Aviva Urbanc

Aviva was introduced to the aerial arts at a young age and quickly became enamored with all things cirque. Alongside eight years of competitive gymnastics, she trained and performed in an aerial youth troupe at Samadhi, Hawaii. She continued her training on the mainland at Radical Movement Factory under Emily Garber’s instruction. 

Aviva is versed in a variety of apparatuses including silk, lyra, and trapeze. As well as acrobatics and hand balancing on the floor. As an instructor at Sanctuary Climbing & Fitness, Aviva is excited to pass on her knowledge and enthusiasm for the art while providing a supportive and safe environment for the budding aerialist.

Ramona Hutchinson

Ramona started her aerial journey in 2016 at a small local aerial studio and then continued taking classes at Radical Movement Factory under Emily Knoblauch. She quickly fell in love being upside down and spinning in the air on silks and lyra, and she enjoys spending her free time on both moving to music and occasionally performing. She loves to share the joy and freedom of being up in the air and the sense of accomplishment from circus arts.

Ramona is delighted to be part of the community at Sanctuary Climbing & fitness supporting her fellow aerialists and those new to the art!

Ramona teaches in the Aerial Youth program at SC&F.

Emily Garber

Emily Garber is an aerial artist and instructor. She has an extensive background in theater and dance and started her aerial arts journey in 2016 at Radical Movement Factory in Santa Cruz.
She has trained under esteemed coaches, Allie Cooper, Emily Knoblauch, Terry Crane, Alex Allan, PJ Perry, and Enya White. Emily specializes in vertical apparatuses - primarily aerial fabric, rope, and dance trapeze and in aerial partnering/doubles work. She has been teaching aerial arts since 2020.

In addition to teaching, she is passionate about performing and has had the pleasurer of performing with Circosphere, Circus of the Moon, BiG SuRCuS, Carmel Delights Dance Company, the Speakeasy San Francisco, and for the annual Greenpeace Gala in Oakland. Emily is thrilled to share her love of aerial arts with students at Sanctuary! Her hope is to foster a supportive and welcoming community to anyone interested in learning this beautiful art/sport and to create a safe and fun place for creative exploration in movement.

Mikaela Rose Bianchi

Mikaela Rose Bianchi is a professional aerialist in Northern California. Born and raised in Northern California, Mikaela started aerial training at Circus Center San Francisco in 2009 with circus acclaimed Russian trapeze artist Elena Panova. In her fourteen years of training, studying, teaching and performing aerial arts she has had the pleasure to work with Circosphere, Entire Productions, Cirque Dahlias, BLV Productions, Zenith Artistry and more in private settings, corporate parties and specially procured theater productions. She and her former aerial partner, Krista Smithers, have performed their lyra duet as far as New York City and were requested to perform at the Moisture Festival 2020 in Seattle, Washington, a great honor and accomplishment for them both. Mikaela has a knack for directing, managing and developing aerial arts programs for youth and adults including recreational classes and summer camps with Inversion Gym in South Lake Tahoe, and Kinetic Arts Center in Oakland.  Currently Mikaela works remotely from her home in the Sierra Mountains with Sanctuary Climbing & Fitness as the Aerial Arts program director.