ABOUT US
We're a group of athletes who became friends through love of aerial. We train together several times a week, focusing on building strength and flexibility, improving technique and form, and choreographing dynamic routines that are sure to captivate and delight our audiences. We love to fly and want to share the excitement with our community.
Wings aerialists are independent contractors, available for hire outside of Wings contracted events. They each carry personal performers liability insurance and employ safe aerial practices.
Photo Credit Xavier Brainard
ELAINA
Aerialist, Acrobat
Elaina, co-founder of Wings Aerial Acrobats, started training aerial when she was eleven years old. She has trained under professional aerialists in Colorado Springs, Denver, Olympia, and Seattle. Elaina performed throughout Colorado with Aerial Aura and the Salida Circus. In February 2022, Elaina competed All-Star Silks and Lyra at Aerialympics Nationals in Salt Lake and placed first in both events. Some larger events Elaina performed for in Colorado include: Colorado State Fair, El Paso County Fair, and North Glen Pirate Fest. Since moving to Washington, Elaina has performed for many events, including the Lakewood's SummerFEST, the Thurston County Fair, Capital Lake Fair, Harbor Days, Lacey's Firework Spectacurlar, Northwest Pirate Festival, and Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire. She has also performed at many community events such as block parties, retirement parties, holiday parties, corporate events, and fundraisers. She participated in several stage shows, including the Salida Circus', "Circus Wedding," Aerial Aura's "Mythico," and Dragonfly's "OZ" production. Her primary apparatuses are silks and lyra, but she also enjoys duo hoop and trapeze, aerial straps, rope, and static and dance trapeze, contortion, hula-hooping, and hand-balancing.
Photo Credit Dan McCormack
JEALOUSY
Aerialist, Hand-balancer, Flow artist
Jealousy has been training various movement styles for the last fifteen years. She started with competitive cheer where she and her team worked their way to Nationals and took first. While attending college, Jealousy facilitated and taught classes in social dancing, including East and West Coast Swing dances, Blues, and Fusion. She performed Tahitian and Hula at private and public events. Jealousy also trains circus-style hand-balancing and fan flow-art. Her love for movement led her to aerial, where she trains and performs solo and duo lyra, hammock, and dance trapeze. Since joining Wings, Jealousy has performed for many events, such as Orting's 4th of July Festival, Lakewood's SummerFest, Lacey's Firework Spectacular, the Thurston County Fair, Olympia's Harbor Days, the Northwest Pirate Festival, Yelm's Prairie Days, Capital Lake Fair, and the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire. Jealousy placed first in Advanced Lyra when she competed in Aerialympics Nationals 2022. Regardless of the mode of movement, Jealousy's fluidity and elegance enchants her audiences. Her favorite aerial apparatuses include aerial hammock, dance trapeze, aerial lyra, duo lyra, and duo trapeze. She is also an elegant flow-artist, specializing in Silk Fans.
Photo Credit Dan McCormack
LINDSAY MIDDLETON
Aerialist, Flow artist
Lindsay joined the Wings Aerial Acrobatics team in May 2022. She brings a completely different style, different acts, performing and show creation experience, and a new energy to the Wings team. Lindsay's passion for circus started at a young age, tumbling, hula hooping, and playing with fire. During her early twenties, Lindsay began pursuing circus arts seriously, diving deep into the world of flow arts. Her love for circus and movement led her to aerial dance. She instantly fell in love with flying and trains and performs on aerial silks, aerial hoop, aerial hammock, dance trapeze, rope, and Spanish web. While she’s on the ground, Lindsay trains and performs flow arts with her poi, hula hoop, and fans. She is a certified fire-spinner and loves to bring the heat! Lindsay has been training and performing aerial and flow arts for the last five years with Airbound Arts and Airbound Underground in Olympia, WA. She continues to be actively involved in the Olympia aerial scene. Since joining the Wings team, Lindsay has performed for the Northwest Pirate Festival, Capital Lake Fair, Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire, and the Thurston County Fair.
Photo Credit Dan McCormack
Katie Lynch
Aerialist, Hand-balancer, Acrobat
Katie is a full time aerial arts instructor and performer based out of Gig Harbor, WA. Her passion for fitness and people led her to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science, Pre-OT, with the intention of becoming an Occupational Therapist. After earning her undergrad
she was swept into the world of circus arts and used her skills and education in an entirely different way. Katie founded Ethereal Arts Northwest, an aerial studio in her hometown, in December of 2018. Coaching and performing has now become her full time occupation and allows her to pursue her passion for aerial while sharing it with her community. She has been coaching circus arts for over 5 years now, and works with students of all ages and abilities. Katie primarily performs corde lisse (rope), hand-balancing, and straps. She is also
a proficient performer and instructor in silks and acrobatics.
Photo Credit Sanderling Photography
Elizabeth Grooms
Aerialist, Acrobat
Elizabeth Grooms is a multifaceted circus artist, specializing in aerial silks, while also training a wide variety of aerial apparatuses, partner acrobatics, juggling, and hand balancing. She combines her love for circus with a passion for storytelling through film, interdisciplinary performances, and installation art. Beginning her movement journey with gymnastics as a child, Elizabeth discovered circus as a member of OCircus at Oberlin College where she received a degree in Cinema Studies with a minor in Dance.
Elizabeth has previously trained at Asa Bela Studio in Bloomington, IN, the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts in Seattle and Circus Warehouse in New York City. In 2020 she completed the two year, full time Professional Training Program at Aloft Circus Arts in Chicago, IL where she majored in aerial silks and minored in cyr wheel, while also developing a wide range of skills across apparatuses and ensemble building. Previously she worked at Payomet Cirque by the Sea as an instructor, performer, and camp administrator on Cape Cod, MA. Recently she taught and performed at the Aerial House in Los Angeles. Currently she teaches silks, conditioning, and flexibility at Ethereal Arts Northwest in Gig Harbor, WA and performs throughout the Seattle area. Learn more about Elizabeth at ElizabethGrooms.
Photo Credit Alice Neiman
Julia McDonald
Aerialist, Stilt Walker
Julia has always had a passion for the arts and athleticism. Julia was an active performer in choir, jazz band, and ensembles throughout her education. As a teenager, she competed in swimming, diving, basketball, and track. Her love for music, performing, and competing has naturally led her to the world of circus. Her interest in circus started when who was young, growing up using her dad's homemade stilts. Julia's wide variety of sporting endeavors has giver her a deep understanding of body mechanics and a keen eye for coaching.
Julia found circus in 2020, when she started taking classes at the aerial studio, Ethereal Arts Northwest, in Gig Harbor. She instantly fell in love with aerial silks and hasn't looked back. Julia started coaching and performing aerial silks in 2021. At Ethereal, she instructs people of all ages in aerial silks and is the head instructor for youth classes. She loves forming personal connections with her students and witnessing them grow as people, as well as aerialists. She has coached many students through act creation and performance. Julia's analytical thinking gives her a unique perspective and mastery of fabric theory. She specialized in performing silks, including duo and synchronized silks, rope, and duo hoop. You can find her performing through the greater Seattle area.
Photo credit Sanderling Photography
Supporting the team
Sarah Brainard - Manager, marketing, booking. wings.aerialacro@gmail.com
Xavier Brainard - Videography, photography, rigging, balloon twisting, and everything else.
JOIN US!
We would love to expand our team and offer more acts. If you are an aerialist looking to perform, or if you have any other circus skills (contortion, hooping, dragon staff, juggling, etc.) and would like to perform with Wings as an independent contractor, please reach out to Sarah at wings.aerialacro@gmail.com.