Meet our Instructors
At RI Circus Space, we have three types of coaches..
Staff Instructors: Our core teaching team who lead weekly classes, private lessons and workshops. They shape the RICS experience and help our students grow in strength, skill, and creativity.
Developing Instructors: Coaches in training are emerging instructors gaining hands-on experience as they develop their teaching and leadership skills alongside our staff team.
Junior Coaches: Youth assistants under 18 who are learning to teach and lead within the RICS community. They can begin helping in classes around ages 13–14 and gradually take on more responsibility as they gain experience.
Click on the Bios below to learn more!
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Ana Coffey's passion for circus began in 2008 at a little college in North Carolina. Ana started with rock climbing and tree climbing then began experimenting with Aerial Lyra, Hammock, and Fabric in the old college gymnasium. During her college years, Ana trained and performed with Asheville Aerial Arts, a small performance troupe in Asheville, NC.
Ana found such joy and healing in this art form that she decided to pursue Circus as a career. After graduating college with a B.S. in Biology and taking a year to work with a professional arborist company, Ana participated in the 2011-2012 Intensive Training program at New England Center for Circus arts. At NECCA, she majored in Aerial Fabric and minored in "Stilting Lyra" ( aka lyra while wearing stilts).
With the Intensive Training Program behind her, Ana taught Aerial Circus in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Oregon before settling to teach in RI until the end of 2017. In 2018 Ana took a few years off from Circus to build her super weird (underground) forever home with her husband, and work on organic vegetable farms before coming back to teach for RICS in the spring of 2022. She couldn't be happier to be back!
Follow Ana on instagram @beauty.in.each.day
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Ian is a versatile circus artist who is currently a touring trouper with Circus Smirkus, a 30-member youth troupe (ages 10-18) that performs throughout New England in the summer. Ian is constantly working to improve his skills and is happy to share his knowledge with his students. He regularly trains at Aim High Academy East Greenwich, RI) Eastern Acrobatics (Natick, MA) and Flying Gravity Circus (Wilton, NH.) Ian is particularly skilled in dynamic swings and swivels on vertical apparatuses. Currently his main focus is straps and duo aerial work. He also enjoys basing in partner acrobatics and tumbling. He is beginning to train teeterboard and tramp wall. In addition to his aerial and acrobatic skills, Ian is able to walk on stilts and juggle a bit (when necessary).
Ian is a junior coach at RICS however he is most known for teaching the higher levels on vertical apparatuses. Adults and youth both enjoy his challenging classes.
When he’s not busy studying in his online high school, Ian works in video production and enjoys photography. He is also the social media manager for Rhode Island Circus Space.
You can follow him on instagram or YouTube @aerialian.
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Lilly is 17 years old and currently in her 9th year of circus. Her primary concentration is fabric, but really anything that involves being upside down or spinning is fun. Lilly loves sharing her passion for aerials and is excited to work with other people just starting out on their own circus journey.
Some fun facts about Lilly are that her favorite thing in the world is when the clouds are pink and being outside in the sunshine. She also strongly believes that pineapple does in fact belong on pizza.
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Skye started training aerials when she was six. She specializes in fabric and rope, and plays with hammock, lyra and straps as well. She has attended circus summer camps in Austria and in Vermont. When she is not in the air, she rides a unicycle, twirls a hula-hoop and practices partner-acro and tumbling. She enjoys clowning and pretending to fall flat on her face.
Skye loves nature and likes to season her outdoor explorations with a bit of circus as well. When she is not in circus-mode, she enjoys making visual art, dancing with no understanding whatsoever of technique and practicing her granny skills by knitting striped sweaters.
Skye recently completed her first Aerial Teacher Training program with Paper Doll Militia and is looking forward to touring with Circus Smirkus for the second time this summer.
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Who will be the next member of the RICS family?
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Cam Zweir started his circus career almost a decade ago when he joined the Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour as a trouper in 2014. With his background in gymnastics he toured three summers with the youth circus from Vermont. Upon turning 18 he was given the opportunity to join the 2017 National Tour of “Pippin” the Broadway show as an acrobat/ensemble member. He went on to work for the 2018 tour of Cirque Us’ “Starstruck.” Next he was contracted working for TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3, a cruise line based out of Germany, as an acrobat/ensemble member in 2019. Upon completing the contract, he took a step back from circus arts to focus on getting a college degree.
This past year Cam has returned to the circus arts as a performer and coach. He has a background in floor acrobatics, hand to hand/adagio, banquine, pyramids, mini tramp, trampoline, cradle, hoop diving, and clowning. He has also dabbled in duo trapeze, straps, and juggling. He has coached at Circus Smirkus Camp, Upper Valley Circus, Ferox Ninja Gym, and Western Mass Gymnastics. As a coach, he likes to instill a good foundation and technique while also creating a fun and encouraging environment for developing skills.
Follow on Instagram @cam_zweir
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Jess took her first lyra class in 2014 at Emerald City Trapeze while visiting a friend in Seattle, and immediately fell in love with the beauty, grace and challenge of this type of movement in the air. She has been training as an aerialist ever since, primarily on lyra and silks, but she has also dabbled in hammock and dance trapeze.
Jess trained for many years in a duo partnership on lyra, and is proud to have had the opportunity to perform this duo act at a number of events across Rhode Island including at venues like Twin River and the Waterfire Arts Center. Jess transitioned into coaching in 2019, and loves being able to share her passion with newcomers. At the same time, coaching allows her to continue to explore and expand her own knowledge of the fundamentals of aerial movement, fabric theory, body biomechanics and how to make aerial accessible to anyone who wants to try it. In addition to her aerial instructor certification from Gainesville Circus Center, Jess also holds teaching certifications in Vinyasa Yoga and Restorative Yoga and has taught yoga since 2017.
Instagram @jld_yoga
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In 2017, Mana’s long time affinity for dark cabaret and haunted carnivals inevitably led her to seek out circus arts as a form of self expression. After taking her first Lyra class and joining her university’s partner acro club in a tiny Northern California coastal town, her fate was sealed…
Over the years Mana has spent time as a member of non profit aerial collective Synapsis in Humboldt County, CA as well as trained internationally at Circomedia, Spin City, and The Island while living in the UK. After moving to the east coast in 2021 Mana mainly focused on solo training before joining Rhode Island Circus Space in 2023.
Although her main discipline is Lyra/Aerial Hoop, Mana is also a haunter, bubble entertainer, martial artist, dabbles in juggling, hand balancing and tumbling, and is officially licensed as “Clown Adjacent.”
Instagram: @FirelordMana
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Stephanie is a seasoned aerial arts enthusiast and an accomplished instructor of hot yoga and inferno pilates. She is a certified aerial arts instructor and generously volunteers her time at Rhode Island Circus Space (RICS) in various roles, such as substitute teacher, open training supervisor, and business advisor. She possess a remarkable talent for remembering aerial sequences and wraps, as well as the discipline to consistently practice them. With experience in a variety of aerial disciplines, including fabric, lyra, hammock, and dance trapeze, Stephanie is always eager to learn new skills and share her knowledge with others.
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Gabi is a talented aerial circus artist, having begun her training in aerial silks in 2013 and transitioning to teaching in 2018. She has an impressive range of skills in fabric, sling, lyra, pole, and contortion, honed through years of dedicated practice and performance. Gabi is well-known for her grace and fluidity in the air as well as her friendly and approachable nature.
As an instructor, Gabi has had the opportunity to teach at various locations across New England, including CAT Studio (Swansea, MA) , Wheelock Family Theater (Boston, MA) and as a member of the Cirque Us coaching staff at Upper Valley Circus Camp (Lebanon, NH). Gabi calls Rhode Island Circus Space her home base, where she's particularly well-regarded as a private lesson instructor for youth and teens.
When not soaring through the air, Gabi can be found furthering her education at the University of Rhode Island, where she is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education and Art. Gabi also serves as a Teacher's Assistant at a school in Rhode Island, and occasionally teaches art one-on-one with students.
To see Gabi in action, check her out on Instagram @aerial_art_gabria.
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Kate Sweet does not enjoy writing in the third person but she does love circus! Getting her start at 11 years old, she was begging her mom to take her for lessons as often as she could beginning at [the now closed} Overhead Arts (New Bedford, MA.)
Since then she has trained in fabric, lyra, partner acrobatics, stilts, and aerial cube.
Kate was accepted into the New England Center For Circus Arts (aka NECCA Burlington, VT) pro-track program in 2020 with a major in lyra and a minor in laying on the floor, "thinking". She often travels to continue her own training at NECCA, SHOW Circus Studio (Easthampton, MA.) and at various studios in Montreal. Kate utilizes space at RICS to train with coaches virtually as well.
An aerial instructor since the age of 15, Kate shares her love of movement and expression through aerial arts. You can usually find her in the RICS space dancing, with a bowl of pasta in hand.
Keep up with Kate on instagram @kate.sweet.soaring
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Renee is an aerial arts instructor who has been teaching both adult and youth students since 2017. With a focus on developing students’ strength, flexibility, and endurance, she helps them become well-rounded athletes and performers. Discovering circus as an adult herself, she especially enjoys introducing other adults to this art form as a fun fitness option.
Renee has experience in fabric, lyra, dance trapeze, and partner acrobatics. She has traveled throughout New England to take workshops and train with different coaches in various disciplines.
She is a certified personal trainer (NASM) and aerial arts instructor (GCC). Renee currently teaches at Rhode Island Circus Space and is a visiting instructor at Flying Gravity Circus in Wilton, NH. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), one of the leading circus training institutions in the country.
As an aerialist, Renee is passionate about exploring new developments in the industry and fostering strong connections within the circus community. As the director of Rhode Island Circus Space, she has a clear vision for building a vibrant and inclusive space for circus artists in Rhode Island. Her goal is to introduce more people to the joys of circus and to draw artists from other regions to share their expertise by offering a dedicated place to train and perform.
She posts on Instagram @aerial_renegade.
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Simone Lukas-Jogl is a professional Rolfer® with 24 years of experience. She has worked with a variety of clients, including dancers, actors, and singers in New York City, and has a particular interest in supporting the self-development of those involved in fitness or the performing arts.
In addition to her career as a Rolfer, Simone is also a Gyrotonic trainer and movement coach. She was a professional ballroom dancer and is currently an aerialist, and uses her own training and experiences to inform her work with clients. She understands the challenges and fears that can hold people back in their training and is committed to helping others find ways to overcome these challenges and reach their full potential.
Through her combined knowledge and experience, Simone is well-equipped to support and guide those seeking to improve their flexibility, strength, and grace in movement.
At RICS, Simone offers her expertise in biomechanics, movement, and performance through workshops and special series classes. She also offers one on one Circus Body Consultations to help recreational and professional movement artists maximize their potential and athletic longevity.
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Marissa Shaffer is a multidisciplinary circus artist from Philadelphia, PA. A longtime competitive rhythmic gymnast, Marissa discovered circus in the fall of 2019 through the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. While pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in Technology Studies and Computer Science at Brown University, they have created, directed, and performed solo acts in four full-length shows with Brown Aerial Acrobatics, spending the past three summers working at Circus Smirkus Camp as a coach. She specializes in hula hoop, aerial rope, lyra, and clown, but is noted for her versatility within the performing arts, whether it be aerials, improv, contortion, singing, juggling, dance, or theatre.