Meet The Team
Acro Coaches, Personal Trainers, Massage/Somatic Practitioners
THE CORE COACHING TEAM
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PPA FounderChristine (she/her) has been a lover of movement since childhood. She grew up climbing trees, getting lost in the woods, doing cartwheels everywhere and dancing her heart out all the way through university. It is through her love of movement (dance and acrobatics) that she found her purpose in the world.
Christine Moonbeam is a seasoned movement teacher. She comes from a lineage of educators. Her grandmother taught kindergarten, her father taught middle school science, and her mother coached the cheerleading team at her highschool. Her love of teaching has humble roots in her little dance studio in Iowa where she began her teaching age 13. Her studio had a student teacher program for kids, like her, who’s families struggled to pay for dance education. This made a strong impression on her as she was the benefit of her teachers’ attention on equity and inclusion in movement spaces.
In her adulthood she has dedicated her life to handstands and partner acrobatics. She is passionate about bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to benefit from these movement practices and the community that comes with them.
Christine's passion for circus originally ignited while working with underserved / marginalized youth in Washington D.C through a Social Circus Program called Zip Zap Circus. It was here that her love for partner acrobatics took flight.
She has since immersed herself in partner acrobatics, hand balancing, and strength training. She's dedicated to sharing her knowledge and community building, both in the US and internationally. Her coaching pedagogy shines through the idea of prioritizing process over achievement when it comes to training and learning skills.
She's the founder of Christine Moonbeam Acrobatics, Handstands with Moonbeam, and a co-founder of ATC (Acro Training Camp), Colorado Acro Fest, and LIFT School of Acrobatics.
Christine believes in the transformative power of acrobatics, seeing it as a tool for personal growth, community connection, and mental well-being.
When she’s not upside down she is gardening, hiking, and practicing herbalism
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Micah (he/him) has been in the world of partner acrobatics since 2008, starting with an intensive circus program for 9 months at New England Center for Circus Arts in Vermont, and in 2016 completed 3 years training hand to hand at École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal.
Since then he has performed internationally with several companies, including Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, and Circus Monti.
Starting in 2020, he has shifted focus to coaching full time.
Micah is a coach at LEAP, Pitch Catch Circus, co-founder of ATC, and founded his own acro business: Micah Ellinger Acrobatic Coaching.
When he’s not tossing someone in the air or teaching someone to do the same, he enjoys group singing and learning how to grow food.
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Coach
Blox (he/him) is a standout in the world of partner acrobatics, known in part for his rare ability to equally excel as a flyer and a base. Since discovering the craft in 2010, he has brought his refined perspective to students in 20 countries. His story includes a decade with Pitch Catch Circus School of Acrobatics, countless intensives and teacher trainings with the company ‘Partner Acrobatics,’ and serving as an original and ongoing coach at LEAP (Little European Acrobatics Programme). Throw in festivals, workshops, retreats, and private lessons, and you’ll find Blox has logged about as many hours coaching on the floor as an acrobat can say, “One more!”Before coaching, he toured as one half of the acrobatic duo Acrodesiac, performing around the USA, cruise ships, and the occasional Caribbean destination. Realizing his true calling, he traded in audiences for students and has been channeling his expertise into supporting the next generations of acro enthusiasts ever since. His latest project, Acro Educators Training Program, is a pedagogy-forward ‘teacher’ training program that draws out and enriches each teacher’s/coach's signature style while empowering them to uphold strong personal, professional, and community standards. With his heart-centered approach and commitment to clear, thoughtful communication, Blox’s warm and precise coaching style serves as a mental and emotional crash mat, offering students an inviting place to land.
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Coach
Chelsea (they/them) has been practicing circus arts and acrobatics for a decade, once discovering AcroYoga in 2014. Acro provided what Chelsea valued most: connection, patience, trust, empowerment, community, and self insight. They traveled to different parts of the world to train; seeking out various teachers and coaches to learn from.While attending their first Pitch Catch in fall of 2017, Chelsea fell in love with the challenge of partner acrobatics and started steadily training both individually and partnered.
They specialize in basing and midding with a specific focus on base strength training, slow and steady technique, and compassionate partner communication.
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Coach
Devin (he/him) is an acrobat based out of Asheville, NC, specializing in Icarian and foot juggling. With years of teaching and training experience, he has taught pops all over America and abroad. Passionate about leveling students up, Devin enjoys coming up with creative and inclusive ways to teach that are both progressive and safe. They strive to create an encouraging environment for all learners.
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Coach
Courtney (she/her) has been practicing partner acrobatics since falling head over heels in love with it in 2017. Her practice started in L-Basing and has shifted to focus on Icarian and Standing skills where she splits her time between basing and flying.One of the main tenets of her acro practice is effective communication, and she strives to create environments where students can explore their movement edges safely while developing vocabulary and skills to navigate groups and partnerships.
Much of Courtney’s training and development as a flyer came from a similar sized partnership which led to a focus on flyer embodiment and creativity as well as patience as skill progressions often took more time to develop. As a base she can offer ways to focus on technique instead of ‘muscling it’ and to keep smaller bodies safe when basing higher level skills.
Courtney is excited to be coaching with Progressive Partner Acrobatics where she can utilize some of the many many hours she was supported in developing skills, technique, and community here to uplift and contribute to others.
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Coach
Ryan Hamity (he/they) has been involved in the athletic sphere his entire life. He grew up playing soccer until High School where he transitioned to the endurance sport of cross country. His athletic career took a turn to elite level cycling where he often trained 30+ hours a week, 11 months a year and has raced against some of the biggest names in cycling. After choosing to end his cycling career he found Acrobatics, again working his way up to an elite level, performing on stages like the Red Rocks Amphitheater and festivals throughout North and Central America. He is also a head coach at Pitch Catch School of Acrobatics, an intensive acrobatic training program.Fitness is a way of life for Ryan. He approaches everything in this field with passion & commitment towards helping people reach their goals. Whether that consists of training for a competition/performance or committing to a program of training to enhance the way your body functions on a day to day basis.
As a coach, Ryan focuses on technique, ensuring that his clients/athletes are moving in the safest and most efficient way possible. He understands that any large scale movement is made up of many small parts, which is why his attention to detail and fundamentals are a large part of his training. While working with a client’s current capabilities, he innovates his programming to be able to meet and then expand upon what the client already does well.
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Coach
Jay (he/him) started his acro journey in 2015, initially through yoga. When he discovered acro yoga and partner acrobatics, he instantly fell in love with the practice. Just a year later, he began teaching classes and workshops at local gyms, businesses, and events. Jay has since performed at a variety of events, festivals, and shows across the country. Although he is a versatile practitioner, Jay has a particular talent for group acro, including swing and banquine, as well as Adagio. He teaches classes locally in Buffalo, NY, coached at Pitch Catch Circus and also travels regularly to teach and train partner acrobatics at festivals and intensive programs.
Known for being a strong, supportive, and fun base, Jay is also respected for his emphasis on safety and creating a positive, enjoyable environment for everyone.
Jay's coaching style emphasizes calm and clear guidance, offering straightforward cues to help students maintain focus and clarity. He ensures they can push themselves to new physical limits while staying mentally grounded.
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Coach
Sarah (she/her) is a versatile movement artist and teacher specializing in partner acrobatics, pole dance, and somatic movement. Though she’s been an exploratory mover most of her life, Sarah found acroyoga and partner acrobatics in 2015 and immediately fell in love. She’s started performing and teaching within a year and has spent the past 10 years dedicating herself to the practice. A Pitch Catch graduate and coach, as well as an x-pole certified pole instructor, Sarah has traveled throughout the US to teach, train, and perform. Her favorite acro disciplines to teach include banquine, trio swings, 3-high, dance acro, and hand to hand skills. Along with acro and pole, she also practices aerial silks, contact improvisation, burlesque, strength training, and more.
A playful, whimsical force of nature, Sarah loves to explore new movement pathways and push her own edges physically and mentally, while honoring the cues of her body. She loves to encourage and support creative exploration and collaboration in acro while helping to ensure there is a foundation of good communication and consent. Her approach to teaching is grounded, body-led, intuitive, and gentle, creating a supportive space for students to explore their potential. As a coach, Sarah provides compassionate feedback with clear, body-led and trauma informed instruction to help build students’ confidence.
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ATC Coaches
Dane and Caitlin started training acro together in 2013 and quickly fell into a routine centred around foundational drills and dynamic progressions. Since the creation of Duo Die in 2014, they have been workshopping, performing, coaching and learning around the world! Their goal as a team is to spread their love of acro, through hard work and smart training. They are constantly looking to evolve their technique in training and teaching, all the while working towards a long life of partner acro together. Through their focus on communication and collaboration, they have developed a coaching approach that has the potential to make acrobatics fun, successful and sustainable for a lifetime!
In 2023 they co-founded ATC (Acro Training Camp) in collaboration with Micah Ellinger and Christine Moonbeam.
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Coaches
Sam and Luka are Seattle based teachers and acrobats with two decades of combined partner acro experience. Informed by their science and technology backgrounds, they share a nerdy fascination with the hows and whys of movement, and an enthusiasm for calibration and incremental progress. They bring a jack-of-all-trades mentality to their acro, regularly training standing and icarian skills, but they particularly specialize in L-base flow, free balance, and f2h/h2h.
Sam took Lux’s teacher training in 2016 and subsequently trained with and apprenticed under him for multiple years. She now teaches Seattle's long-running weekly intermediate and advanced L-basing classes (as a base and flyer, respectively). After meeting Sam in 2022, Luka moved from his hometown of Boulder to Seattle where he began teaching regularly at festivals and local classes.
While Sam and Luka (now married) continue to teach and train with other partners in Seattle, they have been enjoying traveling extensively for acro over the last few years, exploring their shared joy of learning and passion for teaching others about acro. Off the acro mats, you might find Sam and Luka… fine-tuning their acro training spreadsheets.
Personal Trainers
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Sirus Bouchat (any/all)
Owner of Necessary Evil
I am a researcher, community organizer, acrobat, educator, and trainer who values justice, critical engagement, and moving from felt sense to action. I deeply believe that working toward social and political change cannot happen without integrating our minds and bodies, and bringing our whole selves in alignment with our values.My physical training philosophy centers the idea that all bodies are good and worthy of relationship, and my training modalities are informed by my personal experience in weight training, handbalance, and partner acrobatics, as well as extensive experience with injury recovery.
My mental training philosophy emphasizes a felt sense of curiosity and enlivenment, and connecting lived experience to thematic narratives.
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Andrew Phillips (he/they)
Personal Trainer & Performer
Andy holds 10+ years of experience in duo and group acrobatics. His notable credits include Acro Army, France’s Got Talent, Nike, Le Plus Cabaret Du Monde, and Vogue. With a deep passion for movement, Andy applies a technique-driven, sports science-based approach to both his coaching and personal training. This philosophy has enabled him to refine his skills in hand-to-hand acrobatics and develop a comprehensive understanding of movement for all bodies and abilities. Andy offers both individual and partner coaching for bases, flyers, and mids.
https://andrew.phillips.pt.gmail.com/ -
Lion Fire / Ryan Hamity (he/they)
Owner of Lion Fire Wellness and Performance
With my 15 years of partner acrobatics knowledge and experience paired with my personal training business. I know the importance of strength training not just acro skills but individual strength and stability.
I offer in person training in Asheville, NC and my virtual offerings range from strength programming to personal 1:1 or partner sessions.
I am also currently on my way to becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist - graduating November 2025.
I know the importance of working with the whole person whether that be to build strength or to address imbalance in the body through massage.
Massage / Somatic Therapists
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Sarah Ragon (she/her)
In house massage therapist for PPA
Sarah is an Asheville based aerialist, acrobat, and massage therapist. She grew up in Charlotte, NC with a background in gymnastics. When she discovered aerial silks in 2012, her love for circus arts was ignited and she quickly began performing a year later in 2013. Since starting to teach circus in 2016, her passion has strengthened and love for movement arts flourished with her steadfast commitment.
She is a 2025 graduate of Center for Massage and Natural Health, and has passion and intrigue for solving problems and helping others feel at home in their bodies. Sarah currently teaches acro with the Asheville Acro collective and handbalancing at Aerial Space studio. She graduated from the professional training program at New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) in 2017 with a major in Chinese pole and minor in partner acrobatics. She's excited to be a part of Progressive Partner Acrobatics and can't wait to work with you!
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Kaorin Marie (she/her)
Bodyworker/Somatic Practitioner/Educator
Specializing in trauma & nervous system care. Facilitating mind & body connection through bodywork and somatic guidance.
Kaorin has 10 years of experience in somatic movement/guidance + 8 years as a bodyworker. Offering Integrative Therapeutic touch, merging massage therapy with modalities like cranio-sacral therapy, fluid anatomy, acupressure, cupping therapy, fascial care + more.
Kaorin is also certified as a Breathwork Teacher as well as certified in Nuero-Soma Yoga.
Kaorin merges all of these practices while working with the body through a nervous system first approach, with polyvagul theory as a foundational piece.
Kaorin also teaches about the nervous system and will be joining PPA to offer a somatic class focusing on knowledge and techniques to care for ourselves and others during the programs.