Instructor Contact Information
scroll down for bios!
Ariel Schmidtke
typewriterkeys@gmail.com
Audrey Spinazola
audreyspinazola@gmail.com
Emily Van Kley
ejvankley@gmail.com
Luz Gaxiola
luz555@gmail.com
Maddisyn Scott
maddisynscott@gmail.com
Marlo Winter
marlocwinter@gmail.com
Rumi Minowa
rumi.catherine@gmail.com
Ariel Schmidtke
Ariel Schmidtke is an interdisciplinary artist, performer, and educator. Drawing on a childhood background in gymnastics and an academic education in creative writing, she has spent her adult years crafting circus theater shows fusing acrobatics, trapeze, shadow puppetry, and storytelling. She began her circus training in 2009 with the Bellingham Circus Guild and has travelled as far as France’s Academie Fratellini to improve her skills. In 2022 Ariel completed a master’s in teaching at Evergreen State College and is now the co-owner of Sparrow Studios. When she’s not sharing her art on stage, she finds herself working with young people to help them develop their creativity and find their own unique ways to tell their stories. See more of her work at: alengthofrope.com and afrayedknotcircus.com
Contact: typewriterkeys@gmail.com
Audrey Spinazola
Like most of us, Audrey Spinazola is super cool and can do lots of things. After graduating from The Clown Conservatory in 2008 and a second physical theater conservatory program in 2009, she has been creating, performing, and coaching circus and theater non-stop. She has coached with Prescott Circus Theater in the Bay Area, was Youth Performance Program Manager for SANCA in Seattle, co-created and toured the amazing Genie and Audrey's Dream Show!!! worked as a hospital clown for the Medical Clown Project, performed with Olympia Family Theater, and has juggled for MythBusters and the SF Opera. In her spare time she enjoys being upside down, paddling around in her canoe, and playing music.
Contact: audreyspinazola@gmail.com
Emily Van Kley
Emily Van Kley began practicing aerial acrobatics in 2012, and quickly fell in love. She has been an aerial teacher and performer in Olympia since 2016, and adores empowering students to achieve what they may not have imagined possible in the air. In addition to continuing beginner and intermediate classes featuring silks, corde lisse, and trapeze, Emily offers private lessons and specialty courses focused on lyra, sling, doubles work, flexibility, and (her favorite) drops! Emily is also a working poet. Learn more about her writing, books, and aerial + poetry projects, at www.emilyvankley.com
Contact: ejvankley@gmail.com
Luz Gaxiola
Luz Gaxiola is a clown, puppeteer, mime, and musician. She studied at the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre, the San Francisco Clown Conservatory, and the Flying Actor Studio. Her favorite thing to do is collaborating with other artist to create original comedic performances in a bright, cartoony style. She has been teaching clown and mime at Sparrow Studio for two years and loves to see the funny acts that people create in class and bring to the stage.
Contact: luz555@gmail.com
Maddisyn ScotT
Maddisyn Scott embarked on her aerial journey at Sparrow Studios in 2020, and she’s thrilled to be stepping into her first year as both a performer and instructor. In January 2025, she completed the Aerial Teacher Training Intensive at New Moon Movement Arts in Seattle, solidifying her commitment to teaching and continuing her aerial growth.
Currently, Maddisyn specializes in working with kids and beginner students, and she’s passionate about helping others discover the joy and empowerment of aerial movement.
Outside of the studio, Maddisyn enjoys exploring a variety of visual and fiber arts, allowing her to express creativity in new and exciting ways.
contact: maddisynscott@gmail.com
Marlo Winter
Eda Begadix (Marlo Winter) is an aerialist and clown, playing with a unique style of wild vulnerability and bright-eyed debauchery. This is their 12th year performing and are inspired by sharing their concepts around aerial as a stage craft with students. They are a founding member of Airbound Underground Circus Collective and a producer of numerous local shows like Private Pansey and Falsettos and Sunsets.
contact: marlocwinter@gmail.com
Rumi Minowa
Rumi Minowa is just some guy that stumbled into Sparrow Studios in late 2016 and kinda never left. They progressed through the curriculum here, spent four months in Mexico immersed in an artist residency and teacher training, and have since performed on various apparatuses in the Pacific Northwest region. Rumi has been teaching at Sparrow Studios since 2020 and in 2023 became a co-owner. They train primarily on rope but they also practice silks, sling, static trapeze, and ground-based disciplines such as handstands, juggling, and partner acrobatics. Finding and teaching adaptations that allow everybody to participate in circus arts is what they love to do most!
Contact: rumi.catherine@gmail.com