Swing State Aerial Collaborators

In addition to our co-owners, Swing State Aerial works with other aerialists and performers across the city and region to create new works, put on shows, teach students, and show off our talents on social media!

Karen

Karen took classes in trapeze, silk, lyra and cloud swing in 2010 at her home circus in Bellingham, WA before settling into cloud swing as her specialty in 2012.  She was a regular member and performer at the Bellingham Circus Guild from 2012-2013.  When all the nieces and nephews started coming, Karen moved to Madison, WI to be closer to family and joined the Madison Circus Space in 2014.  Karen has been a regular performer on cloud swing and silks at various MCS shows since joining, and co-founded Swing State Aerial with Mackenzie in 2016. While other duties have called Karen elsewhere, she still teaches cloud swing and can’t wait to give her students that “wind in your hair” experience that comes with swinging.   Her background as a Physical Therapist informs her ability to work through places where students get stuck, with special attention on preventing injury and helping protect students who may have chronic injuries.

Amalia

Amalia is SSA's student assistant in silks classes, as well as a PR intern for SSA shows and productions!

A professional soprano and native of Madison, WI Amalia received her Bachelors if Music in Vocal Performance at Oberlin Conservatory and has performed with various theater companies,  including  Four Seasons Theatre, Madison Savoyards, and Middleton Players Theatre. She currently sings as a soloist and soprano section leader with Christ Presbyterian Church and one of Madison’s professional concert bands, Capitol City Band. Amalia came to a silks class for the first time in the fall of 2016 and fell in love just like the rest of us.  Since then she has become a fixture around Swing State Aerial and Madison Circus Space, expanding her apparatus repertoire, beginning choreography projects, and performing in aerial/vocal collaborations. 

Laura Hayden/
Delta Phoenix Fitness

Laura is an ACE certified personal trainer with 10+ years of experience in her field, and a lifetime of practicing artistic movement - including gymnastics, figure skating, and competitive marching band color guard. She is also an aerialist (since 2013) and primarily spends her time on dance trapeze, lyra, sling, and silks.
Over the past few years, Laura has absorbed and implemented a mind-boggling amount of information on training the body to be in optimal condition for participating in circus arts, and combines her passion for general fitness and mindful movement with her passion for movement arts. Her approach combines the art of imperfection (giving yourself grace when you make mistakes, and permission to take imperfect action along your journey) with the art of moving mindfully with excellence, so that you make the most of everything you do and train your mind-body connection to help you move safely and with grace and efficiency both in the air and on the ground.