About Us
Swing State Aerial Grew from Community
Swing State Aerial began as a collaborative project between Mackenzie, Karen, Stephanie, Jess, Luella, and Isis, along with other aerial friends. Between 31 years of aerial experience, a dance degree, a fine arts degree, a masters in public health, massage therapy certification, music and arts administration work, we connected over a focus on creating community through dance and aerial arts.
Swing State Aerial is now managed by Mackenzie with a focus on inclusive teaching and out-of-the-box wrap and movement theory! Mackenzie splits her time between Chicago, Madison, and the rest of the world, traveling to teach workshops and retreats. She continues her work in creating community by promoting Every Body is An Aerial Body - developing and managing the Larger Than Lithe Aerialists community, running retreats for body diverse aerialists, teaching ACE workshops and other outreach to teachers, and collaborative projects across studios.
All instructors teaching Swing State Aerial have trained with Nimble Arts and/or Born to Fly Teacher Training programs, maintain first aid/CPR certification and concussion training, and our classes take place in a facility and program that participates in the American Circus Educators Safety Program.
Instructors and Staff
Mackenzie
Director & Lead Instructor
Director of IL Operations
Mackenzie was bitten by the dance bug nearly at birth - first ballet and tap, then exploring modern dance, tumbling, musical theatre, and clowning. This passion led to studies in Dance at Macalester College and Iowa State University. One day during a dance class after moving to Madison, she wondered how she could learn to fly on the trapezes looped to the studio ceiling, and when she started trapeze with Wild Rumpus Circus a few months later, a circus love was born.
Quickly expanding her studies into silks, rope, pole, and custom apparatuses, Mackenzie soon began choreographing and producing shows, beginning with the 2013 Chiaroscuro Student Showcase with Cycropia Aerial Dance. She also began assistant teaching with Wild Rumpus Circus and fell in love all over again, now with the joy of new students taking first flight. When Madison Circus Space opened, she jumped right in, creating, directing, producing, and/or choreographing in shows like Skeleton Circus, Circus After Dark, and Circus on TV. In 2016 she began teaching aerial silks, eventually adding trapeze and sling. Mackenzie specializes in helping students with all different shapes and sizes become fabulous aerialists in a supportive and fun environment.
Find Mackenzie at Frankfort Circus Center in Frankfort, IL and Chicago Center for Dynamic Circus in Chicago. Mackenzie also will travel to host classes, workshops, and teacher trainings anywhere in the world!
William
Instructor
Director of WI Operations
Christina
Administrative Intern
Katie
Social Media Intern
William began taking aerial silks classes with Mackenzie shortly before the pandemic. When Swing State Aerial reopened, William was one of the first faces back in classes, and then one of the constant faces in all the classes!
William has an especially brilliant theory mind, discovering new pathways, modifications, wraps, and progressions every single day. He also has a fun, warm, inviting personality that makes everyone feel welcome and safe just being themselves!
William regularly teaches Sunday Intro to Aerial Arts and Sunday Silks classes. His classes are wildly popular, with a friendly and fun atmosphere!
Christina, or Stina, has been taking classes at Swing State Aerial and Madison Circus Space for years! She is in love with flow choreography on lyra and sling, and is mesmerizing to watch! Stina is endlessly kind to others and always willing to help out where she can.
Christina handles many admin tasks for Swing State Aerial - if you need assistance with booking a party, changes to a class, or other information, you may find yourself chatting with her. She is one of the loveliest people alive - consider yourself lucky!
Katie began classes in 2022, and very quickly became the ride-or-die of all the students! Always funny, bubbly and uplifting to others, Katie works hard in class and laughs the whole time.
Katie is responsible for classroom photography, social media posts and some marketing. If you want your picture on our social media or have a brilliant idea for an aerial TikTok, talk to Katie!
Co-Founders
Stephanie
Stephanie joined an intro to aerial arts class with Wild Rumpus Circus in 2010, and fell in love, expanding from trapeze into silks, lyra, rope, and pole. Beyond a love of flying, Stephanie found that circus offers a warm, supportive community that lifts up all its members. Stephanie began producing acts as a student. When Madison Circus Space opened its doors, it allowed a venue for creative circus arts to really dream big. Stephanie along with Mackenzie and Isis was a founding director of the first Skeleton Circus, and Circus After Dark. With a day-job in arts administration, Stephanie is also very concerned with building community relationships, so that no one with a love of death-defying feats ever has to be turned away.
Stephanie continues to run a very successful youth aerial arts program from Madison Circus Space - check out her class listings!
Jess
Jess comes from a background of music, modern dance, and aerial arts, beginning with Cycropia Aerial Dance and moving to Madison Circus Space when it first opened.
Jess co-choreographs, co-produces, co-owns, volunteers, and generally partners in SSA crime whenever we get up to a project. She's also the very best at making sure we stay on our training and conditioning programs and that we COUNT the music, danggit!!
Jess and her mesmerizing movement style can be seen almost anywhere Swing State Aerial is performing. Don't miss it!
Isis
Isis fell in love with dance trapeze in 2011 and trained and performed regularly until the pandemic. Trapeze continues to be her first aerial love, although she has experience with aerial silks, rope, and several other apparatus.
Isis was fortunate to be introduced to aerial alongside several talented dancers who helped her blend aspects of modern dance into her aerial practice. Isis believes wholeheartedly in the inclusivity of circus and her driving philosophy is that aerial is for all bodies.
Isis retired from aerial work during the pandemic, but we were so lucky to work with her!
Luella
Luella is a mesmerizing performer with a background in dance - she has a BA in Dance from Beloit College and has performed with Frente de la Danza in Ecuador, Agnieszka Laska Dancers in Portland, and Kanopy Dance Company and Li Chiao-Ping Dance in Madison. She has been training and performing aerial dance since 2011, whenever she isn't home with her 3 young children.
Along with being one of the midwest's foremost aerial performers Luella is a talented solo, duo, and group choreographer, and a gifted teacher, especially for students with a dance background.
Luella offers lessons for dancers/movement artists in silks and rope. Check out her listing at Madison Circus Space!