Aerial Alliance
ALLURE | ART | BELONGING
Our team at Aerial Alliance is made up of passionate individuals who share a love for the performing arts. From our owners to our judges to our support staff, we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all artists. Meet the faces behind our competition and other events!
MISSION STATEMENT:
At Aerial Alliance, our mission is to empower and inspire performers through the art of pole and aerial dance while prioritizing safety, respect, and support. We are dedicated to fostering a community where creativity can flourish, boundaries are honored, and every participant feels secure and valued.
Our Values
At Aerial Alliance, we celebrate the artistry, strength, and creativity of aerial and pole dance. We are committed to fostering a community where performers and audiences can engage in this art form with confidence, respect, and safety as our highest priorities.
We believe that:
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Safety is foundational. Every event and performance is guided by rigorous safety standards. We prioritize proper equipment, training, and protocols to protect our performers and community.
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Respect and consent are non-negotiable. Pole and aerial dance can involve vulnerable physical and emotional positions. We maintain a culture of clear boundaries, open communication, and ZERO tolerance for harassment or misconduct.
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Growth and support go hand in hand. We encourage skill development, creative expression, and personal empowerment while ensuring that all participants feel supported and protected in every environment.
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Community thrives on trust. By committing to safety, respect, and accountability, we build a welcoming and inclusive space where everyone can explore their craft without fear or compromise.
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At Aerial Alliance, every twist, climb, and spin reflects not only artistry, but our unwavering commitment to the safety, dignity, and well-being of our performers and community.
Owner
Phoenix James (she/her)
Phoenix James has been dancing since her teen years and started pole six years ago. She started working as a stripper in 2018 and has been teaching pole for 3 years. She is certified in Pole and Liquid Motion 1.0 and created her own signature Erotica curriculum in 2021. Though she has studied every style of dance from ballet and modern to tap and jazz to hip hop and breakdance to African and liturgical, her favorite styles are exotic and lyrical, and she especially loves freestyling most of her performance pieces.
She has been competing since 2018 and is a 4-time gold medalist, 3-time bronze medalist and has choreographed several award-winning routines for her students. She has also served as a judge at a regional competition.
Phoenix has performed in multiple venues around the country over the last 20 years and even had the opportunity to work as a dance extra in the movie Step Up 2: The Streets. Phoenix has been a member of two dance teams in the DC area: Hearts in Motion Performing Arts Team, a troupe that competed locally and performed at Disney World and In His Company, a liturgical dance team that regularly performed at several Northern Virginia Baptist churches and outreaches.
In addition to dance, Phoenix is a trained lyric soprano and has held numerous lead roles in several musical theatre productions. She also received training for production and support roles and worked as a backstage manager, props manager and lights and sound tech.
In her civilian life, Phoenix has been a Jill of All Trades working in various fields and roles including early childhood educator, restaurant manager, office manager, real estate agent, clothing and accessories designer and more, but the roles she has enjoyed most have been working in the healthcare field for over a decade. She has worked with all patient populations from micro-preemies all the way up to geriatric and end-of-life. In recent years, she worked as a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Instructor for The George Washington University while simultaneously working as a NICU/PICU nurse and working contracts as an adult nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is training to become a BLS instructor for the American Heart Association and currently works as a NICU/PICU travel nurse. Phoenix loves being a single mom to her amazing LGBTQ+ teen (they/them), El and their six cats that travel around the country with them.
Owner
Barbie (she/her)
Barbie has been pole dancing for just under 3 years, stripping for 2.5 years, been in the seggs work industry for 5 years, and teaching pole for over a year. She has been taking dance lessons since she was in kindergarten & in high school, she competed in colorguard.
Throughout her pole dance career, she has placed in & won multiple PSO competitions in a variety of categories and levels. She has performed in numerous showcases & worked at several strip clubs along the East coast. As an instructor, she’s taught Heels, Choreo and Spin Pole, and she most recently became Erotica certified in 2023 and has just begun teaching her first Erotica series.
In addition to dance, Barbie brings an extensive amount of experience in a diverse assortment of seggs work, such as sugaring, domming, findom, fetish work & OF. Her experience landed her a spot as a background dancer in the music video “Magic City” by Fivio Foreign ft. Quavo.
Barbie is passionate about helping dancers to become comfortable with sensuality in a way that respects the roots of pole dance & pays homage to seggs workers. In her free time, you can catch her at the yoga studio, on stage at a pageant & spending time with her puppy, Cindy. She is excited to bring her experience and expertise to Aerial Alliance!
