The AERO Space

Rachelle M is the founder of The AERO Space and producer of Pole Show PDX, a production that has become her creative lifeblood and greatest passion. Known for blending immersive storytelling, theatrical production, and athletic performance into large-scale live experiences, she especially loves the relationships and sense of community built with her instructors, students, and performers throughout the process.

In SPLIT SIGNAL, Rachelle portrays a half-robot, half-fire alien caught between machine logic and emotional instinct as war erupts across the planet Venari. Through glitching transmissions and explosive movement, the piece explores identity, conflict, and the struggle to choose who we become.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Ashley earned the nickname “Upside-Down Ashley” from her parents thanks to her constant cartwheeling and handstands in the yard. Her passion for movement led her to competitive gymnastics in high school, where she also began coaching both gymnastics and dance — a journey that continued through college to now! Ashley discovered aerial arts in 2010 when she took her first silks class and was instantly hooked. She spent years training and performing on aerial silks and rope around Portland before falling in love with pole dance. Drawn to its versatility and limitless creative potential, pole soon became her primary apparatus.Known for her imaginative and theatrical stage presence, Ashley enjoys creating dynamic characters for her performances. She has competed with PSO for four years, earning four gold medals at Levels 4 and 5, and most recently placing 5th at Nationals in 2024. Outside the studio, Ashley is a high school Language Arts teacher who enjoys hiking, paddling, and snowboarding — always keeping a bit of that upside-down spirit with her wherever she goes.

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!

Crystal fell in love with pole dancing and the pole community 14 years ago and doesn’t foresee ever stopping. When she’s not in the studio, you might spot her dancing in the aisles to the grocery store jams or finding glitter from three years ago in the corners of her house. She’s excited to be part of this Aero Space production and hopes you enjoy the show!

A certified commercial pilot with unlived aspirations to join a space program, Merri was overjoyed to be part of an outer space themed show. Fascinated by sci-fi renditions of alien species, Merri has created otherworldly costumes for herself and friends. As a Bachelor of Science, Merri is interested in how our bones are made up of calcium and phosphorus, much like the constituents of distant stars. For this show, Merri is hopeful that other members of the pole community can become stars up on the Alberta Rose stage.

Dria (Sandria) 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.

Originally from Los Angeles, Hayley settled in Portland in 2022. With a background in ballet and lyrical dance, she found her home with pole and has been dancing with Aerospace for the last four years, becoming an instructor for the studio in 2025. Hayley has performed in shows throughout Portland and is overjoyed to be part of another Aerospace production. Few things bring her as much joy as being in the studio or on stage, but when she’s not dancing she’s probably frolicking in a forest somewhere with her dog, making music, causing some sort of general creative mischief or jetting off to Peru to lead somatic healing/movement workshops in the jungle. Grateful to be a part of the amazing community Rachelle and Ashley have created at Aerospace, she hopes to see you in the studio for classes soon.

Shay (@just_wiggle) is a freestyling babe and a professional wiggler. They started teaching in 2019 and found a deep joy sharing what they know with others and helping students find their way to their own movement. They have a passion for heels choreo that slows down time, basework tricks that drip like honey, and aerial movement where intention and control is the key. Above all else, what keeps Shay dancing, sharing, and learning is the vibrant community of humans that also love moving their bodies and connecting with others.

Mari first fell in love with pole in 2019 when she saw some pole dancers performing before a Rocky Horror show. She started learning with a group of friends and a lot of Youtube videos. After moving to Portland, Aero Space gave her an opportunity for more formal instruction and helped her find a new pole community. She is so excited to be performing with her friend Amy tonight and had a ton of fun building this piece together!

Amy has been poling consistently since 2020, building a style that blends technical precision with bold, sensual movement. A Level 4 and 5 PSO NW medalist, she loves strong, acrobatic tricks just as much as fluid transitions and grounded flow. Amy loves how pole helps reclaim balance in a world that often deprioritizes embodiment, sensuality for our own gaze, and play for the sake of play.

Brandy is approaching her three year pole anniversary and falls more in love with dancing every day! Her passion for movement began with yoga and later barre and indoor cycling. She loves the way pole brings together technical skill, strength, fluidity, and creative self-expression. Above all else, though, her favorite thing about pole is the incredible community!

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.

Joshi discovered pole dancing in 2015 and quickly fell in love with both the art and the community around it. Known for his expressive “sad boy pole” style, he blends strong foundations with emotional storytelling. When he’s not performing, he loves helping students find their confidence, refine their technique, and discover their own unique movement.

Rachel took her first pole class as a way to spice up her mundane gym routine. With no dance background and an extreme fear of heights, she assumed it would be something that she tried once and continued to admire from afar. Instead, she became obsessed. Now, it is her most loved outlet and greatest source of pride. Outside of pole, Rachel is a labor and delivery nurse and dog mom to her corgi, Howie.

Analese has been practicing pole for 4 years. She’s excited to make her debut performance at PSPDX!

I began pole in 2022, drawn to the way it holds power and softness together. I grew up doing gymnastics but left the sport about 14 years ago, and pole has been a new way of reconnecting with movement. It continues to be both a creative and physical challenge, and a space for building confidence in my own skin.

I am a multi-disciplinary movement enthusiast. I started with pole in 2020 and have expanded into contortion, hand balancing, lyra, acro and aerial straps. I have tried a little bit of everything but pole will always have a special place in my heart. Aero’s annual production has been a highlight of my year since Polequest 2025 and I am excited to continue the tradition.

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.

Now in his fifth year of pole and third year with PSPDX, Austin continues a journey driven by strength, flexibility, and inversion. With a foundation rooted in decades of gymnastics, he has found a welcoming community of instructors and students who continue to push and inspire him. He hopes his presence encourages others, especially men, to move beyond stereotypical labels and embrace pole as a powerful form of self-expression.

Devin has been poling since 2017, training doubles since 2019, and training triples since 2023, with her trio winning gold at PSO in 2024. She is also certified in beginner/intermediate Roller Pole™ instruction by the legendary Kylie J. (AU). In addition to teaching roller pole workshops, Devin does pole photography/videography and invented her own pole body grip formula: Peppermint Stick™ by Naughty Side™. ‍

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.

Mezmarizer discovered her pole dance obsession in 2022 at the Aerospace. For this group performance, she reconnects with her early dance root and hopes you enjoy the show.

Making her pole debut, Piranha brings her experiences in music, the marching arts, and make-believe to her dance practice. A music educator by day, she is no stranger to the stage, but she is thrilled to finally premier her three years of pole training, especially as an alien–one of her childhood fears. She is grateful to Aero Space for reinvigorating her passion for performance and providing her a space to be wild.

Andrea has been pole dancing since 2019 and is excited to perform on the Alberta Rose Stage for the second time. She wants to thank the incredibly supportive community at Aerospace as well as her wonderful community in the crowd tonight.

This piece debuts the first time these two artists will be performing together. They are both thrilled to have found a collaborative partner to develop their craft with and expand beyond their own limits.

As Two Black Holes drifting through space, separate forces drawn irresistibly toward one another. Gravity intensifies, attraction becomes collision: bodies pull, resist, orbit, and finally merge. What begins as distance transforms into unity, where loss of control becomes creation, and two forces collapse into one.

This performance marks Quynh’s first time on stage. She began pole dance in 2019, returned to the practice with intention in 2023, and chose this performance as a personal challenge to step into the unknown alongside Andrea.

This piece debuts the first time these two artists will be performing together. They are both thrilled to have found a collaborative partner to develop their craft with and expand beyond their own limits.

In this piece, Two Black Holes drifting through space, separate forces drawn irresistibly toward one another.

As gravity intensifies, attraction becomes collision: bodies pull, resist, orbit, and finally merge. What begins as distance transforms into unity, where loss of control becomes creation, and two forces collapse into one.

Katya wants to thank ALL of our super talented instructors, and Ashley and Rachelle for creating this amazing space for us to dance together. She also wants to thank her friends for coming out tonight!!

Tomás started his pole journey in 2019 and cannot believe where he is today. The opportunity to be onstage with his AeroSpace family has allowed him to flourish in creativity and enjoy the group dynamics of a joint performance. With pole in general, 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, joy, and inner (and outer) strength. He truly believes that this form of art, in addition to music, serves as a means of communicating what words cannot.

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.

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.

Jayne started dancing at the age of three and found her first love in ballet. The characters and storytelling 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 work 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. Her recent focus has been on achieving contact with alien life forms through video transmissions. See if you can spot her cameo in the show!