Performance Opportunities
At The AERO Space, we offer several opportunities throughout the year for students to perform, challenge themselves, and showcase their creativity on stage.
Student Showcases
Our Student Showcases are held at our Northeast Portland studio each year in early March and late September. These performances are open to students of all levels and are a fun, supportive way to gain performance experience and share your progress with friends, family, and the AERO community.
Alberta Showcase
Our Fall Alberta Showcase takes place each October or November at the Alberta Rose Theatre. This professionally produced performance opportunity is open to students Level 3 and above. Performer applications and piece requests are typically accepted beginning in June.
Pole Show PDX (PSPDX)
Pole Show PDX is our largest annual production and takes place each spring at the Alberta Rose Theatre. This fully themed theatrical production is open to students Level 4 and above through an audition and application process. Applications are accepted annually from October 1–15.
Please check back on this page a few months before each event for application details, deadlines, and additional information.
Subscribe & stay up-to-date with events
GEMMA - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @gemna19
Joshua began training in gymnastics as a youngster, winning several gold medals and 1st place All-Around in his division. In his late teens he discovered his passion for dance, joined several dance troupes and began to perform in ballets such as the Nutcracker. Guided by his natural kinesthetic intelligence and an innate love for the stage, he studied dance and theater at Humboldt State University and later at the prestigious Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. He received a BFA in Performing Arts despite developing an illness that drastically impaired his physical abilities during his senior year. After years of physical therapy and chiropractic treatment he was able to fully recover and went on to discover pole in 2014. With his previous aerial acrobatics experience, he took to the pole like a fish to water. He was the 2016 Pacific Pole Championship Bronze Medalist and 2016 PSO Men's National Silver Medalist. He is honored to be teaching and training at the AERO space, where he can share his talents, skill and experience with other pole enthusiasts and competitors.
CRYSTAL - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @crystallionc
Crystal, a Colorado native, studied dance as a child and continued in the performing arts as she grew up. In 2012, feeling enervated by her day job she longed and searched for something new to give her life. She went on a blind date with pole dance expecting to like it, but not expecting the healthy long-term committed relationship it became. She moved to Las Vegas in 2016 because she knew what she had with pole must be love and needed to pursue it further. She performed, trained and taught there for the next 3 years before returning to the place her and pole had their first date, Portland. Her most recent and most epic pole accomplishment was performing with her love, pole, and the iconic JLo in the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.
DRIA - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @_mrs_dria_
Alexandria is a Portland local and 3rd generation Oregonian with a passion for the performing arts since childhood. Alex has been pole dancing since she was nineteen years old. Performing award winning, international burlesque since 2010, she is very excited to bring her style of contemporary showgirl meets pole to Aero Space! When she isn’t practicing yoga and teaching dance, she is a busy mama. She's also an avid collector of books about ancient history and esoteric magic.
AMIRA - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @mircat_amirasereia
Amira is a visual and movement artist from SE Alaska. She's has called Portland her home for the last 10 years and has been passionate about pole dancing for 6 years. She has studied and specializes in Bellydance, Urban Fusion, and Aerial Hoop. She loves to creatively fuse together her many interests to create her own styles of movement and art. She is also creator and founder of her dance and circus troupe known as Circus Synatik.
CHRISTIE - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @a_girl_and_her_familiar
Christie is a life long dancer and spent most of her childhood and adolescence training in ballet. She is grateful for the foundation that ballet gave her but longed to find a dance practice that encouraged innovation and free expression. Fortunately in 2012 she found pole dancing and never looked back! She continues to feel liberated by pole everyday. In addition to dance, she is a professional photographer, an urban farmer, and an animal lover.
ANNE - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @annetigravity
Anne grew up in a small town in northern Michigan trying every extracurricular she could convince her parents to sign her up for, including baton twirling, competitive swimming, and shot put, but nothing stuck for long. In college, she spent a couple of years powerlifting, but like a lot of people, developed a more sedentary lifestyle when she got a desk job at a local tech company after graduation. Anne had always wanted to try a pole class but finally took the leap in 2017 and unexpectedly fell in love with it. She enjoys fluid movement - both contemporary and sensual - and firmly believes in keeping the “dance” in pole dance. She is passionate about making pole feel accessible to every body and is honored to have the opportunity to share what she loves with others. Outside of the studio, Anne keeps busy raising three kids and running the technology consulting agency she started in 2020.
CLAIRE - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @clarity.poles
Originally from the UK, Claire moved to Portland in 2014 and started pole dancing as a way to get in shape and get out and meet new friends. What started out as a bit of fun quickly became a full-blown obsession and she was thrilled to start teaching her own classes in 2016. Over the years Claire has competed and placed in the PSO NW pole competition in Seattle (3rd place in level 3 exotic, 2018) - and become certified in the ElevatEd level one pole teacher training. A life-long lover of music and dancing, Claire is most interested in tapping into her flow state while pole dancing, and connecting with the music. Pole is her passion, and her biggest inspirations are her students and the pole community in Portland and beyond.
JESSICA - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @crickettriestodance
Jessica, “Cricket”, AKA that person hanging off of her friend’s shoulders, came across a pole first in a friend’s apartment. She immediately threw herself upside down and then quickly realized she had no idea how to get back to the floor other than just flopping to it. Time to take a pole class! Jessica had no previous experience of dance, gymnastics, or even an inkling of true athleticism. She was the type of person who signed up for sports just to socialize and would end up stopping at a friend’s house to eat cereal during her cross-country practice runs. Pole, however, brought out a hidden athlete, and she continued to explore a wide range of aerial apparatuses, quickly building strength and eventually even a little grace! Jessica especially loves doubles pole and putting together silly routines that combine comedy with strength tricks. Jessica is certified in XPERT Pole Fitness Levels 3&4. Outside of her pole life, she is an operating room nurse, mom, burrito connoisseur, certified personal trainer, lover of all things outside from climbing mountains to rafting, and is on track to apply to veterinary school!
MATT - INSTRUCTOR (he/him)
IG: @calico.polecat
Born and raised in Boise Idaho, Matt's pole journey started with a search for a sport that would bridge the gap between fitness and fun. Like so many others, after his first class fell in love with pole and aerial arts. With no dance, gymnastics, or really any kind of sports background he knew all too well how challenging starting can be, but with dedication and determination, he committed to growing as an artist. After a year and a half of constantly hanging around the studio and joining in every performance opportunity that came his way, he was offered a position as a pole and lyra instructor in Boise. He soon fell in love with teaching at the intro+beginner level and helping new dancers get hooked on the sport -- always striving to help his students conquer their fears, hesitations, and stubborn moves to the best of his ability. He hopes to always continue to grow as an athlete, artist, and teacher with the help of the amazing community he's found through pole.
JAYNE - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @jayne.in.motion
Jayne started dancing at the age of three and found her first love in ballet. The characters andstorytelling gave her an opportunity to break out of her shell as well as an outlet to explore herself and her relationship to the world around her. After giving up dance to pursue graduate studies and start a career, Jayne found herself in need of a creative outlet in a safe, supportive community. She found pole by accident in 2016 when a silks class didn’t work with her travel schedule – and she never looked back. Pole combined the grace, strength, and storytelling she loved about dance with the challenge of creating movement and flow in a truly three-dimensional space. She started teaching in 2020 and loves nothing more than to help students connect with their bodies and express themselves through dance and pole work. After an adult ASD diagnosis, Jayne also started exploring how to use her experiences to connect with neurodivergent students and meet their learning needs. When not in the studio, Jayne spends her days running a program for a local non-profit and her nights relaxing with her husband and dog.
SHAY R. - INSTRUCTOR (they/them)
IG: @just_wiggle
Shay they/them first discovered pole in 2018 and fell in love with the freedom of expression it brings and the amazing community of humans it attracts. Being able to grow and explore has brought them so much joy but it’s the people they’ve met along the way and made connections with that really enticed them to stay! When Shay isn’t climbing a pole they’re climbing trees for their family-owned tree service called Down To Earth Tree Care!
KATE - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @polerkate
Kate has been a lifelong dancer with a childhood and adolescence of ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and more, under her belt. However, she had never felt empowered in movement until she started pole dancing. When she started pole in 2017, Kate immediately fell in love with the freedom that pole gave her to explore her own style of movement, and the new form of self love that pole provides. Kate has gone on to win two consecutive gold medals (PSO 2022 Level 3 Exotic, PSO 2023 Level 4 Heels), but much prefers the loving community of the Portland pole scene to the competition stage. Aside from pole, Kate is a major cat lover, an avid baker, and uses her day job in pursuit of greater equity and justice for Oregonian
SHAY B. - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @shay_aerial
Shay has spent most of her life in the Portland metro area, exploring various sports and styles of dance before finding her true passion in aerial arts. Inspired by a friend’s mother, she took her first pole class in the summer of 2020 and quickly fell in love with the art form. Her journey expanded in the summer of 2021, when she began performing in a club setting, building her skills both on and off the stage. Since then, she has refined her craft, adding Lyra to her aerial repertoire and working throughout Portland and Miami. She brings a unique perspective to her teaching, blending the energy of both club and studio environments to create a balanced and engaging experience for her students. When she’s not on the pole, you can often find her practicing on her Lyra. Outside of her work in aerial arts, she is a dedicated fashion student and proud pet mom to her dog and cat.
SYDNEY - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @pole.syd
Sydney has been pole dancing in 2019 and loves the strength, confidence, and creative expression that pole represents. She started her pole journey without any prior dance experience and is passionate about ensuring that people from all backgrounds feel welcomed and included in the pole community. She is especially passionate about creating a thriving community within each class and creating modifications as needed for dancers of all levels.
Outside of pole she enjoys climbing, biking, and spending time with her 2 dogs
HAYLEY - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @inverted_exposures
Originally from Los Angeles, Hayley has been in love with dance and the performing arts for as long as she can remember. She grew up immersed in ballet, contemporary dance, and musical theatre. Through pole dance she has found strength, confidence, and a truly encouraging and accepting community. Ask her to put it simply and she will tell you that for her pole has been the most powerful medicine—healing, empowering, and transformative. Off the pole, Hayley has spent the past 12 years working in the mental health field. Her teaching style mirrors her work in mental health: compassionate, body-positive, and all about meeting students where they are. She’s passionate about creating classes where students can move in ways that feel supportive, playful, and true to them. She is looking forward to seeing you in the studio and can’t wait to help you discover the life changing magic of pole.
BRI - INSTRUCTOR (she/her)
IG: @briannaonapole
Bri started pole dancing in 2021 and quickly realized it was going to be a new constant in her life. With no previous dance or flexibility background, movement did not come naturally as an adult. Pole became a way to connect with her body, quiet her mind, and build confidence in a way she never expected.
As an instructor, she is passionate about helping others discover pole dancing in a body-positive, accessible environment where everyone can move at their own pace. She is excited to celebrate every win, and help her students achieve their goals while having fun!
When she’s not in the studio, Bri enjoys doing triathlons, tending to her chickens, gardening, and fostering cats.
RACHELLE - FOUNDER, STUDIO MANAGER (she/her)
Rachelle discovered pole dance in 2013 while looking for a fun way to stay active. After her first class, she quickly fell in love with the unique blend of athleticism, grace, and confidence the art form inspires. With no formal dance background, she embraced the freedom of expression pole provided and the deep sense of support and camaraderie within the tightly knit pole community.
She secured a small shared practice space, and from that humble beginning, The AERO Space was born. Since then, Rachelle and her business partner, have personally built all three AERO studios by hand—from laying floors and running electrical to mounting poles—literally creating the spaces from the ground up.
When she isn’t at the studio or busy being a mom, she’s and working on her and her husband’s small businesses and traveling the world.