"The safety instruction I received was invaluable. It opened my eyes to the danger but also left me feeling comfortable to teach a safe and therapeutic aerial yoga class.
~ Sarah B.
The instructor was very knowledgeable from many perspectives. She brought her experience from dance training, circus arts, movement analysis, and yoga. Love it! ~Julie W.
This training was excellent! Julianna has a very warm inviting presence and light spirit that invited questions and built community. ~Eileen F.
Meet Our Staff
|
Rebekah Leach, Founder
Rebekah Leach is an aerial dancer whose passion is creating aerial dance art, as well as teaching and promoting creativity in others. She has been teaching ever since she knew something to teach, and has been dancing ever since she could walk. Here's a small taste of the movement forms she has enjoyed studied at some point in her life: modern dance, ballet, tap, hip hop, breakdancing, yoga, ballet, Pilates, salsa, baton twirling, rhythmic gymnastics (specialty: ribbon), hula hooping, stunt-focused cheerleading, and even some pop 'n lock learned from street artists. Rebekah's unique movement background styles come together in a unique blend to influence the way in which she approaches the aerial arts.
Rebekah started teaching aerial fabric dance in San Luis Obispo, California, in 2006. She developed a unique curriculum to teach beginning students who were having trouble with the upper body strength required for advanced movement. After moving to Ojai, CA, Rebekah opened a studio where she taught all forms of aerial dance, and fostered the creativity of students of all ages. On the move once more, Rebekah continues to take her love of aerial dance along the way as she works on writing more aerial instructional manuals; filming sequences and aerial moves for AerialDancing.com's extensive aerial video library; and developing the Born to Fly™ Teacher Training Curriculum. Her manuals to date include Aerial Yoga Manual Volumes 1 & 2, Aerial Hoop Manual Volumes 1& 2, Beginning Aerial Fabric Instructional Manual, Intermediate Aerial Fabric Instructional Manuals Part 1 & 2, and Aerial Rope Manual. More manuals are in the works! Rebekah recently opened AerialWorks Castle Rock in Colorado, an aerial studio south of Denver to host classes, performances, and Born to Fly aerial teacher trainings. |
|
Elizabeth Stich,
Trainer & RTAP Video Reviewer When Elizabeth's older brother catapulted her off a makeshift teeter board and into the hospital at the tender age of 8, she never imagined it would foreshadow a distant career in the circus. A childhood ballerina turned college modern dancer turned aerialist, Liz has been an aerial instructor and performer for over 8 years – first with Revolve Aerial Dance and then Aerial Arts of Utah. She has taught aerial dance courses and master classes in higher education settings such as Weber State University, Snow College, and Brigham Young University. She has also taught dance technique and theory courses as an adjunct instructor at Weber State University and Utah Valley University and as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Utah. In addition to her love of teaching, Liz is a passionate performer, most recently battling wind and water in over 200 shows of Cirque de la Mer at Sea World San Diego.
Liz holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, a Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Dance Education from the University of Georgia, and a Certificate in Laban Movement Analysis/Baretenieff Fundamentals from Integrated Movement Studies. She is a graduate of NECCA's Pro Track program, and has co-presented on the creative application of Laban theory to aerial dance with colleague Julianna Hane at the Motus Humanus Roundtable. |
*The YOGA ALLIANCE REGISTRY and YAR are federally registered trademarks of Yoga Alliance Registry, d/b/a Yoga Alliance Foundation, and are used with permission.