MEET OUR INCREDIBLE INSTRUCTORS AND STAFF MEMBERS!

Amanda has been taking pole dance classes at TGR since 2013. She is now a PHD poler, an avid exercise enthusiast and aspiring contortionist. Amanda currently teaches Pole Fit Level 1, Super Stretch and Flex and Pole Flow. When she isn’t teaching, Amanda frequents TGR classes as a fellow student. As "Miss J" she is part of En L'Air Aerial Dance Co., and has competed at: Minnesota Pole Competition (2018-Elite Pole Sport; 2017-Advanced Artistic, 3rd Place), Gateway Pole Championships (2017- Level 4 Championship, 4th Place) and Central Pole Championships (2016- Level 3 Dramatic, 3rd Place; 2017- Level 4 Dramatic, Champion). Amanda’s history as a dancer began with taking ballet classes at her local dance studio at the young age of 4. She graduated high school having competed in well over 20 dance competitions, taking part in even more performances. Amanda continued to train through college, even minoring in Dance at Iowa State University. “After college I knew I wouldn’t know what life was without dancing and staying active; TGR has been my home since.” When not spending time at TGR, Amanda is a Funeral Director at a local Des Moines funeral home. She enjoys spending time with her dog, Finn; thrift shopping; and listening to house and alternative rock music.

Bonnie McHugh started her fitness journey with TGR in the summer of 2015. Her favorite apparatuses include all-things fabric, but she has trained on a multitude of apparatuses including aerial silks, aerial hammock, lyra, trapeze, pole and TGR's Iowa Ninja Warrior course. 

Bonnie loves working strength-based tricks and drops while practicing aerial. She has performed in local shows and events, and tries to participate in various workshop opportunities any chance she gets. When not training at TGR, Bonnie works for a local mental health provider. She also enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, and she has a strong passion for cooking up new dishes in the kitchen.

Bri has been a member of TGR since January 2015. Her main apparatus is the pole, though she loves to cross train with lyra, hammock and (occasionally) traditional fitness classes. With a background in high school gymnastics—13 years as a gymnast and 8 years as a spotter and coach—the active, energetic atmosphere at TGR became a natural home. Bri has gone on to compete and perform in seven pole competitions and six local shows including acts as a member of En L’Air Aerial Dance Company. Currently instructing Pole Fit Level 3; Pole Trix; and Rock & Pole, Bri has previously instructed Pole Fit Levels 2, 4 and 5; Stretchy Flo; Super Stretch & Flex; Spinny Pole; Vertical Booty Camp; and Ninja Kids classes. Bri can also be booked for private pole lessons, choreography, and private pole parties.

Accolades: MNPC 2016, Intermediate, 3rd Place; PSO CPC 2016, Level 2 Championship, 1st Place; PSO CPC 2017, Level 3 Championship, 2nd Place; MNPC 2018, Elite Artistic, 1st Place; Aerialympics St. Louis 2018, Advanced, 2nd Place

Professional Development: Regular classes with Amber Cahill and Tristabel Akila. Workshops with Jessica Johnson, Jordan Mazur, Flying Laura, Phoenix Kazree and Emily Elise.

Bri is TGR's ambassador for Pole Sport Organization and is the secretary for TGR's Competition Committee.

Charlie is an acrobat currently in the Cirque du Soleil and Marvel Universe Live casting databases, won Best Artistic Performance at the 2012 Denver Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival, has performed for Disney, Quixotic, Emerald City Trapeze, Cirquetacular Entertainment, and Airealistic, and has been featured on AMC’s Showville, America’s Got Talent, and ABC7 Los Angeles. In addition to her performance work, Charlie is the former head coach of the Ventura, CA circus troupe Airealistic. Charlie has been a well-respected industry veteran for over ten years and routinely travels across the United States and Canada to teach and perform. 

She is also a very silly clown.

Chelsea first found TGR in 2013 when a friend at church mentioned she worked at the gym. She attended Rock & Pole and started taking the Pole Fit classes shortly after. After over a decade as an athlete and several years coaching competitive cheerleading and gymnastics, she found that pole was the perfect sport to fuel her competitive nature. Chelsea now competes and performs locally and throughout the Midwest. She has competed at Central Pole Championship 2017 in Chicago, placing 3rd in the Championship, Level 4 category; Gateway Pole Championship 2017 in St. Louis, where she placed 1st in the Entertainment, Level 4 category; and Minnesota Pole Competition 2018 in St. Paul, where she placed 2nd in the Elite Classic category. Chelsea also performs as part of the En L'air Aerial Dance Company in their various showcases and performances. Chelsea is also on the En L'Air Committee, working to plan and curate aerial events at TGR. 

Teaching Egyptian style bellydance since 2003, Innah is a professional Middle Eastern Dance artist and an award-winning performer. Her accolades include Bellydance Nationals Soloist (Winner 2010); Queen Of Raqs Sharqi (3rd place 2013); Taxim category, Bellydance of the Universe (1st-runner up, 2009); USA Bellydance Queen (3rd place soloist, 2010).  

Innah is the leader and founder of Innah’s Middle Eastern Dance Troupe, and she considers her troupe a family. Her other dance training includes ballet, pointe, jazz, and latin. Her favorite Bellydance style is Oriental and Tarab.

Proudly homeschooled, Jill started practicing aerial arts at TGR in 2012. Since joining, she has performed and competed in several events in the Des Moines and Chicago areas. She performs both as a solo act as well as half of the duo J.K. Rolling on silks, hoop, and hammock. Her favorite apparatus is aerial silks where she loves to work her Iron Cross and Secretary Drops. In addition to her training at TGR, Jill has trained at Aloft Loft in Chicago, Sora Contemporary Circus, and Trapeze School NY in Chicago. Her professional development includes training with Suwasit, Sally Sachs, Jessica Johnson, Luv Joy Seaman and Caty Mae Yount. 

In addition to the aerial arts, Jill likes tea.

Katie is an aerial silks and hammock instructor with TGR,. Katie joined TGR in March 2013 and has regularly competed and performed within the growing aerial community in Des Moines ever since. In 2014, she won the Beginner Silks division at the first Aerial Expo and helped to coordinate the event in following years. Katie's performances include: Misfit Cabaret, 80/35, TGR Elements Showcase, TGR Masquerade Ball, Circus Circus, Pandora's Circus, Des Moines Social Club's The Bash New Year's Eve party, the Aerial Expo and at private events with Cirque Wonderland. She has also appeared as half of the comedic aerial duo J.K. Rolling with classmate and fellow TGR instructor Jill Sabin.

Katie thrives on coaching students through the challenge of learning aerial, building skills, making friends, having fun and dancing in the air to sweet, sweet jams.

A tumbler in her youth, Krystal has always loved to fly. She's studied aerial arts with TGR since 2014. Krystal trains primarily on silks and hammock but also loves trapeze, lyra and pole. She has performed with En L'Air Aerial Dance Co.; Cirque Wonderland; Little Mermaid Show: Daughters of the Air; and competed at the Aerial Expo and Aerialympics St. Louis. A stickler for safety and fun, Krystal's favorite part of taking classes and instructing is when someone discovers they can do what they previously thought impossible! When not at the gym, Krystal loves spending time with friends and family...and chasing adventure and chocolate.