Alisha Mai McNamara

Alisha Mai McNamara, founder of HVCA, has been blessed to train with some incredible coaches and teachers since she began aerial in 2009, including Caroline Wright, Adam Woolley & Michelle Arvin for Aerial Fabric, Maia Ramnath and Lisa Natoli for Aerial Rope, Susan Voyticky & Cody Schreger for Lyra (hoop trapeze), and countless wonderful teachers for hand balancing and flexibility.  While she loves to perform, her passion has always been teaching and coaching, particularly helping students achieve what just months prior seemed impossible to them.  Her background as a RYT (registered yoga teacher through Frog Lotus Yoga), and her 6 years of experience teaching all styles of yoga from very athletic to gentle, have helped her break down circus into digestible lessons for students of all fitness levels.  Mai also enjoys spinning fire poi, harvesting wild food, and supporting youth development as programs director of Wild Earth.

Lana Heintjes

Lana Heintjes, E-RYT 200, grew up in Brooklyn, NY, where she discovered yoga and is current residing in New Paltz, NY where she trained in aerial arts, yoga and AcroYoga.  Since beginning her yoga and acrobatic career she noticed herself becoming more limber, her muscles growing stronger, and her body feeling generally great! As a certified Power Vinyasa Yoga teacher from Yoga To The People and an Aerial Silks and Lyra instructor trained through HVCA, she has been spreading this feeling of strength and well-being to hundreds of people each year since 2009. Lana is also a certified Level 2 AcroYoga® Instructor, as well as a certified Thai Yoga bodywork practicioner. Follow @acrolana on Instagram.

Brianna Clements AKA Miss 360

A self-taught hula-hoop performer and HVCA trained Aerial teacher, Miss 360 has developed Hoop dance and fitness classes that focus on self-expression, skill building, and fitness. Miss 360 works with all ages and skill levels.

Interested in private lessons or hosting a class at your gym or school? Call 929.900.HOOP or email Miss360hoops@gmail.com

Jazmine Russell

Jazmine is dedicated to the healing nature of creative movement, both on the floor and in the air. She has over 13 years of contemporary dance training with Lena Logan, and in an attempt to create more freedom of expression, she picked up aerials arts in 2015 with a playful attitude and a quirky flare. Since then she’s trained in aerial fabric and hoop at HVCA with Mai and Lana, and in NYC with Diane Tomassi. She has performed at several private events and parties, however, more than performing, Jazmine loves teaching movement arts to everyone from 2-65 years. She is trained in embodiment techniques and also facilitates workshops in the NYC and Hudson Valley area. For her, aerial arts are an extension of her healing practice and a revitalization of childlike wonder.

Felipa Gaudet

Felipa’s first experience on fabric was at her friend’s birthday party at HVCA in 2016. From the moment she inverted on the knotted silks, it was true love! As a yoga teacher, Felipa was originally interested in learning and teaching ways to interact with the fabric in a yoga-type practice, leading her to complete a 50-hour Aerial Yoga Teacher Training at OM Factory in NYC in 2017. When she first began her aerial journey, Felipa struggled with the core, pull up and grip strength required for an aerial practice. However, consistent practice with the hammock steadily built those muscle groups and gave her the strength she needed for more challenging endeavors. Not long after she began aerial yoga, Felipa became addicted to the cirque elements of the practice, finding them both exhilarating and wildly fun. Drops, wind-ups and belays quickly became her favorite things, especially when stacked and strung together. In 2018, Felipa returned to OM Factory to complete the 16-hour Advanced Aerial Yoga Teacher Training, where she learned to teach advanced, cirque-related skills and tricks. While hammock is her first love, she has also been enjoying learning split silks at Hudson Valley Circus Arts and discovering the cross over between the two apparatuses. In addition to the physical and emotional benefits, Felipa enjoys the neural plasticity and proprioceptive gains that come from learning sequences and new ways of moving her body in space. Felipa loves teaching and practicing in the supportive Hudson Valley Circus Arts community, where people encourage one another and celebrate their accomplishments together. She is excited to help folks begin their aerial journey or bring their practice to the next level!

Michaela Weiss

Michaela started her aerial journey in 2016 at HVCA. After her first silks class she was hooked. While silks remained her first love, she has also taken up lyra/aerial hoop, hula hoop, aerial hammock and dabbles with pole arts. She received her Nimble Arts aerial silks teaching certificate in February 2020, and her Cirqfit Lyra certification in April 2021. She is excited to share her passion of the aerial arts and hopes that it will bring as much joy to her students as the art has brought her.

Anna Rubeo

Anna Rubeo PT, DPT, has always been scared of heights, but when she was invited to an Aerial Silks class in 2015 she was immediately hooked. Then through HVCA, she tried Silks, Hammock, Acroyoga, and finally settled on Lyra. While she enjoys all versions of flying, although she will admit she still gets nervous, Lyra quickly became her favorite and most comfortable apparatus. In 2020 she earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Hunter College which has guided the way she trains and teaches to be stability focused and empowering at any level.