cast
Macy
Macy is a new member of the Bellingham circus guild and moved up from Seattle earlier this year. She began her circus journey as a youth student at Versatile Arts, where she discovered her passion for aerial arts and eventually began teaching. In 2020-2021, she spent a year training at the San Diego Circus School as a part of their preparatory program before moving back to the PNW. Her deep love for aerial straps, rope, contortion, and hand balancing has shaped the last decade of her life. Macy teaches at New Moon Movement Arts in Seattle as well as Cabaret Atelier, Bellingham Aerial and Dance, The Dance Studio, and the Circus Guild. After undergoing major hip surgeries to correct hip dysplasia on both hips, Macy is thrilled to be back in the air. When not training or teaching, she can be found hiking, swimming, and experimenting with new recipes.
Ivanna Wei
Ivanna started her performing career in theatre and dance before being introduced to aerial arts. She has always found a deep sense of freedom and connection within dance and was delighted to find that same feeling in aerial, just with a different set of boundaries. She now performs on multiple apparatus and sees each one as a different dance partner to create and explore with.
Amy Funbuttons
Amy Funbuttons, Rope Hussy, is a multi-disciplinary circus performer specializing in aerial rope. She loves the challenge of the vertical apparatus and the freedom of dynamic movement. This irreverent showgirl has performed at Pacific Northwest spectacles like Bumbershoot, Moisture Festival, the Woodland Park Zoo, the Pink Door and her favorite: the Bellingham Circus Guild! She dabbles in several disciplines, including (but not limited to) costume design, popcorn-eating, feline telepathy and going to bed early. Find out more at www.amyfunbuttons.com.
Jill Marissa
Jill Marissa is a Seattle-based artist who has performed regionally and internationally in theaters, festivals, cabarets, dance companies, bars, living rooms, parking lots and even a river as an aerialist, hand balancer, dancer, and wildly versatile character for over 17 years. You can catch her alter-ego, Manny Manstands every other Sunday at
Mimosa’s Cabaret. She currently coaches handstand lessons at New Moon Movement Arts in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle.
Dream Frohe
Dream Frohe is an aerialist with a passion for thoughtful and dynamic movement. In essence, she makes a practice of joyfully hoisting herself into improbable positions for the sake of honest expression. Using her background as a gymnast, in addition to a lifelong interest in dance and other art forms, she brings strong technique and a fresh style into her work as a performer, instructor and choreographer. She has been teaching and performing aerial dance nationally and internationally, for over 10 years and is a founding member of the Bellingham Circus Guild, where she currently teaches and trains.
Laura Gwendolyn Burch
Laura’s first love in aerial was on silk. However, over the last 7 years she has become more of a generalist in her performances. She has worked on pretty much any and all aerial apparatuses including a ladder. While this was fun and gave her a lot of exciting adventures, silk was still her first love and her favorite. She is so excited to return to the stage on her silk, while also coaching an army of amazing silk students. To learn more, visit lauragwendolynburch.net.
Liz Gehret
Liz Gehret (she/her) has been an aerialist since 2016, and is a rope artist, director, and coach based in Flagstaff, AZ. She has coached at Momentum Aerial since its opening in 2018 and has performed with Arizona-based companies including Dark Sky Aerial, Further West Productions, Suspended Fluidity, and Hydrangea Sky Movement Arts. She is also a co-director of A Frightful Fête, Flagstaff’s annual Halloween show, and contributes to the production of local variety performances at Momentum Aerial. Liz’s creative practice combines dynamic sequencing with grounded, floor-to-rope connection. Her movement research emphasizes experimentation, curiosity, and intuitive exploration, cultivating work that evolves through process rather than prescription.
Max
Max Rodzon is an aerialist performer, choreographer, coach, and studio owner with 13 years of experience training, teaching, and performing across the country. With a foundation in classical ballet, Max’s movement background also includes burlesque, pole, contemporary, and acrobatic partner dance. They’ve served as head choreographer for pole, aerial, and floor productions and continue to offer 1:1 choreography coaching across disciplines. Outside the studio, Max is an artist, an enthusiastic cook and baker, and a lover of cozy video-game nights with their husband. When they’re not creating or moving, you can usually find them hanging out with their golden shadow, Griffin.
Emily Crabill
Emily has been practicing aerial circus arts since 2015. She joined the Bellingham Circus Guild in 2021 and is truly grateful to part of this special community. This is her second Aerial Showcase.
The Bunion Sisters
Sadye and Heidi are freaking out with excitement to be able to work on duo trapeze together for this year’s Aerial Showcase. As their off-trapeze pursuits expand, time together on the trapeze becomes more elusive. Sadye’s hands are full with Shoestring and Up Up Up circuses, as well as a raging circus toddler, while Heidi is busy with show production at the BCG, a house full of aromatic teenagers (they don’t like to be called smelly) and thirsty plants.
Kate Schmitz
Kate is an aerialist & performer based in Olympia, WA. She studies corde lisse primarily under PJ Perry & is excited to be sharing the stage with so many talented artists. In her free time she practices allopathic medicine at the Olympia Bupe Clinic & the Olympia Free Clinic.
Lia Withington
“I was a “chosen last in gym class” kid— generally discouraged from athletics and told I was weak and uncoordinated. In 2014 I suffered a case of “adult onset aerial” which changed my life and my relationship with my body forever. Each aerial piece I create is a love song to my body for allowing me to do things I once thought impossible, and a thank you note to every coach and training buddy who encouraged me that I could even when I thought I couldn’t. It is my dream that everyone can find a way to feel joy and confidence in moving their body.”
Allison Steele
Allison has been dancing and performing since she was a child, in theater, ballet, and contemporary dance. She feels lucky to have found a home the past 3 years training Lyra at Bellingham Circus Guild. This is the second act she has taken to the stage, and she is excited to continue growing and pushing her skills to new heights!
Adeline Larsen
“I am a 12 year old performer that discovered circus almost three years ago. Since I found aerial work, I have performed twice, this will be my third time, and trained with three coaches at the Bellingham Circus Guild. Many people know me as Adeline, but others know me as Sweet Badeline when I’m playing roller derby. Being in the air or with skates on my feet is my happy place and I spend a lot of my time doing those things. I’ve tried ballet, gymnastics, soccer and other sports, but I fell in love with circus.”
Zoe
Zoe has been an aerialist for around 8 years. They fell in love with the art when they started classes with Aerial Cirque Over Denver many years ago. Since moving to Bellingham, they’ve been training with members of the guild and they are an instructor at B.A.D. (Bellingham Aerial and Dance). They only began performing this year and have really enjoyed finding their flow and expression through performance. They were extremely inspired by the Guilds aerial show case last year, so they feel honored to be a part of it this year!
Leah Jones
Leah Jones is a ballet trained aerial straps artist who has been training, teaching and performing straps for the past twelve years. Usually seen in the air, Leah is multi-talented and will be staying grounded for this show while supporting Laura’s act as a singer.
Luke Gavin
Currently finishing his Bachelors in Music Education, Luke is an active part of the music scene in Bellingham. He performs regularly with the Portobello String Quartet, Western Symphony Orchestra, and is looking forward to performing outside of the Classical realm.
Lily Beagle
Lily Beagle is a violist for the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, a graduate of Western Washington University with a bachelors degree in music performance, and an enthusiastic and active member of the Bellingham music scene.
Crew
Producer, Tech Director
Heidi Blossom Haidle
Art Director, Tech Director, Stage Manager
PJ Perry
Lighting and Sound Design
Eric James
The Don of Lights
Don Bates
Front of House Manager
Erik Moore
Door Lead
Julie McPherson
Bar Lead
Torey Jones
Hospitality Lead