Coaches & Guest coaches 2022

Sherri fell in love with Flying Trapeze in 2002 when she took classes locally. She traveled the nation to study the sport with a number of world famous trapeze artists, and finds the study a lifetime passion. Sherri founded Embrace Adrenaline Flying Trapeze Club in 2005 (www.mntrapeze.com) and started her first summer camp in 2006. She is proud to call Tony Steele (who has trained her from 2008 to 2015) her coach. Sherri Loves to share her passion for trapeze arts with the young and the young at heart. She especially loves the self empowerment and inspiration that circus arts can bring to young people when taught through positive, thoughtful, safe and methodical methods and practices. Sherri believes that Circus Arts are accessible to all and it is a our "attitude, not aptitude" (Zig Ziglar), that will guide us to soar. Sherri is also trained in Gyrokenisis®, Cirque-It®, Quantum Healing techniques.

Kiki began her circus training in 2002 with Circus Juventas and Xelias Aerial Arts in 2004. She flew for the first time at the age of 5 with Tito Gaona in Florida. Since her first flight, Kiki has trained and performed in 16 circus art modalities over the past 18 years. She has worked for our Summer Camps as a coach for the past 7 years. Kiki attended the University of Utah, graduating in 2021 with dual honors degrees in Biology and Environmental and Sustainability Studies and a minor in Chemistry. Along with her passion for science, Kiki has continued to train aerial arts and flying and enjoys sharing her skills and passion for circus with people of all ages.

Veronica Painter was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago.  Working for several other trainers since the age of 10, she knew she wanted to live the rest of her life with horses.  Veronica moved to Florida in 2013 to join a riding troupe specializing in theatrical circus arts after having served an internship at an equestrian dinner theatre and performed on a regional trick riding team.  In 2016 Veronica returned to Illinois to start her own business: Horsemanship Unlocked. Currently Veronica resides around the twin cities and travels nationwide for performances and clinics.

Starting at an early age, Veronica immersed herself in horses.  She has worked on many professional productions including: Circus Flora, Circus Sarasota, Silver Dollar City’s Wild West Show, Zoppe Family Circus, and more. Specializing in trick training, liberty, and circus style trick riding and vaulting, Veronica bridges the gap that can exist between horse disciplines and breeds. Veronica isn’t just a trick rider or dressage rider, Veronica is a horsewoman. She is passionate about her training and her performances.

Shawn is a veteran Minneapolis Fire Captain with Rescue, EMT, High Rope/ Low Angle Rescue certification and is a member of USAR. She has taught climbing and rope safety for many years   She has managed the rigging and safety of Embrace Adrenaline Flying Trapeze for the past 12 years, with a perfect safety record. We are proud to have her as our head rigger and safety office, and head wake surfing coach. Shawn began her love of flying in 2005, she caught for many years and has introduced and trained many fine young catchers to the sport. In her teens, Shawn trained water skiing with a professional group which included slalom, jumping,  trick skiing and pyramids. She has been enjoying wake surfing for 12  years and is our head wake-surfing coach.

Ross started his circus career with the Flying High Circus at Florida State University in 2009. He began teaching Flying Trapeze and other circus arts in the summer of 2010 at Callaway Gardens. After graduating, he continued teaching and performing Flying Trapeze all over the United States, including the Florida Keys, Maine, Missouri, Seattle, and Idaho. You would have seen him perform most recently at the State Fair in Tampa, Florida last year. In between circus gigs, Ross has raced sled dogs, taught goat yoga, operated a mechanical bull, and started a food forest. He is very excited to spend the summer with Flying Colors Trapeze!

I am 30 years old and grew up in Massachusetts. I have been flying and catching for about 15 years, and first learned with Tito Gaona. I have worked for Tito for a number of years as well as Trapeze School of New York. In high school I was an All American springboard diver and went on to get 2nd in my state. I moved to Florida in 2010 to attend Eckerd College, studying marine science. After college, I worked for a number of years doing coastal restoration here in St. Petersburg, Florida as well as playing live music in a funk/jazz band @BiggerBadger. In 2016 I began working on building a tiny house on top of a flat-bed trailer, where I now live full time. I am currently working with an organization called Pathfinder doing outdoor education for kids as well as high ropes courses and arborist-style tree climbing. Can't wait to get out and fly with you all! You can find Matt on on FB @BiggerBadger.

Sarah began her circus training at Circus Juventas in 2005. After starting her training at the early age of 2, she has loved every moment and has never looked back since. Sarah has trained in the circus arts for the past 17 years, and specializes in aerial, acrobatic, and contortion acts and apparatuses. She has also coached circus for the past 5 years. She is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying finance, investment, and banking. Alongside her passion for business, Sarah has continued her circus arts training, and she finds immense joy sharing her love for circus with others. 

Briland fell into the Circus at Florida State University quite by accident. A friend was too nervous to audition alone, and Briland volunteered to go with him. Eight years later, Briland is still pursuing his passion of flying high. While focused mostly on flying trapeze, Briland has also performed on the high wire, teeterboard, low casting, and as a clown. After leaving the Flying High circus, Briland moved to St. Louis to work with the world famous Circus Harmony and their Peace Through Pyramids Project as a coach and head rigger. During this time, he also worked for Trapeze STL as a coach and performed his own one-man show. He is excited to work with Flying Colors to share his experiences, and to continue inspiring other performers to reach for the sky and embrace their inner clown. 

Myss Angie is a visionary that believes in helping empower women, strengthening the community, and bringing pole dance and the performance arts to new platforms. Her background includes 7 years of work as a mental health counselor, a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Minnesota, and extensive work creating and implementing nutrition programs at a nutrition clinic 2014-2016. Myss Angie has been teaching, training, and performing pole dance and fitness since 2010, a pole sport judge since 2014,  and has recently became 1st Place Champion at the Central Pole Championships for her pole double routine. Angie now continues to teach fitness, pole, and nutrition at Expertease Fitness, Knockout Bodies Pole Dance and Fitness Studio,  The Rabbit Hole Studio / Minnesota Performing Art Cooperative, and works full time behind Pole and Performing Art projects and events.