Instructors
Erica
Instructor
Erica
Erica began her pole journey at Bittersweet Studios in 2015 and in that time has competed in several pole competitions and brought home multiple medals. She enjoys both sport and exotic styles. She has a passion to create flowing movements through the art of pole and her infectious energy always makes for a great class!
Summer
Instructor
Summer
Summer began her Pole and Aerial journey after she moved here from the West Coast. She began her journey in 2010 and has trained with athletes from all over the world. As the Founder and President of the US Pole Sport Federation (2014 – 2020) she began to pave the way for athletes in the USA to compete at an Olympic level on a world stage. She continues to be a huge supporter and advocate for Aerial Sports and is a certified trainer and judge for pole and aerial. She also manages a full-time career as a business owner as well as an instructor in all disciplines offered at the studio. She believes that perfecting the fundamentals is the best way to gain strength and mobility which allows you to achieve a higher level of fitness and poise.
KT
Instructor
KT
KT began dancing at the age of 3 and has held a passion for the performing arts ever since. She spent the next 13 years studying ballet, jazz, tap, and modern and became heavily involved in the Ballroom and Latin Dance community in college. In 2013, she discovered Bittersweet Studios and in 2014, she joined the Bittersweet team as an aerial silks and aerial yoga instructor. KT loves being a part of students’ aerial journey and is forever grateful to have found a home with Bittersweet Studios.
Bree
Instructor
Bree
Bree started her journey in aerial arts at a young age and trained at Bittersweet Studios when she had just entered High School. Now, as an adult, she is a performer for our event company and helps students reach their goals. Bree specializes in aerial silks and hammocks. She also has a love for Bungee Fitness and helps clients enjoy this new fitness craze. Bree is also moved her way up to becoming studio manager and keeps all of the Bittersweet Team in sync.
Andrea
Instructor
Andrea
Andrea is a long-time teacher and practitioner of fitness, yoga and movement classes. After about 20 years of yoga practice on the ground, she fell in love with doing yoga in the air and started her own company, Flying Colors Aerial Yoga, to share aerial yoga in Jacksonville. The hybrid practice of aerial yoga expanded her horizons and eventually led to a deep dive into the wider world of aerial/circus arts. Though she loves to train on hammock, dance trapeze or whatever happens to be rigged up at the moment, the aerial hoop (Lyra) is by far her favorite apparatus.
Andrea brings the sensibility of her yoga background to teaching aerial arts; she emphasizes alignment, body awareness, and intentional movement. Training, teaching (and sometimes even performing) as a yogi and aerialist is a second act to her first career as a corporate lawyer. She’s having so much more fun now.
Jayden
Instructor
Michelle
Jayden has been performing aerial arts since she was ten years old. She was the US National Pole Sports Junior Champion in 2017 and 1018 and went on to represent the USA at the World Championships. Jayden enjoyed traveling the world, competing and performing, but now enjoys teaching others to help them reach their goals.
Daniela
Instructor
Daniela
Born and raised in Brazil, Daniela brings a world of experience to Bittersweet Studios where she has called home since 2015. Daniela began dancing at 8 and has spent the last 7 years teaching pole to students of all skill levels. Understanding the reservations that new students may have, Daniela creates a non-judgmental environment for all students to feel free and express themselves. She believes being a fitness apparel owner and a Sports Mental Health Coach give her all the skills needed to make her classes fun, energetic, and welcoming.
Jason
Instructor
Jason
Jason is a former gymnast of eleven years and a former US Navy Hospital Corpsman based out of Jacksonville, Florida. He was honorably discharged from active duty in the United States Navy after serving for ten years to pursue his dream of becoming an aerial artist. He relocated back to his hometown in Jacksonville, Florida and in October 2015, joined Bittersweet Studios. Jason has had a successful teaching and performing career and has traveled the world performing with AIDA cruise lines. He is currently coaching with Circus Smirkus and performing with AirOtic Circus Cabaret.
Lexis
Instructor
Lexis
Lexis Potter is an addict of all things aerial. She began coaching circus arts in the fall of 2017 and has gone full steam ever since. Apparatuses she has trained, performed, and coached on include but aren’t limited to aerial hammock, silks, lyra, dance trapeze, triple trapeze, and a variety of partnering/doubles work across multiple apparatuses. Lexis considers herself an aerial generalist but specializes in aerial fabric (hammock and silks) and wrap theory.