MEET OUR INCREDIBLE INSTRUCTORS AND STAFF MEMBERS!

April began her aerial journey at TGR in 2015 and has been flying through the air ever since! In that time, she has appeared in numerous En L'Air productions on lyra and silks, as both solo and duo acts, as well as a variety of other shows and events throughout the Des Moines area. Along with lyra and silks, she enjoys training on rope, pole, hammock, trapeze, and tippy lyra. April holds Aerialympics first-place titles in the Intermediate Lyra, Advanced Lyra, and All-Star Duo Lyra categories. In addition to her regular training at TGR, April has trained with Aaron Koz, Nick Ng, Jessica Johnson, Luv Joy Seamon and Emma Cat, and has enjoyed teaching her own classes at TGR since 2019. Outside of the gym, April enjoys spending time with her husband and son, and their two very fluffy chinchillas, Porkchop and Churro. 

Chelsea has been pole dancing for a decade! She started her pole dance journey at TGR in 2013 after being an athlete most of her life. She has been competing and performing since 2016, most notably receiving a third place finish at Pole Sport Organization’s Gateway Pole Championship in the professional artistic division in 2019. Pole dance is something Chelsea loves to share with students and friends. With her background of competitive cheerleading and gymnastics coaching she loves to push people out of their comfort zone and encourages them to try hard things! She has taught a variety of pole classes but she has a special affinity for Spin Pole(don’t forget your Dramamine!). 

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.

Megan (Megan Loreen) has taken classes at TGR Fitness since 2013 starting with aerial silks and pole, then slowly transitioned to lyra and has taken that as her main apparatus. She has always loved the chance to perform and the lyra was a wonderful addition to her already title holding prop/auxiliary dancing. Megan has performed on lyra, hammock, and silks for 80/35, Misfit Cabaret, Aerial Expo, TGR’s: Elements, Masquerade Ball, and performance company En L’Air, as well as other private events around Central Iowa.

Megan has competed at the professional level for lyra and currently holds these titles/placements:

   • 2016 Central Lyra Champion (Aerial      Sport Organization)

   • 2nd Place Lyra – NAPDC Midwest 2016

   • 5th Place Lyra – Aerial Sport Organization Nationals 2016

In addition to lyra/trap, silks, hammock, pole, and flexibility training at TGR, Megan has also trained at Aloft Loft in Chicago, Iowa Circus Academy, and has had individual or small group sessions in aerial, pole, or contortion with Caty Mae Yount, Jessica Johnson, Sarah Romanowsky, Charlie Faraday, Iowa Fly Girl, The Flying Laura, and more.

Megan has been with TGR fitness since 2012. She grew up competing in dance and gymnastics and was thrilled to find a gym that brought those activities back into her life. Megan started competing in pole fitness in 2014 and is currently training for her 4th competition. In 2017, She was named Champion of Central Pole Championship's level 4 Dramatic senior division. Megan began teaching pole fitness at TGR in 2014. Classes taught include Pole Fit Levels 1 through PHD, Vertical Booty Camp, Rock & Pole, cardio dance classes, Pole Flow, Pole Combos, Floor Flow, pole dance parties and many more. Megan has choreographed multiple routines for herself as well as pieces for other competitors and performers. She is a committee member and performer for En L’Air Aerial Dance Company. When she is not at TGR, Megan practices as a registered dental hygienist is West Des Moines and enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends. “TGR has become a way of life for me. It is not just a place to become fit but a home where everyone is very loving and welcoming. I have found my life long friends here.”

Rebecca has been a member of TGR Fitness since 2016. She had never gone to a gym before, but she was inspired by the physical feats of the ninja athletes and decided to try it herself. She eventually moved into group fitness, pole, and aerial, with a primary focus on group fitness. Although Rebecca may talk more softly than some of the other instructors, she is highly proficient at encouraging students to push themselves to lift more and increase reps to become the best versions of themselves. Everyone adores her quiet strength and determination!

Sara started dancing as an adult when she found Innah's belly dance class at TGR in 2019, and the TGR spring show Elements was her first time watching pole and aerial performances. Amazed by the artistry and strength of the performers, she knew she had to try it herself and started Pole Fitness that summer.

Performing turned out to be a passion and Sara participates in the TGR shows as often as she can, both on pole and with the TiGeR Troupe for belly dance. She also competed on pole for the first time at PSO Great Lakes 2021 - Level 3 Artistic, Senior age group, and earned third place out of three competitors (last place is still a place!)

Never having been a serious athlete or trained dancer, Sara has been surprised to learn a lot of things besides pole tricks at TGR. Skills such as confidence, goal setting, and doing something even when it scares you, are just a few of the things she has carried into all aspects of her life.

Sara loves sharing her passions: pole, belly dance, all things heels, floor work, and low flow, as well as handstands and balancing. In 2022 she will be certified in Amber Wolf's Exotic Burn instructor training through Cleo's Rock N Pole. In addition to teaching pole classes, Sara is available for parties and private lessons. As a pole instructor her purpose is to provide a safe, welcoming environment for all people to explore new skills, build confidence, and then set and achieve their own goals.

Sarah has been a member of TGR Fitness since September of 2010. Since she began her journey at TGR she has gone on to compete professionally throughout the Midwest. She has competed in at Central Pole Championship (Professional), the North American Pole Dance Competition (Elite), the Windy City Competition (Elite), and at Minnesota Pole Competition (Elite). Sarah has also performed in Iowa at 515 Alive, 80/35, Santa Pub Crawl, Sub Sonic Social, Varietease, the Iowa State Fair, Pandora's Circus, Des Moines Bridal Expo, and more than a dozen TGR shows and performances. She is also a cast member of Girl Next Door - Chicago. She is an active member of TGR's performance group, En L'Air Aerial Dance Company.

In addition to her extensive training at TGR she has also trained at Body + Pole in New York City, Aloft Loft in Chicago, and Fit Body and Pole in Colorado Springs. She has trained individually with Samantha Star, Kelly Yvonne, Michelle Stanek, and Marlo Fisken. In addition to flexibility training at TGR, she has also trained with Issac Pena, Caty Mae Yount, Jessica Johnson, and continues to further her knowledge in this area to bring new and updated techniques to TGR.