MEET THE TEAM.

Flying Pole Instructor.

Aerie has been teaching pole for 3.5 years, specializing in flying pole. Her day job as an engineer translates into her teaching as she reverse engineers each move and builds it up (and breaks it down) through foundational movements. She will discuss various muscles and what role they play. Her cues are practical and direct, and she's always prepared with a progression and regression. She also enjoys building off pathways to create new moves and transitions - especially into the little explored world of flying pole low flow.

In addition to teaching, Aerie also has her own small circus group (@cirquedumitten) and performs with other various local groups. While she performs mostly in the air, she has been known to act, model, and even dance when asked very nicely. This year is also the year she swears she will debut her unicycling (but we've heard that one before).

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.

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 and aerial 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 dance instructor

Danah is a lifelong mover and shaker of energy, rooms, and expectations — a trait society recognized and tried to label and limit from an early age. Danah still chooses to move and shake anyway, and discovering pole in early 2024 was a spinning return to self.

An actor, singer, poet, and facilitator, Danah brings performance artistry, heart, and creativity into every class. They approach movement as sacred sanctuary: a space for nervous system care, play, embodied liberation, and collective healing. Danah feels honored to tend that garden alongside students as they root into their own movement journeys.

Committed to a world where movement is accessible + inclusive for all bodies and identities (particularly Black/Brown & queer folx, disabled folx, curvy bodies, sex workers, and other historically excluded groups), Danah pioneered The Way We Move initiative at MMC, which offers free and donation-based classes + affinity spaces.

Off the pole and off the stage, you can find Danah organizing, reading, traveling, napping, nurturing, and adoring cats.

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!

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.

pole and yoga instructor

Kayla is a Pole and Pole Heels instructor. Her favorite thing about pole dancing is freestyling and using the space as a conduit for self-knowing and emotional healing.

Kayla also has a 200-hour trauma-informed yoga certification, and has been teaching yoga for over seven years. Kayla is passionate about the healing abilities of movement and the science behind how movement facilitates neuroplasticity. She loves using movement to help people heal from PTSD, and calm their nervous system, bringing them out of survival mode and into a place where they can thrive.

In her free time, Kayla enjoys relaxing at home, cross training at the gym, listening to audiobooks and spending timme with her three children. The book she’s enjoying most right now is “The Source: the Secret of the Universe, the Science of the Brain.”

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.

director / aerial instructor

Kimmi fell in love with Acro during her very first acro jam. She views it as a practice rooted in play, building trust, solving problems, navigating boundaries, lifting and being lifted. In 2019, Kimmi completed her Acro and Social Justice Teacher Training with Superhero Circus Academy and has been teaching and performing in Cleveland, OH, Austin, TX, and now Grand Rapids, MI. When she’s not in the studio or gym, Kimmi supports pregnant people and new parents as a full-spectrum doula, lactation educator, and childbirth educator.

aerial and pole instructor

Meg has been an active mover her entire life, having phases of interest in long-distance running, swimming, swing dancing, rowing and weight-lifting. Meg has also always loved music as a means of expression, and spent over two decades practicing and performing in orchestra, jazz, and world music ensembles.

Meg discovered pole and lyra in 2021 while living and working in Bangkok, Thailand, and has been obsessed ever since. Aerial arts has given her a new mode of expression by combining her love of strength with her passion for musicality. Meg began performing movement arts in 2023 after moving back to the US, and is thrilled to be teaching at Midwest Movement Collective this year.

Outside the studio, Meg enjoys eating, traveling, gardening and being a huge nerd. She also loves to sew and makes most of her own costumes! She’s transitioning into work as a personal trainer and is super excited to talk about lifting/cross-training.

director / pole and aerial 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!

aerial instructor

Sarah has always been drawn to movement. With a foundation in ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance, she also embraces mindful practices like pilates, yoga, and flexibility work, finding joy in movement both grounded and aerial. Sarah began her aerial journey at Midwest Movement Collective in 2022 and practices lyra, hammock, and silks. She completed her Lyra instructor training with Paper Doll Militia and loves helping students explore how strength, expression, and presence can grow together in aerial practice.

Outside the studio, Sarah enjoys hiking with her husband and three kids and is an avid community gardener. She’s also an elementary teacher who believes in creative learning and connection. She’s thrilled to support others as they build confidence, strength, and self-expression through movement.

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!

aerial silks instructor

Tate (she/her) is a professional performer with 10 years of stage experience and 4 years dedicated to aerial arts. Passionate about the flow state and mobility training, she believes in strengthening the body and the nervous system through movement.

As a teacher Tate's mission is to help students build new skills, strength, and confidence in a supportive space. She sees movement as medicine - a way to reconnect, explore, and grow through movement.

Her aerial style is rooted in expression and full-body engagement, blending strength with fluidity. She draws inspiration from continuous learning and using the power of play to keep the body and mind adaptable and strong.

Outside of the studio, Tate is a coordinator and performer with the local Grand Rapids Entertainment Group. As an artist, she also participates in community mural projects and neighborhood markets. Always learning, always playing.

active flexibility instructor

Gee is a lover of movement and has dabbled in wake surfing, Cross-Fit, yoga and long distance running. She started her aerial journey with an intro to pole series at MMC in July 2024 and fell in love with the dance practice. Gee is a RYT‑certified Yoga and Active Flexibility Instructor. Gee hopes to empower everybody to move with ease and grow in strength.

Outside of the dance studio Gee loves to spend time on a Michigan lake with friends and family. She is active in the local Yelp elite food community, and is always on the hunt for the best place to find Asian food.

She loves to offer accessible and playful movement experiences at MMC.