Our Aerial Instructors
Alaina Ray
Owner, Co-Founder
Instructs Trapeze, Lyra, Silks, Chains, Spanish Web, & Odd Apparatuses
Book a Private Lesson with Alaina
Alaina is the owner at Refuge Aerial who primarily teaches trapeze, lyra, and silks. With a background in dance and fitness, her love for aerial began in 2017 and grew into what she and her co-founder built at Refuge Aerial. Alaina loves sharing with in her students’ goals, finding the best and most fun ways to get moving, make progress, and achieve awesome things.
Follow her on Instagram: @aerialapothecary
Jenn Brown
Instructs Aerial Silks, Sling
Jenn started her aerial journey in 2014 and still feels like she’s barely scratched the surface of all there is to know! She co-teaches our Beginner 2+ Silks and Sling class on Saturdays and enjoys the chance to teach beginner silks a couple times a month. When she isn’t flying through the air or pulling a crazy strength trick, she makes monsters for a living. So you can imagine, Halloween is her absolute favorite. Aerial and Halloween puts her in heaven.
Follow her on Instagram: @jennesthesia
Stephanie Yowell Lee
Instructs Aerial Silks, Sling
Stephanie is an Environmental Scientist by day and an aerialist by night! She began aerial arts in 2019 and was instantly in love! She specializes in aerial sling but enjoys silks, lyra, cube, prism….if it’s in the air, she’s there! She is currently teaching Beginner Sling on Thursdays, Beginner Silks/Sling on Fridays, and a Kid’s Circus Class on Sundays. Her greatest love is sharing the joy of aerials, seeing her students succeed, and performing!
Follow her on Instagram: @stephanie_slings
Rebecca Taylor
Instructs Kids Classes, Trapeze, Sling and Flexibility
Rebecca "Spitfire" Taylor recently moved to Baton Rouge after spending 12 years in Chicago. Holding a Master's degree in Theatre Performance from Louisiana Tech University, they found aerial at renowned Chicago circus school- Aloft Circus Arts in 2015. They quickly fell in love with trapeze and the rest is history. Rebecca specializes in dynamic static trapeze, dance trapeze, sling, tumbling/acrodance, and stretching/active flexibility. While in Chicago, they taught at Aloft Circus Arts and MSA Circus Arts; as well as being a resident aerialist at Untitled Supper Club, and full-time performer. Rebecca is super excited to see what adventures await in Baton Rouge and at Refuge Aerial!
Follow her on Instagram: @spitfire.acroartist
Liza Rose
Instructs Aerial Silks, Corde Lisse (Rope), Trapeze, and Private Lessons of all kinds
Liza is an aerialist and circus educator based in New Orleans. Her career has spanned two decades and has taken her around the world. She is a generalist with a knack for translating aerial vocabulary, technique, and theory across different apparatus. She works on static trapeze, hammock, rope, lyra, and silks, and loves an invented apparatus. She has a dance and gymnastics background and dabble in floor acrobatics, hand balancing, chair stacking, and object manipulation. Her goal as a coach and mentor is to teach circus artists how to fuse acrobatic movement technique and creative praxis so that they are empowered to achieve new levels of creativity and sustainability in their work. She emphasizes theory over skills and creativity over replication.
Follow her on Instagram: @thereallizarose
Check out her website: New Orleans -Liza Rose (lizaroseaerial.com)
Meaghan Keel
Instructs Aerial Lyra
Meaghan first discovered aerials in 2016 and it was love at first flight. It quickly became a creative outlet for her at a time she really needed it. In 2018 she made the decision to work toward become an instructor to hopefully share with others the same joy and confidence aerial fitness had given her. She is passionate about helping students grow and succeed in their journey and enjoys being a part of the process. Over the years she has been blessed with opportunities to perform and share her love for the art. One of her favorite things is teaching students how to flow in the lyra and learn how to connect with the music.
Taylor Busby
Instructs Aerial Silks
Taylor found aerial silks at Refuge Aerial, and now she is an instructor! From day one, Taylor knew aerial was for her - and she drives all the way from Washington Parish to enjoy it and teach it each week! As a teacher in her muggle life, her skills in helping students figure out the fabrics comes so peacefully and naturally. If you don’t know Taylor yet, a fun fact is that she is a sucker for a shirt, sticker, or meme with a raccoon, armadillo, or other misunderstood rodent on it!
Katie Rabalais
Instructs Aerial Lyra
Katie has been in and out of the air for nearly a decade, with a love for both sling and lyra—but she'll be focusing on instructing lyra here at Refuge... for now. She fell in love with the aerial arts as the perfect blend of strength and creativity AND she’s passionate about making the circus world feel welcoming to everyone. Whether you're trying your very first straddle or experimenting with tricky choreography, she’s all about celebrating progress and cheering you on. As a performer, she loves weaving together music, costume, and movement to tell layered, emotionally resonant stories.
By day, she works as a graphic designer and strives to be a lifelong artist across many mediums—whether it’s on paper or in the air.
