Caroline Calouche (Creation Lab, Evening Classes) has taught contemporary dance, Pilates, Gyrokinesis and ballet at UNC Charlotte, Winthrop University, The Belmont School of Ballet, Gaston Dance Theatre and The School of North Carolina Dance Theatre. Her dance and fitness teaching background has allowed her to become a sought after aerial dance instructor. Not only has Caroline developed a safe method and syllabus of teaching Aerial Silk, Sling, Trapeze, Lyra, Corde Lisse and Spanish Web, she is able to teach students how to incorporate floor work with their apparatus to seamlessly move from the ground up and back again. With her strong anatomy and physiology background, Caroline focuses on proper alignment in the air and on the ground to prevent injury and promote efficient movement. Caroline’s aerial and dance training is diverse. In the air, she has worked with Juliana Hane, Nicole Merman, Elsie and Serenity Smith, Christine van Loo, Caroline Wright, Jamie Hodgson, Tanya Burka, Cheetah Platt, Kevin O’Connor, Allie Cooper, Nancy Smith and Susan Murphy. While on the ground, Caroline’s influential teachers range from Leah Cox (Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company), Elizabeth Corbett (Forsythe Composition), Libby Farr (Ballet), Andrew Harwood (Contact Improvisation), Fernando Bujones (Ballet), Elizabeth Gillaspy (Ballet), Susan Douglas Roberts (Contemporary), Brenda Daniels (Modern Dance) to name a few on an endless list of amazing teachers!

Elly Craig (Evening Classes, Camp, Intermediate Camp) is an enthusiastic, driven, and sparkly person who has a wonder for the world and is always trying to find ways to make it a happier, healthier place. They began circusing at just 3 years old in a family trapeze class; since then, they have always found their happy place within the circus community. They followed their passion and air for adventure by moving to Norway to attend a circus boarding school, then returned state side to attend NECCA’s Pro-Track program. Elly’s performance specialties include Cyr Wheel, Partner Acrobatics, and German Wheel. They are so very pleased to get to share circus with the world through coaching and give others the opportunity to experience all the joy that comes with movement expression.  

Kaila Dockal (Evening Classes, Intermediate Camp) is a graduate from Winthrop University with her B.A. in Dance with a Concentration in K-12 Teacher Certification. Kaila has been dancing for the past 25 years studying the styles of ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, modern and lyrical. She has also been teaching dance for the past 12 years, teaching ballet, tap, jazz, aerial sling, partner acrobatics and hip-hop at various studios in the Carolinas. Kaila has been the dance teacher at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, SC for the past 4 years. Kaila became interested in aerial arts while participating in the summer intensive program taught by Caroline Calouche. Kaila has had the pleasure of performing with Caroline Calouche and Co. in previous shows including Rouge and Clara's Trip.

Jamie Drye (Creation Lab) Jamie is originally from North Carolina where he started his dance background in Liturgical Dance. He knew he was destined to create after starting his dance training at Western Carolina University where he performed with Asheville Ballet. He later transferred to Winthrop University in Rock Hill SC where he received his BA in Dance Performance. He continued his dance career performing in Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Colored Dream Coat at the Concord Community theatre, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Central Piedmont Community College. Dancing with companies Caroline Calouche & Company (Charlotte, NC), Annex Dance Company (Charleston, SC), and trained/apprenticed with Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company in New York City. Jamie is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Drye/Marinaro Dance Company where he travels, performs, and sets work along the east coast. Jamie currently resides in New York City. TV credits include: The Wendy Williams show, Good Morning America, The View, and Good Day NY. He continues to work as a choreographer, dance educator, dance fitness instructor, co-creator of Fueled eMotion: The Cardio Dance Experience, and as a Group Fitness Manager at Crunch Fitness Gym.

Javier Gonzales (Camp) Javier taught at Charlotte Cirque & Dance many times over the years.  He has performed Clara's Trip the past six years in a variety of roles including Beau and Candycane.  He began his career in dance in 2008 studying hip-hop and various Latin Style Dances.  In 2009 He became a company member of Ballet Folclórico de las Americas and LeColours Latino Dance.

Nicole Muse-Dennis (Evening Classes, Camp, Intermediate Camp) is originally from Queens, New York where she began dancing at the age of 3. Nicole has studied tap, jazz, ballet, modern/contemporary, pointe, and African forms of dance. Nicole’s teaching and choreography first began as a teenager where she and two other students were given the opportunity to compose all choreography and all instruction for the dance class at her high school. Nicole continued this into college where she was the principal dancer and choreographer for the Association of Rhythmic Talent on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. Nicole also served as the assistant to the director of The Artistic Studio in Winston-Salem State University. She taught for the Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC. Nicole is also the co-founder FLOW liturgical dance ministry. Nicole’s resume is full of guest teaching tenures at studios, schools, churches, and workshops as her company Muse Inspired Arts. Her performance experience includes theatrical dance performances including being cast as Mary in the National Black Repertory Theater’s production of the Black Nativity. Nicole is the mother of two daughters. She is a licensed teacher for the State of North Carolina. Her friends and family describe her as loyal, passionate, and creative. Her passion is in helping dancers reach new heights by actualizing the beauty and power that they have in themselves.

Casandra Newkirk (Evening Classes) is originally from NC and lived in Charlotte and Rocky Mount before leaving for undergrad. She has a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of Florida and do research focused on coral reef ecology and preservation. She started aerial over 4 years ago during graduate school as a way to relieve stress and has been hooked ever since. She primarily trains on silks and lyra, but recently started dance trapeze classes and loves that as well! Outside of aerial and science, she loves to read, write, and spend time with my family!

Rebecca Starr (Creation Lab, Intermediate Camp) got her start in gymnastics at the age of 3 and has been moving ever since! After years of competing she found her true love, performance and the Circus Arts. In the early 2000s Rebecca studied dance and movement at San Diego State University, while performing with the Fern Street Circus and Cirque de la Mer. Rebecca is the co-founder of Lyralicious, a duo specializing in aerial hoop. She performed worldwide as part of Lyralicious for many years. She has been featured on MTV’s MADE, NY Ink, and CBS This Morning; and performed with Cirque Dreams, “The Girlie Show”, L.A Circus, Quixotic Fusion, Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival, San Diego Symphony, Middlebury Opera Company, and countless more special events, corporate productions, and galas. Rebecca was an integral part of the emerging world of Pole Fitness in the early 2010s; she competed, performed and judged internationally for several years. Recently, Rebecca has been traveling the world as a master instructor, doing tours and residencies at circus schools and studios across the globe. Since 2016 she has coached and choreographed for the Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour. She is currently the Head of Aerial Arts at Circadium School of Contemporary Circus, where she teaches Lyra, Pole, Contortion, and Acrobatics.

Shaun Wilson (Creation Lab, Evening Classes, Camp) Coming all the way from sunny Melbourne, Florida (where NASA is located), Shaun Wilson is a cheerleader gone dancer gone aerialist. With over 12 years of performance experience under his belt, he has trained in ballroom, jazz, hip-hop, gymnastics, and aerial arts. With a passion for teaching and sharing, Shaun has coached dance and tumbling at various dance centers, with students ranging from kindergartners to adults.  In his free time, Shaun enjoys all types of outdoor activities, including skating, swimming, hiking, and kayaking. When he is not outside, he is either playing Mariokart or binge-watching Netflix dramas.