Elysium Aerial Fitness

Kitty has been a dancer since the age of thirteen. She regards herself as a “Jill-of-all-trades” as she has studied ballet, modern, contemporary, lyrical, tap, African, aand ballroom. Kitty is excited to apply her dance knowledge to her aerial arts practice & teaching

Sandra Brown, the 2019 winner of the Pole Sport Organization tournament, exemplifies the values and culture we try to promote at Elysium Aerial Fitness. Sandra was first introduced to pole in 2013 and decided to join Elysium in 2018 after moving to Columbia. Throughout her time training with Elysium she has quickly moved up the ranks demonstrating a penchant for the aerial arts and a passion for fitness and wellness. When she’s not training Sandra spends her free time bowling, spending time with family and friends, along with volunteering within the community.

Amy is a former cross country/track collegiate athlete and has a background in baton twirling. Amy fell in love with pole fitness, and her positive attitude and patience for teaching make her Intro to Pole classes a perfect fit for everyone! As she often says, “I’m just here for the cheers!” …. when she’s not at the studio, she loves being a dog mom and spending time on the lake with close friends and family.

Melissa began her career in fitness during high school where she competed in gymnastics. After high school gymnastics led her to explore the field of aerial fitness. By 2015 she was training on aerial fabric regularly at schools in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Asheville. In 2017 she began a career with Soda City Cirque and LunaTrix Arts performing for crowds at venues across the Southeast. Currently, she is in Columbia pursuing a career in Physical Therapy.  She can be found hula hooping, hiking, and dancing in her free time and structures her classes around creating a positive and uplifting environment for her students.

Yonce joined Elysium in 2018, coming from a dance background. She enjoys expressing herself through movement and is eager to share her experience with her students. Yonce is Aradia Fitness certified in lyra (Intro to Level 2), however, she also enjoys taking aerial fabric and pole classes. When not at the studio, Yonce likes doing arts and crafts, sewing, and crocheting.

Alee has always had a passion for fitness and recreation but did not find her true calling until she discovered the aerial arts at Elysium. She has since, become an intermediate/advanced student in pole, and a certified lyra instructor through Aradia Fitness. If Alee isn’t in the air training, she’s hanging out with her friends for game nights, singing karaoke, or inspiring others to feel confident in achieving their fitness goals.

Harleen has been interested in pole dance since she was first introduced to the idea back in the early 2000s. It wasn't until 2017 that she finally found the courage to take a class. It was love at first spin! Not only has pole dancing increased her confidence and physical strength, it has brought with it a loving and supportive community. Harleen has found that pole dancing is a great way to combine her past experience with ballet, cheerleading, and musical theater. When she isn't thinking about pole dance, she spends her time reading, playing with her three dogs, and playing video games with her husband. Harleen is certified through Level 3 pole with Aradia Fitness.

Jennifer Becker Lee, “JBeck” is a South Carolina native, wife, and mother.  She has performed with professional dance companies since 2007 and earned a degree in performance and choreography in 2010. She started teaching various group fitness classes in 2011 including Pilates and barre. In 2015 she took her first pole class and fell in love. Since then, she has participated in several pole competitions and performances. She took a hiatus from her training for 4 years to complete her doctorate and now works as a chiropractor in West Columbia. She is excited to share her love of pole with the students of Elysium.

Ashiya is a former dancer with background in West African dance and hip hop; she also has three years of experience in teaching pole fitness. She teaches hip hop pole, chair dance, twerk classes as well as pole series. If she isn't inverted, Ashiya is cooking, reading, or dancing in her living room.

Hope is a certified yoga instructor with four years of experience teaching pole fitness. She teaches yoga for pole, chair dance, and pole dance classes. When she's not at the studio, she's a full-time student and the proud mom to two spoiled cats. 

Mia's fitness journey started in her childhood with ballet and dance and has evolved over the years to include yoga, pilates, and calesthenics. A few years ago, Mia discovered the aerial arts and has never looked back since. She completed her aerial teacher training with the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) and has been on a mission to share her love of aerial fitness and pole dancing with everyone in Columbia. When she is not training, you can find her hiking mountain tops around the world, running a Spartan race, or doting on her beloved Beagle.

Erica started her dance journey at the age of 12, performing ballet, modern dance, and Israeli folk dance. She started her pole fitness journey at Elysium as the dynamic movements of pole make it the perfect discipline to combine with her past dance experience. She loves being at the studio, second only to being home, enjoying the company of her five gorgeous cats.