Our Team
At our core, we believe in delivering unparalleled instruction that embodies the heart and soul of the aerial arts. We are privileged to have passionate and experienced instructors who truly care about your growth and success. Our commitment to excellence means you’re not just learning from the best, but also being nurtured by some of the most talented and empathetic teachers out there.
Mission Statement
The Aerium exists to elevate the art of aerial movement as a pathway to personal growth, creative expression, and community transformation.
We are a sanctuary for artists, students, and dreamers—where gravity becomes a collaborator, not a limitation. Through rigorous training, innovative curriculum, and bold performance, we empower individuals to explore their strength, grace, and resilience in the air and on the ground.
Our mission is to cultivate a sustainable ecosystem for aerial arts—rooted in education, fueled by imagination, and guided by integrity. Whether you're training for the stage, healing through movement, or simply seeking flight, The Aerium is a place to rise.
Vision
Owning your own dedicated aerial theater space
Developing a full four-year circus education program
Growing our pre-professional and professional companies
Publishing a complete series of aerial theory books
Hosting shows, festivals, and artist residencies
Becoming a national hub for wrap theory and technical aerial education
Core Values
Safety and Technique: We teach movement with anatomical precision, wrap theory fluency, and respect for progression.
Artistry and Innovation: We believe the aerial arts is a language—fluid, evolving, and deeply personal.
Community and Inclusion: We create brave, inclusive spaces where people of all backgrounds can explore movement and belonging.
Sustainability and Sovereignty: We are committed to long-term stability—for our artists, our students, and our business.
Dara
Founder / Co-owner
Dara Minkin is an aerial acrobat specializing in aerial silks. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Contemporary Dance from the University of New Mexico, she has extensive training in many dance disciplines, including Stott Method Pilates, Martha Graham Technique, Gaga Technique, Ballet, and many others. She is known all-over-the-world through Instagram as @aerial.design. Instagram launched her publishing company and performer name Aerial Design in 2014. She founded her school The Aerium in 2020. Having performed for nineteen years and taught for fourteen, Dara has designed a teaching method for vertical aerial arts published in book form as Proximal: An Introduction to Aerial Theory. She has taught for Aerial Horizon, Womack and Bowman, Vertical Fix, Radical Movement Factory, Project in Motion, Agora Arts, Frequent Flyers and more. Dara resides in San Antonio, TX where she spends lots of time being creative and looking for the next adventure.
Claudia
Co-owner
She is a multi-disciplinary aerialist including dance pole, lyra, fabric, rope, straps, and lollipop lyra. She is bringing her 20 years of Pilates experience to the new school complete with reformers, a cadillac, chairs, and more!
Claudia has been in the fitness industry for 20 years. She first found her passion teaching yoga and has a 500 E-RYT. Her desire to help others through movement led her to Pilates and later personal training.
Claudia is classically trained through Peak Pilates on mat, reformer, Cadillac and other apparatuses. Because of her diverse background, she describes her teaching as having a more modern approach. She is a NASM certified PT. She has taught throughout San Antonio in studios, gyms, corporations, and later opened her own Pilates studio. Claudia holds state and national records for powerlifting through USPA. She is also a certified powerlifting coach.
Her love of fitness and nutrition led her to obtain a coaching certification through Precision Nutrition.
Claudia is a mother of four. Her husband is also an accomplished athlete and they have built their family around a fit and healthy lifestyle. She enjoys helping others gain strength and confidence while reaching their fitness goals.
Kerry
Kerry is a dancer, aerialist, coach and pilates instructor who spent over twenty years in Los Angeles before moving to San Antonio in 2025. She spent her early career as a commercial dancer performing on stage with artists such as Taylor Swift, Shakira, Beyonce, Jane’s Addiction & Motley Crue. Kerry was dancing in a show when she was first exposed to aerial up-close in her friend and show mate Rachel Bowman of what is now Womack & Bowman The LOFT in LA. She started training aerial in 2007 and has since had a full performance career and now a professional aerial teacher. Currently she teaches workshops all over the country including for NECCA & Sweet Retreats in Mexico. Kerry hosts and produces The Expecting Aerialist, The Artist Entrepreneur & Greener Grass Podcasts and is the creator of the online aerial resource, Wrap Your Head Around Silks. She’s currently a pilates instructor at Life Time at The RIM here in San Antonio and is the mom of six year old ‘Bean.’
Kim
Coach
Growing up, Kim was a gymnast and cheerleader, followed as a collegiate diver for the University of Missouri. Her passion has always been flipping and twisting, testing her limits to try new things. In 2013, Kim became certified as a 200-hour registered yoga teacher and has been teaching yoga classes ever since at Lifetime Fitness. In 2015, a friend introduced her to aerial silks and she fell in love with the aerial arts. She became a Level 1 certified aerial fabric instructor in 2018. While her passion and interest is in the aerial arts, Kim has also been a Statistics lecturer at UTSA since receiving her Masters degree in 2009. In her free time, you can find Kim at the gym, traveling, enjoying outdoor activities with friends and spending time with her dogs.
Jamiza
Coach
From a young age, Jamiza learned that they never wanted to miss out on thrill and excitement. With the pain of their FOMO festering deep within their psyche, they spent most of their youth training gymnastics, doing parkour, playing video games and singing Dashboard Confessional songs really, really loudly. Eventually they found the circus, and their acrobat’s life-course was corrected.
Jamiza graduated with a Degree in Marketing from Texas State University. Their artistic career began in full motion with Julia Langenberg at Aerial Horizon in 2013 - learning rope, trapeze, lyra, fabric, doubles trapeze, sling; and became a company member and studio director in 2015 until its closure in 2020. They learned cyr wheel from Sam Tribble and Shayna Swanson, and now teaches and performs on it. Jamiza is truly a jack of all circus trades including stilting, rope dart, duo trapeze with Dara Minkin, partner acrobatics with Arthur Valverde and juggling. They performed for Cirque Entertainment, Aqua Acro, Latremore Productions, Circus of Hope, and Stars & Garters Burlesque. Jamiza is a core part of the San Antonio arts community and you can find them tearing up floors with their cyr wheel, performing, and teaching their love of the circus arts.
Libby
Coach
Libby West is an Auction Specialist in Fine and Asian Art, as well as an Aerialist and Instructor dedicated to connecting people with beauty, movement, and meaning. With a background in visual art, she has cultivated a lifelong curiosity about aesthetics and the instinctual pull of beauty. Beginning her career in 2014 as an administrative assistant, Libby quickly advanced under the mentorship of Lark Mason. She is now recognized as a specialist, having researched and handled works ranging from Chinese earthenware dating to 3000 BCE to Qing Dynasty imperial silk robes.
While her art career satisfied her intellectual curiosity, Libby’s creative spirit found further expression in aerial arts, which she pursued at the encouragement of her husband, Bradford. Performing and teaching aerials allowed her to see herself as both athlete and artist. Today, she continues to merge these worlds through Cirque Volaer, The Aerium School of Acrobatics, and Lark Mason Associates.
Christopher
Coach
Christopher Keelin has always played a part in the fitness and dance industry. He's performed for various burlesque troupes across Texas and was runner up for 2014 San Antonio's King of Burlesque. In 2016, he established a charitable circus troupe Suspend Your Belief and has continued to support local fundraisers with the company.
His versatility in aerial apparatuses has allowed him to recruit local artists and mentor them in the trade. In 2017, he produced and scripted his very first aerial production, where he debuted a duo trapeze performance with his current trapeze partner, Priscilla Mesley. They continue to showcase their duo acts at their Brick Blue Star residency in downtown San Antonio.
Keelin has traveled to train and perfect his craft with David Issac Gray from "O" Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas, Rachel Tatum from Cirque School in Los Angeles, and Devon Holt, a Cirque Du Soleil artist in San Diego.
Keelin is currently a personal trainer and nutritionist at Gold's Gym where he dedicates his skills to influence others, while introducing new and innovative acrobatic workouts for his clients. He has a bachelors degree in political science and works at a defense law firm part time when he isn't coaching.
Priscilla
Coach
Priscilla is an aerial performer and instructor, practicing for six years, teaching for five, and performing for four. She's a Principle in the aerial troupe, Suspend Your Belief, performing on the aerial silks, hammock, and duo trapeze (flyer). She has spent several years teaching classes in a local gyms, as well as sponsoring and supporting local charity and business through the use of her skills at fundraising and private events. She is thrilled to be part of an amazing team of very impressive creatives, as well as proud to introduce new-comers to her passion for circus arts.
Cory
Coach
Cory has a rich background in movement & sports and a passion for teaching. He began his athletic journey at 4 years old at his family owned gymnastics center.
He would later earn his degree in Kinesiology at Central College in Pella, Iowa where he would letter four years in Track & Field as a top varsity pole vaulter. When he is not working with private training clients he might be running a hundred mile trail marathon, performing at circus events around Texas, or competing on American Ninja Warrior.
Cory will continue to train select private clients and will be offering a semi private training option for young athletes after school. He will also use his experience working for the Baptist Health System as a post rehabilitation specialist to lead our adult and senior fitness classes.
Aiyana
Coach
Aiyana discovered aerial in 2018 and dove headfirst into aerial arts, despite having no formal dance background. Training and learning from artists worldwide, she’s built a style that blends strength, creativity, and joy. Playful and dynamic, her performances turn gravity into an illusion and every stage into a story. She teaches beginner-intermediate lyra.
