, and a massage therapist at Grand Rapids Wellness. In her free time she enjoys Crossfit, powerlifting and walking her two Gerberian Shepskies.

pole instructor

Dora (she/her) started pole dance in 2017 after deciding to try something that scared her, and she is SO happy she went for it! For her, pole is the perfect blend of fun, fitness, challenge, novelty, community, confidence-building, and creative expression. MMC’s opening in 2022 allowed her to begin training in aerial silks, as well as start to dabble in various dance genres.

When not at the studio, Dora values spending time outdoors hiking and camping. She loves to learn new things and is always picking up new hobbies — currently, she's enjoying drawing and piano. She is thrilled to be part of the team at MMC and honored to support others in their pole journey!

founder / co-owner / bizz admin / instructor

Hannah (she/her) has been on the move her whole life: gymnastics, figure skating, colorguard, biking, hiking... you name it! As an adult, she found pole dance and quickly immersed herself in classes. Within a few years, she was performing in regional Pole Sport Organization competitions and earning her first teaching certification. Through pole dance, Hannah found ballet and contemporary dance, and before she knew it she was all-out obsessed with any dance style she could find. While her education and career is in the environmental conservation field, dance is a wonderful complement to help her process and celebrate the world around her.

You can find Hannah gardening, kayaking, hiking, and being generally obsessed with nature any time she's not in the studio.

grounded movement instructor

Jon (he/him) began tap dancing at age 16. Over the years he has grown to appreciate the cultural history of tap dance as well as its various forms around the world. Jon deeply values the ability to express broad emotional depth through dance, and he strives to build that awareness into each of his classes. Jon also trains circus arts such as aerial silk, stilt walking, cyr wheel, and more. He also has a long history of character performance, and loves to put on a show at any chance he can get!

While off the dance floor and the stage, Jon enjoys tending to plants and animals, cooking, and being in nature.

grounded movement instructor

Kendra (she/her) is a contemporary dance artist and choreographer from Southern California. She moved to Michigan to get her B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Hope College, where she performed across the state, region, and abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. After graduating, she relocated to Chicago where she choreographed and performed with a variety of companies. Kendra moved back to West Michigan in 2022 to create her company, Currents Dance Theatre, and bring more professional dance to the Grand Rapids community. In addition to dance, Kendra loves her two cats, going to concerts, and playing fantasy gymnastics.

grounded movement instructor

Morgan (she/her) found her love for dance at the young age of two and it quickly evolved from there! Spending her adolescent years in the competitive dance scene, she trained in styles such as ballet, pointe, tap, contemporary, jazz, lyrical, and musical theater.. At the age of 16, she joined the pre-professional tap company Detroit Tap Repertory where she had the privilege of training under So You Think You Can Dance finalist, Kelsey Rose Young, and former Rockette, Denise Caston-Clark.

Morgan is now the head ballet teacher at Studio Dance is currently training to become a Cecchetti certified ballet instructor!

co-owner / acro instructor

Nick (he/him) has a lifelong passion in movement, beginning with martial arts and competitive swimming. Having found his way into circus via aerial hammock, he quickly adapted pole and hand balancing as his main techniques. He trained and performed in the Bay Area for many years including a regular slot on Pole$exuals’ cast. A recent transplant to Grand Rapids, Nick is a certified flexibility and pole instructor!

founder / co-owner / instructor / marketing director

Paige (she/her) developed a love for movement and performance in gymnastics and dance classes at an early age. Introduced to pole fitness in 2016, Paige began taking weekly classes that evolved to an interest in competitions. Challenging herself to create intricate routines and performing on stage in front of a live audience has become a highlight in her journey as a pole dancer.

Paige is a full-time photographer and has owned and operated her business for over ten years. Also a lifelong Michigan native, Paige raises her daughter here in Grand Rapids.

pole dance instructor

As a child, Sarah (she/her) dabbled in dance and developed a love of movement through a variety of classes, color guard, and theater. Her love of movement has returned since she started pole fitness! Sarah strives to continually grow her own knowledge of pole and dance in order to pass that knowledge on to her students. She focuses on fundamentals as a strong foundation to help and inspire them as dancers!

In addition to pole dance, Sarah enjoys traveling, her pitbull Riley, and crocheting!