The AERO Space

Equal parts power and poetry, Melodie channels a decade of pole experience into bold, heels-driven storytelling. As a teacher and performer, she thrives on creative collaboration, sharing stages and studios across Portland and beyond. Wherever she moves- the vibe follows.

Slinky D is a pole dancer and drag artist with childhood roots in musical theater. After a decade-long hiatus spent playing competitive water polo, she has is thrilled to have found place back on the stage over the last 5+ years. Her style spans from lyrical to sensual to humorous to creepy, with a particular passion for the unconventional. Slinky D enjoys incorporating acrobatic elements into her performances, enhancing her acts with dynamic and captivating tricks.

NVi started competitive dancing at 4 years old, and then her love for ballet led her to become a student at the Oregon Ballet Theatre. She has since danced professionally with their company, as well as the Agnieszka Laska Dancers, The Portland Opera, Body Cinema in Paris, France, and others. NVi started her pole journey at 27 and had been obsessed with it ever since. She loves the strength it requires, the freedom of expression it provides, and the strong community of women and men that are intertwined with it. She’s proud to call herself a Polerina!

Mary began pole in 2021, after many years experience in aerial sling and silks. She loves how pole blends strength with fluidity and dance. This is her first performance after a 16+ year hiatus, having grown up dancing. A fantasy fan, Mary is grateful to the Aero Space and the PoleQuest production team, cast, and crew for the opportunity to be part of something quite magical.

Tomás started his pole journey in 2019 and cannot believe where he is today. He truly appreciates the freedom, physicality, and healthy means of artistic expression he feels when he dances. To him, pole has been a mechanism to improve his self-love, authenticity, and inner and outer strength. He truly believes that this form of art, in addition to music, serves as a means of communicating with words cannot. He certainly loves a good performance and telling a story through actions, drama, camp, and theatrics.

Chalan has been pole dancing for just over 5 years. She was looking for a new gym when she moved neighborhoods and decided to give pole dancing a try since it’s so different than anything she’s done before. She was immediately hooked by the combined physical and artistic challenges pole dancing provides and most importantly the wonderful community of people she’s met along the way. When not on the pole she’s training the next generation nurses and spending time with her partner and kids.

Raine walked into her first pole class in 2019 with zero dance or gymnastics experience — and hasn’t looked back since. A former competitive swimmer, she was instantly hooked by the raw strength and rebellious elegance of pole. It didn’t take long before it became more than just a hobby, integrating with the very fabric of her identity. Off the pole, Raine feeds her adrenaline chasing curves on her motorcycle, hitting bullseyes in compound archery, or nursing an old fashioned in a dimly lit dive bar.

Austin's days growing up in a cozy Midwest village had him surrounded by farm animals, cornfields, and lots of cheese. Despite the simplicity of his surroundings, he discovered early in life his love for acrobatics. After 12 years of competitive gymnastics, he began to dabble in activities that were easier on the joints but still allowed for him to be upside down. After a suggestion by his partner to give pole fitness a try, and a promise that it wasn’t just a bunch of sexy dancing, he signed up for a class and instantly fell in love. Now, 3 years into his pole journey, Austin continues to refine his craft through a fusion of old passions and new.

Merri has been pole dancing for 15 years and enjoys morphing into characters, creating with groups, and inventing costumes. She has performed many times with professional pole dancing groups and has won pole competitions. Merri loves heights and will be the first one to try the trick at the top of the pole. She has a new-found love for low pole and sensual movement and you will now find her there growing her dance repertoire.

Chas has been pole dancing for 7 years. She is XPERT certified and teaches a variety of classes at Bliss Pole, including doubles, level 3, and heels choreo. She appreciates all types of dance and has a background in salsa, bachata, and hula. Her true passion lies in freestyle, where she enjoys exploring diverse movement styles — from contemporary to exotic pole. Chas thrives on the creative challenge of collaborating in group routines and loves bringing her character to life on stage.

Marielle has been pole dancing for 6 years. She enjoys the freedom of expression and variety of movement styles that pole has to offer. This is her first group performance and she has loved learning new shapes and collaborating with other dancers.

Los Angeles native Hayley rediscovered her love for performing arts through pole dance in Portland in 2022 after a decade away from dance. Immersed in ballet, contemporary, and musical theatre growing up, pole became her empowering sanctuary, building strength and confidence within a supportive community. A mental health professional of 12 years, her teaching is compassionate and body-positive, meeting students where they are. Hayley believes movement should feel good and pole is for every body, creating supportive and playful classes. Off the pole, she enjoys nature, photography, and painting. She’s excited to share the transformative magic of pole.

K has been dancing for two years. By day they push pixels around a screen and by night they throw themself on a metal pole.

Luna began her pole dancing career in 2022 after taking a class on a whim in Colorado. Having had a decade's worth of experience with powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting, she was surprisingly humbled by how difficult pole was and became instantly addicted.

With a background in visual art and music as well as a degree in biomedical science, Luna finds that pole dance perfectly encapsulates all three areas that she is passionate about. A cancer survivor living proudly with Multiple Sclerosis, Luna hopes to inspire other chronically ill baddies to pursue what inspires them. Polequest will be her performance debut.