he Aerialistas formed in 2004 under the Artistic Direction of Lara Paxton. Since then, they have performed with Circus Contraption for their 2004 Halloween show, at the Seattle Center for the 2004 Winterfest, and at the 2005 Moisture Festival.

ara Paxton founded the Aerialistas in 2004 for a special performance at Winterfest in Seattle Center. In doing so she brought together some of the best aerialists in Seattle. Lara was introduced to Aerial dance by Tamara the Trapeze Lady in 1998. She has gone on to study dance trapeze with Robert Davidson and rope, tissu, and static trapeze at the Circus Space in London. Later she studied at the San Francisco Circus Center and at Circo Criollo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1998, she founded Circus Contraption, Seattle's wandering circus, and served as its Artistic Director till 2005. Since 2001, she has been teaching aerial arts to children and adults. Lara has also been awarded several grants, including the Gap grant from Artists Trust in 2001, the 4Culture grant for her Deaf Circus Camp project in 2003 and the 4Culture grant in 2004 for upcoming aerial piece The Seven Sisters of Sleep.

arri Andersen's love of dance, performance, and aerial skill shine through in all her work with the Aerialistas. She is extensively trained in classical ballet, which she studied for 11 years. In 2001, Carri began her aerial training with Lara Paxton. She has also trained at the San Francisco Circus Center. She has performed in Tamara the Trapeze Lady’s production The Fallen Women Follies as well as Without a Net. She has performed in a wide variety of venues in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Carri is also a 4th-generation Seattleite, with Danish roots originating in Ballard.

ari Podgorski is delighted to count herself among the Aerialistas of Seattle. With a background in dance and gymnastics, she has found circus arts, particularly aerial work, to be a perfect fit. She started her aerial work with Lara Paxton in 2001, trained briefly at the Circus Center in San Francisco in 2002, and has continued to train in Seattle since. She works as an instructor at the School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts. Kari also performs with Circus Contraption.

athy Sutherland is the co- founder of the vaudeville group The Royal Famille du Caniveaux. She has performed for over 25 years nationally and internationally as a dancer, musician, actress, and aerialist. She recently returned from a six-city tour with the Pat Graney Dance Company. She has coached competitive gymnastics from level 4 to elite and has had 6 members on the national training team. She is a recipient of the Dale Francis artistic award, and won Best Performance in her work with the Printers Devil Theater.

tephanie Lopes began her aerial training with Lara Paxton in 2002. Finding the aerial arts to be a beautiful blend of her love of physicality and art, she is delighted to be part of the Aerialistas. She has spent many years as a practitioner of yoga and has trained in dance at Velocity Dance in Seattle. In her youth, Stephanie was a competitive swimmer for several years. She also works as costumer for the Aerialistas and is the designer of the website.

achel Nehmer began her training in circus arts in 1995 at the French Woods Festival, a youth performing arts camp in Hancock, NY. For over seven years there, she performed and coached children in numerous aerial disciplines, including Spanish Web, static and flying trapeze, tissu, and swinging cloudswing. Additionally, Rachel studied acting and dance throughout her childhood. In 2004, Rachel moved to Seattle and resumed her aerial training with Lara Paxton. Shortly thereafter, she joined the Aerialistas and has been performing with the group ever since. Rachel also performs doubles trapeze with her partner, Ben Wendel, as Curly Burly.

rynn Lydum began her aerial training with Lara Paxton in 2001, and made her aerial debut in the musical Barnum at Blanchet High School in Seattle. She has been a competitive swimmer for the past 12 years. She loves finding something that combines athleticism with performance. She also trained in gymnastics, dance, and theatre in her childhood. She is currently pursuing her B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Washington.

ate Leroux combines a lifelong love of the circus, a B.A. in Drama from the University of Washington, and an avid love of high places. She began climbing things when she was a toddler (going from furniture to trees to roofs to mountains). When she discovered the aerial arts in the summer of 2004 it was a match made in heaven. Kate works in the computer industry, and she is currently on sabbatical from performing as she prepares for her first child, due in March 2006.

emma Adams is the newest member of the Aerialistas. She has recently retuned to Seattle from Bristol England, where she studied aerial and acrobatics at Circomedia. While in England, Gemma performed swinging trapeze at the acclaimed Glastonbury Music Festival and at the Old Vic Theater. Gemma began her aerial training in 2001 with Lara Paxton. She has also studied dance at Velocity in Seattle and performed in their 2003 Strictly Seattle project.