Ann Woodruff

Chair

Ann Woodruff serves as the Executive Director of Canopy Studio located in Athens, GA.  Ann is a graduate of University of Georgia in the field of Special Education and a former self-contained middle school teacher.  Ann has combined her special education background and aerial skills to develop programs for students of all abilities focusing on inclusion models for social circus. Ann has served on the Board of Directors of Extra Special People and Canopy Studio and on Chase Street Elementary School’s Local School Governance Team.  Ann is a founding member of Canopy Studio’s Repertory Company, having begun aerial dance instruction under Canopy’s founder, Susan Murphy in 2000, at UGA prior to Canopy’s inception.

Emily Scherb

Vice Chair

Dr. Emily Scherb earned her Doctorate In Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. She has been a practicing circus artist for over thirty years and has worked as an aerial and flying trapeze instructor across the US. As founder and owner of The Circus Doc, Dr. Scherb has presented continuing education programming for circus educators and healthcare professionals on the unique physical demands and challenges of working with circus artists. Her bestselling book Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts was the first to address the biomechanics and psychical demands involved in circus training. Dr. Scherb lives in Seattle, WA where she owns Pure Motion Physical Therapy. Her clinic is dedicated to working with professional and recreational circus artists. As a board member of Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine, she participates in free healthcare clinics for performing arts in the Pacific Northwest and educational programming to expand knowledge around performing arts medicine. 

Jens Larson

Treasurer

After years as a competitive gymnast, Jens spent 19 years as a performer in circuses all over the world. His specialties were aerial Roman Rings, comedy chairbalancing, handbalancing, and rola bola. Over the course of his varied career he performed both solo and group acts in shows that ranged from the very small to the very large and ran the stylistic spectrum from traditional to contemporary. After retiring from performing, Jens obtained his teaching certificate and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and spent 14 years as a high school teacher in Phoenix. In 2015 Jens embarked on his third career, by creating Phoenix Youth Circus Arts, a non-profit social circus program that conducts after-school programs at area schools.

Renee Bell Werge

Secretary

Renee Bell Werge lives in Chicago and is the Program Director for CircEsteem. Renee’s educational journey began in Animal Science at Pennsylvania State University and Michigan State University. After graduation, Renee moved to Chicago to work as a youth development educator with University of Illinois Extension. Her passion for youth development led her to pursue a degree in Education, teaching in Chicago Public Schools, and then a focus on youth development in the out of time space. Her work with CircEsteem is focused on advancing CircEsteem’s mission, supporting program staff as they do the difficult work of teaching and guiding youth, and collaborating with co-workers to continue bringing quality programs to Chicago youth.

Carrie Heller

Carrie Heller, M.S.W., is the Founder and Director of the Circus Arts Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.  Carrie fell in love with circus arts as a child in 1972 while learning from the FSU Flying High Circus performers and has been happily flying through the air ever since.  She has been involved with the American Youth Circus Organization since its inception and is the author of the industry’s first The Aerial Circus Training and Safety Manual.   Melding together her background as a social worker, play therapist, and circus artist, Carrie served as a Trainer of Trainers for Cirque Du Monde, a Cirque Du Soleil Outreach Program that uses circus arts to help youth around the world.  She is passionate about passing on her experience in both adaptive and typically developing circus arts through her trainings.  In conjunction with Dr. Lauren Taglialatela Carrie is the co-author of the April 2018 published article entitled: Circus Arts Therapy® fitness and play therapy program shows positive clinical results which appears in the International Journal of Play Therapy (published by the American Psychological Association). Carrie is both excited and honored to be serving on the AYCO Board of Directors.

Stephanie Morphet

Dr. Stephanie Morphet, known on the stage as The Flying Brain, has worked with nationally and internationally touring circuses such as Garden Brothers’ Circus, Great Benjamin’s Circus, The Vampire Circus, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Loomis Brothers’ Circus, Shoestring Circus, and Omnium Circus. In 2022, with Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, she co-produced NYC’s first all Indigenous variety show. The Flying Brain performs aerial hoop, aerial chains, and hula hoops, although her greatest joy is performing and sharing the art of hair hang. You may have seen her on the TV screen as a competitor on season 2 of TBS’ Go-Big Show or on EstrellaTV’s Tengo Talento Mucho Talento. Stephanie also has the Guinness World Record for most weight held while suspended from hair (confirmed in 2023). The Flying Brain is a member of the American Circus Alliance, a core member of the BIPOC Circus Alliance, and a board member of American Circus Educators/American Youth Circus Organization, where she spearheaded the formation of a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice committee. Her passion is bringing the circus to all and sharing her culture through her acts onstage.

Izzi Kessner

Izzi Kessner (they/them) is a circus artist and performer from Los Angeles, California.  They are currently a professional circus student living in Quebec, and their discipline of specialization is Aerial Rope.  Izzi creates art relating to their identity as a queer/genderqueer individual, and they are interested in telling stories of visibility and vulnerability, and exploring the role of contemporary circus aesthetics and their impact on gender identity.  Izzi grew up in youth circus, and is now a circus educator themselves, coaching across the United States, including with Le Petit Cirque and Circus Smirkus camp.  They also create writing and video content, primarily through their Instagram page, to be a voice for young LGBTQ+ individuals and advocate for equality and acceptance.

Craig Lewis

Craig Lewis has been fascinated with circus arts since he taught himself to juggle at age 10. He has since pursued training in aerial arts and juggling through Aerial Space in Asheville, NC, and the Aerial Dance program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). In 2013, he founded Night Owl Circus Arts in Johnson City, TN, where he enjoys teaching Aerial Silks, Juggling, and Acro. During the pandemic of 2020 he began teaching a monthly Aerial Rigging Fundamentals class over Zoom, which has become very popular. He is very active in the juggling community, and serves as the Festival Site Director for the International Jugglers’ Association (IJA). He has a degree in Digital Media from ETSU, where today he works as a fitness instructor for the campus gym. He runs several other businesses, including a hot sauce business (Night Owl Spice), a mobile DJ business, and a circus school management software business. He enjoys international cooking, rock climbing, caving, and making hot sauce.

Kristen Fritsche

After graduating from Texas A&M University in 2013 with a degree in Management Information Systems, Kristen embarked on a career as an IT project manager before discovering her true calling in the fitness industry. With determination and an entrepreneurial spirit, she transitioned into a fitness entrepreneur, establishing a thriving pole and aerial fitness studio that has garnered widespread acclaim. Shine Fitness Studio stands as a testament to her passion for empowering individuals through fitness and her commitment to excellence. Additionally, she has earned recognition as an award-winning aerialist, captivating audiences with her mesmerizing performances that showcase her unique blend of strength and artistry. Kristen’s expertise extends beyond her own ventures as she serves as a trusted business consultant, providing invaluable guidance to fellow fitness entrepreneurs. Kristen’s influence reaches beyond the fitness industry, as she actively contributes to the community. She serves on the Board of Directors and Insurance Advisory Committee for American Circus Educators, where her insights and expertise help shape policies and education for the circus community. Kristen’s exceptional achievements include being recognized as the Dallas Morning News Best Minority Owned Business, a testament to her ability to excel in a competitive market while championing diversity and inclusion. Kristen Fritsche’s journey embodies perseverance, innovation, and a steadfast dedication to helping others thrive in the fitness and circus industry.

Donnell Griffith

Bio Coming Soon

Jake Weinstein

Jake Weinstein has dedicated over 30 years to circus education and performance, primarily in New England and the Southeast U.S. His career includes roles as Technical Director and later as the overall Director of a major children’s circus in Connecticut, as well as serving as a founding member and board president of a nonprofit circus arts studio in Tennessee. Jake teaches aerial arts and ground skills to both children and adults, and performs across a range of disciplines, including trapeze, fabrics, vertical dance (on the sides of buildings), stilts, juggling, and clowning, among others. He also brings deep experience in social circus, contributing his expertise to create positive social impact through the circus arts.