Adi Firefly is intrigued by the principles of life, embodied through movement. These perspectives have the ability to transform the relationships we have with our Acro practice and ourselves.

Through her studies in gymnastics, flow arts, circus, and more, Adi is constantly refining her understanding of creating longevity in the practice. Her aim is to promote a safe learning environment where practitioners can challenge themselves and find opportunities for growth. She believes Acro offers much of what today’s society lacks: physical exercise; safe, consensual, non-sexual touch; social connection; and freedom of expression.

Her latest creative obsession is creating playful ground-to-base (and back!) transitions. Collaborate and nerd out with her online @Idefirefly!

Alex has an extensive movement practice that consists of many different modalities such as partner acrobatics, rock climbing, slacklining, and many others. Working as a coach and mentor in many disciplines. Alex’s passion lies with being the one to spark people’s growth. 

He has advanced his teaching/coaching under the mentorship of Lux, Jason, and Chelsey. Through that training Alex has gained a huge focus on safety, spotting, communication, and building skills progressively. As an instructor he is always seeking the right progression for the students’ success. In that coaching he looks to refine the foundations to create ease in harder skills later on.

Amanda is an acrobat with a passion for movement, from Phoenix, AZ. From gymnastics to cheerleading, her love for physical expression started early and has only grown since. Now, she’s immersed in the world of partner acrobatics, hand balancing, tumbling, straps, and duo trapeze. If there’s one thing Amanda knows, it’s that she feels most alive when she’s upside down or flying through the air.

A former competitive gymnast and all-star cheerleader, Amanda is now a dedicated coach at the Arizona Circus Center, where she helps both kids and adults master the art of tumbling. Her coaching style is all about building solid foundations and guiding her students through creative progressions to unlock their full potential. Amanda thrives on those “aha” moments when a student finally nails a tricky skill or takes their acro to the next level.

Buddy Thomas fell in love with the concept of balance as a child. At 12 years old he designed his first and only tattoo to date, of a person balancing on a sphere. That love of balance has transformed into many practices like yoga, stilt walking, handstands, dance and slack-lining. 

In 2013 Buddy discovered AcroYoga and really valued how it offered not only the physical aspects of balance but also plays with the mental and emotional forms of balance. As a student of Acro he learned its not just about the success of getting the flow or pose, it’s about the communication, trust, play, community, connection, technique and patience it takes to reach that success. 

Certified YogaSlacker since 2015, Buddy’s enthusiasm brings joy and play to his teaching style. 

Devon Has been practicing AcroYoga since 2012. Drawn in initially by skills, ticks, and physicality, staying for the connection, community, and communication. To Devon this practice has been about opening up his mind to what is possible.  From the foundation of strong connection, and communication both verbal, and non-verbal we can explore the many facets of this beautiful practice.

Hobs is one of the most playful and friendly Acro monkeys you will ever meet! His love for all things Acro is delightfully infectious and irresistible. His commitment and dedication to the practice is obvious in his excellent technical skills, intelligent progressions and clear demonstrations.

Bio coming soon.

James “Ta-Dao!” Sitzer has been a stalwart of the Portland AcroYoga Community since 2011. He is the founder of Portland’s AcroLab, and co-creator of the Stronger & Stranger Things series. James enjoys the PNW tradition of strong-flier, solid-base style, and continues to push the limits of advanced L-base Acro.

James has attended every AcroYoga Camp-Out since 2013 and hosted the Saturday night talent show from the beginning.

Chelsey and Jason have over 30 years of combined training under their belt.  These two world class adventure athletes, acrobats, coaches and meta learners take training and teaching very seriously.

They love to teach progressively, gently coax people outside of their comfort zones and way beyond their perceived potential.  Together the two are a force to be reckoned with.  Jason will talk you off the ledge and Chelsey will catch you with open and excited arms.

Jenae is a Seattle-based Acro teacher that empowers students to build a sustainable, long-term practice through effective communication, strong fundamentals and positive visualization. Jenae enjoys all genres of acro but excels in icarian, whips, standing dynamics and free balancing. She is a fan of unique flows and sequences and wants to help students approach their practice with creativity and agency. She runs her own acro festival in Medellín, Colombia and founded a circus-themed Burning Man camp.

Jenny Sauer-Klein is the co-founder of AcroYoga. This is her first time returning to the community after leaving the organization in 2013, and she is excited to reconnect and share what she has learned over the last decade. Jenny is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about designing transformational experiences that prioritize connection over content. 

She is the founder and CEO of The Primary Shift, a workplace experience design studio that helps companies engage their employees and bring their culture to life through dynamic learning experiences. She has consulted with and ran programs for leading organizations like Airbnb, Google, Dropbox, the Haas School of Business and Stanford.  

She created Play On Purpose (a video tutorial library of her best 80+ virtual and in-person team building games) to support leaders to confidently engage and connect groups and teams. She is also the founder and CEO of The Culture Conference, an invite-only event for organizational leaders who are committed to building a positive culture from the inside out. She is a frequent presenter at international conferences such as Summit Series, Culture Summit, and Wisdom 2.0 and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc., as well as Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans.

John has been a teacher of movement for over 10 years when he started as a fitness coach. His roots began in powerlifting and evolved into many different movement practices over the years including snowboarding, aerial straps, rock climbing, and hand balancing. John’s biggest passion has been nerding out over partner acrobatics in all its forms. You can catch him doing all things acro – fast and flowy washing machines, icarian, whips, and dynamic standing are amongst his favorite.

Kady is an enthusiastic Acro instructor with a passion for teaching kids the joy of movement and connection. She engages young minds while promoting strength, balance, and teamwork. Through fun and safe activities, Kady empowers kids to discover their potential while building trust and confidence with their peers.

With a love for playful exploration and creativity, Kady has spent 5 years with Buddy collaborating, experimenting & crafting original slackro sequences, seemingly integrating dynamic poses with fluid transitions.

Driven by a love for innovation, Kady thrives on creating fresh and exciting flows that challenge the body and mind. With an unyielding enthusiasm for movement (including swing dance, line dance & and a new found love for Capoeira), she continues to inspire others to explore the endless possibilities of AcroYoga, both in the classroom and beyond.

Kaely and Katelyn are same size enthusiasts, continuously working to make being a mid accessible to anyone who wants to feel confident and strong in both roles. These Portland based acrobats have worked together for over 10 years and value a calibrated partnership with laughter, playfulness and strength. 

Kelli Mae and Sam have been clowning, playing, and teaching together since 2006. Their combined skillset of AcroYoga, circus skills, improv, Thai massage, meditation, summer camp facilitation, and general silliness means that every class is an opportunity for deep connection and expansive joy.

You’ll learn key skills in community, remember how to talk to people, and hopefully end your session feeling a little more yourself. 

Kena is a female Icarus. She always wants to fly high and free, and is very excited to share her love of Icarian Games with the Acro world!

Bio coming soon…

Rachel loves building community through this dynamic practice of trust, communication and trying of new things. I teach beginner and intermediate classes and have a strong standing practice. I was fortunate to have found Acro over 15 years ago when the Portland Acro scene was in its infancy. The last time I attended camp out I had a 3 month old baby. I am excited to return with my full capacity and attention.

Reno Gorman has been practicing acro since 2011, and teaching since 2014 after attending the first Acro Revolution (Acro Love) Teacher Training. He bases and flies a mix of L-base and standing acro styles, and handstands on just about anything/anyone. He often teaches and trains with Sariah Papaya as The Handstand Nation, Cody Tudor of Renegade Circus, and performs with Aries Moon Circus. Reno is also a fire dancer, drummer, handpan player, yoga instructor, massage therapist, podcaster (6 Degrees of Rumination) and educator.

Based in Sacramento CA.

Since their inception in 2005, the YogaSlackers have become synonymous with innovation in the yoga community.  Sam and Raquel skillfully merge the introspective practice of yoga with the dynamic elements of acrobatics and slacklining, offering a unique approach that challenges and nurtures both body and mind.

At the core of their philosophy is the pursuit of new experiences and the exploration of one’s own limits in a safe and supportive environment. Their distinctive practice of ‘slackasana’ or slackline yoga involves adapting yoga postures on a suspended piece of webbing, offering an engaging way to develop balance and concentration.

Sam and Raquel are known for their welcoming and accessible teaching style at yoga festivals around the world. Their workshops cater to a wide range of participants, emphasizing personal growth and self-discovery through collective learning and practice. Whether through slackline yoga or AcroYoga, they create an environment where everyone can participate and explore at their own pace.

Committed to fostering community and environmental awareness, Sam and Raquel lead by example, advocating for a sustainable and connected way of life. They share their passion through teaching and their adventures, traveling and connecting with diverse groups of people.

Bio coming soon….

Solana has a background in figure skating and was introduced to acro in 2021. She enjoys handstands and specializes in whip pops & H2H. She completed the Calgary acro yoga teacher training in 2023, and now teaches across North America.