203-324-0832
OUR TEAM
AILEEN CREAGH
Owner/Instructor
Aileen experienced the life-changing power of pole dancing and aerial arts in 2013. Since childhood through college and into her first pregnancy, Aileen was a gymnast and lifelong dancer. Though she holds a Masters Degree in Speech Language Pathology, Aileen spent most of her adult life as a full-time mother to her five kids. In 2013, Aileen lost 75 pounds and discovered pole dancing on a whim when a friend invited her to a local class. To say it was not what she expected is a gross understatement. The confidence, strength, and friendship she found helped her maintain her health, confidence, peace, and happiness. By 2014, she was an elevatED and FlyGym certified instructor, and gold medal (levels 1 and 2) competitor.
Aileen finds amazing joy in both her own dancing and the strength and confidence she sees in her students and fellow pole athletes. In 2019, she started having conversations with fellow and former students, instructors, and studio owners about the idea of opening a brand new aerial studio in Stamford, CT. As of August 2020, the studio became a reality and despite the Covid pandemic, opened for in-person classes! Besides her children, it is the happiest thing she ever did.
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In addition to her ElevatED Pole 1 and FlyGym certifications, Aileen is a certified and licensed Liquid Motion 1.0, Pole, and Heels instructor.
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Personally, Aileen's friends, students and fellow aerial athletes know her for her purple hair, her love of cupcakes, sparkly things and her 2 rescue dogs, and her eternal refusal to act her age.
She is committed to a happy life for herself and her children, and as many hours in the studio with her friends and students as possible!
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ELIN WATERSTON
Instructor
Elin grew up in the dance world, starting Ballet at age 3. She went on to study many styles of dance including, Jazz, Lyrical, Theater Dance, Highland Dance, Latin, Ballroom, and Bellydance. In 2008 Elin began practicing yoga and it became an important complement to her dancing - each discipline improving the other. The concept of combining elements of dance, yoga and aerial arts, led her to Aerial Yoga and Rope Wall Yoga.
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Elin’s interest in movement, anatomy, alignment, and functional mobility is apparent in her classes. She believes it’s of the utmost importance to keep the body healthy and moving as it is designed to move. This belief led her to study Yin Yoga and Thai Yoga Bodywork and add therapeutic elements to her teaching skills.
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Elin loves the feeling of freedom and joyfulness that all styles of movement provide, and movement’s ability to change and empower people. She is an avid student as well as a teacher and likes to find fresh, creative ways to approach her practice. She is happy to share her love of all things movement with her students.
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Elin holds the following certifications: Om Factory Aerial Yoga, 200HR E-RYT® Vinyasa Yoga, YACEP®, Grounded Aerial™ Bungee Dance, Fly Gym Aerial Fitness, Climb&Spin® Pole Dance, LaBlast® Ballroom Fitness, Matt Phippen 30 Hour TT, Biff Mithoefer Yin TT, Shai Plonski Thai Yoga Bodywork TT
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Additionally, she is the founder of Luna Aerial™ (aerial yoga teacher training program). And if all of this isn’t enough, she is a brand Ambassador for Altar Ego (15% discount code end1212) and Svelte Belle (20% discount code Elin).
PAULA DITIMI
Instructor
Paula has been involved in aerial arts for 11 years of pole fitness and 7 years of lyra. She walked through the doors of her first pole studio for fun and fell in love with the way it challenged her. Paula started teaching pole to pay for her own pole addiction. She was taking classes 6 days a week when she bought a pole for her home, but there was nothing like in-person instruction. That is when she was presented with an opportunity to teach that changed her. Paula enjoyed poling through both of her pregnancies, and says moving through her pregnancy was the only time her body felt good.
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Paula is an Xpert Pole certified instructor. Her favorite aerial moment is watching a newbie fall in love with pole.
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“Dance is my therapy, IF you catch me in my zone with my eyes closed. Whatever you see in that moment I won't be able to do again, so make sure you're recording!”
ACCRO BRANDON
Instructor
Brandon started pole dancing in 2008 when he started dating a girl who happened to be a pole and aerial performer. Little did he know it would lead him deep down this path! In 2011, he started competing professionally.
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Shortly after Brandon started doing competitions, he moved back to San Diego and started teaching at his local studio. As he started traveling for competitions, he would also hang around and do workshops at local studios or locations of friends in the community.
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Some of Brandon’s best moments on stage have been with other individuals but also as he started to believe in himself, and started getting paying gigs, international contracts and working for Cirque style companies!
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Brandon holds certifications from Acro Yoga Montreal, as well as being a Liquid Motion Master Trainer.
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One of Brandon’s personal favorite aerial experiences was cruising the Caribbean with Norwegian Cruise Lines doing aerial and pole.
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“I Hope to meet you all soon. I love to have fun, train hard, and learn new things and pass all of that along to my students!”
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JENI JANOVER
Instructor
Jeni Janover is the passionate founder and owner of Liquid Motion®. She is known for her highly technical but very attainable and entertaining approach to teaching. People flock to Jeni's classes not just because of her long list of credentials, but because of her students' success rate. Her approach is always as follows: SAFETY, EDUCATION AND THEN FUN. Jeni believes that actual knowledge of one's body and understanding how to apply proper techniques gives students the power to find the individuality in their dancing.
Jeni describes her style of dancing and teaching as a combination of science, logic, life, love, sex, and raw emotion, not to mention experience. She believes that knowledge, exploration, and education are the keys to bringing this ever-growing unconventional aerial and dance community to the forefront of modern culture.
ALEX LOWE
Instructor
Alex has been training in aerial arts since 2010, teaching from 2012 and on! She started off with pole, and then a few years later was introduced to lyra. Alex has dabbled in silks and hammock, aerial moon, spiral, hand balancing and some mild contortion! She is almost all self taught and wears many hats, her favorite being untaped lyra. She never considered herself an athletic person or super into sports or dance, so it felt so incredible to find pole and lyra that just clicked so deeply and made her feel like she IS a dancer, and can be strong and graceful. Her personal style is all about flow and organic movement. Becoming a teacher really showed her how passionate she is about aerial, and Alex loves being able to break down intricate tricks and combos for her students. In her free time she loves spending time with her pups, being outside, and crafting!!
DOMINIQUE URSO
Instructor
Dominique has been involved in pole fitness for 8 years. She was a competitive gymnast when she was younger, and after college she was looking for exercise other than just the gym, a place where she could make new friends that shared the same interest. Dominque started teaching in 2013. She felt teaching would help her excel in our industry, network with other successful women, and build her confidence. She claims she is actually really shy (introvert) even though she might not come off that way.
Dominque has many memorable moments in her aerial journey, but a standout memory happened at one of her competitions. She blanked out 3/4 way through her routine and had to freestyle the rest. It was the first time she really felt like she failed, and it happened again the following competition. After that, she learned that nothing goes the way it’s supposed to on stage, so success is how you recover and make it work in the moment.
One of Dominique’s favorite aerial moments was her first competition at the Atlantic Pole Competition, by Pole Sport Organization. “I don’t know why, but I had the most confidence going in-maybe it was a beginner thing.”
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Outside of the studio, Dominique is the owner of Aerial Dancewear, a designer/illustrator in the beauty and fashion industries, and a dog mom. Also those who know her know how much she loves to eat! Orchids are her favorite flower.
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Dominique holds pole certifications from Xpert & elevatEd.
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ARIELLA RAHBANI
Instructor
Ariella joins EAF’s fabric team, teaching both aerial yoga and swivel hammock. In her words: “I have been practicing yoga for 13 years, and teaching for 4. I have been practicing aerial yoga for 4 years, and teaching for 3. I got into aerial yoga after my 200 hour yoga training. I was looking for more ways to deepen my practice and feel in love with aerial yoga. I became certified through Om Factory and have been teaching ever since!
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I started teaching because I realized that the aerial aspect accompanied my yoga training perfectly and I wanted to share my passion for aerial with other students.
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I own Rose Yogi LLC, my own yoga and wellness brand. I have my 200 hr RYT certification from Yoga Culture, aerial yoga certification through Om Factory, silks certification from Air temple arts, 20 hr Flexologist training for one-on-one assisted training, 20 hr Pilates mat certification from Equinox Inc, and currently finishing up my masters degree to become a Nutritionist.
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My favorite aerial moment is seeing the look on a student’s face when they have finally stuck a new move/transition/pose that they had been working on for a while and seeing the proud look come over their face.
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I love to dance, travel and be around good people and energy and let those times roll."
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AMY CAPPELLI
Instructor
Amy began her pole/floor-work journey as an EmpoweredAF student in 2022. After intensive training, dedication, and hard work, she is now a Licensed Liquid Motion® floor-work and Liquid Motion® Pole Instructor.
CERTIFICATIONS:
CPR/AER CERTIFIED
Liquid Motion® 1.0
Liquid Motion® Pole
“I love teaching and using the Liquid Motion® methodology because it provides the necessary skillset for ALL LEVELS, to gain body awareness, & strength, for seamless, sensual movement. It allows me to fully be myself & create. The Liquid Motion® methodology gives the tools freestyle with confidence. I am passionate and determined to teach others how access safe & sensual movement with theory, creativity & a whole lot of fun!”
KANA HIGUCHI
Instructor
Though Kana began pole dancing in 2022, movement has been a central part of her life since childhood: She was a competitive gymnast, competitive cheerleader, and collegiate burlesque dancer. In the first half of 2023, she completed the Teacher Training Program at Body & Pole, became ElevatED Levels 1 & 2 certified, and completed Marlo Fisken's Invert Ready Program. She became an instructor of pole and flexibility in the Summer of 2023.
As a dancer, Kana chases the sensation of dancing “with” the pole rather than on it. As an instructor, she loves witnessing lightbulb moments, when students understand and implement a concept that shapes their movement. She strives to provide a grounding and supportive presence for dancers as their newfound strengths emerge.
Outside of her pole-life, Kana enjoys gardening, is a volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and has dreams of eventually becoming a home birth midwife.
BRYANNA GRILLO
Instructor
Bryanna fell in love with pole dancing in June 2019. She and her friends thought it
would be a fun Friday night activity, she had a BLAST and she has been hooked ever
since!
She loves the challenge of pole, and the supportive and uplifting community. In 2021 she impulsively signed up for a Pole Sport Org (PSO) competition as a way to develop her skills and have a goal to work towards. After months of hard work, she tied for first in her division and discovered her love of performing. Now you can find her signing up for any showcase that will have her.
Bryanna completed Aerial Yoga teacher training with Playful Yogi Space in August 2022, and Level 1 Pole teacher training with Pole Position Dance Studio in September 2022. She loves attending International Pole Con, where she can take workshops from instructors across the world and bring what she learns back to Empowered Aerial Fitness. Her favorite part of teaching is sharing the joy of pole with new students, and showing them that although pole is hard, YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!
TAMMY BONESTEEL
Instructor
Tammy began her journey as a child who loved dancing, taking dance lessons for tap, jazz, and hip hop. She also loved the art of gymnastics, being a big fan of the stunning movements and acrobats.
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In 2014 she started to take aerial yoga classes and found a new love. Aerial quickly became her passion! And soon she became a certified Flying Yoga instructor.
And then after several years of being a pole dancing student in 2021 she got certified in Climb and Spin pole dancing.She truly believes in the benefits of Aerial Yoga and the strength and beauty it takes to learn pole dancing.
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She encourages everyone to feel empowered during class, encouraging students to not give up when it gets challenging.When we move the body in new ways, we can learn more about who we are and what we are truly capable of.
Tammy is also certified in Angel Intuitive Therapy and is a Reiki Master.She works full time for World Wrestling Entertainment, but also loves to read Tarot/Oracle cards and talk about astrology.
Let’s hang upside down together and bust a move on the dance floor!
LIZ BOHAN
Instructor
In 2009, Liz took her first pole class at a bachelorette party & immediately bought a pole, but learning was slow. While still at her previous career, a friend had given her an article written about Jeni Janover, creator of Liquid Motion & one of your fabulous new instructors! Liz contacted her, and in Sept 2012, she began classes and her obsession with dancing in the air.
In 2013, Liz became Elevated Education certified to teach pole, and a few months later, she found Lyra & aerial hammock, now engrossing herself in the aerial world. Liz is self-taught, and represents 4 dance, aerial & yoga studios throughout CT/NY.
Growing-up, Liz danced as much as possible with friends & had an 8yr go-go dancing career working for various DJs in the Tristate. "It was the best job ~ a true ambassador of fun". This solidified her love for moving, but pole & aerials helped elevate Liz to make the shapes with her body the way she imagines is possible.
Liz came to pole as a way to heal & express herself ~ dancing has always been her medium for exerting excess energy, and giving her life. Liz is interested in the brain & body, the mechanics of massage therapy modalities, laughing, gardening & has a goal to feed as many people as her yard allows.
"Teaching dance is one of the most rewarding careers. I most enjoy helping students do things they didn't think were possible, and that's encouraging. I'm honored to be a part of the amazing staff at Empowered AF"