Up Flying Yoga Aerial Yoga Arts
Meet the Up Instructors
Kimberely Simonetti
Celebrity Trainer Kimberely Simonetti, E-RYT, RPYT, Creator and Founder of Up Flying Yoga™, is Yoga Doctor™ certified, Yoga Medicine™trained and a member of the International Yoga Association of Yoga Therapy. Kimberely has spent over 10,000 hours defying gravity creating Up Flying Yoga™ and Up Fly Aerial Dance™ as she is best known for her strong belief in the therapeutic power of Aerial Yoga Arts.
Whether you are attending her classes or you are a teacher in training, Kimberely brings a playful spirit as she guides every kind of individual in exploring and developing their Aerial wings. She customizes every experience based on each practictioner's needs to ensure personal growth.
Kimberely shares her craft outside of Up Flying Yoga™ through New Beauty Magazine, US Weekly, BuzzFeed, MSN Dance Nation, Mythbusters, MTV, VH1, Forbes, Basketball Wives LA, Yoga Journal Live, Goop and Choreographer for shows Live it UP, DJ DragonFly and Los Angeles' Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
Kimberely Simonetti
Celebrity Trainer Kimberely Simonetti, E-RYT, RPYT, Creator and Founder of Up Flying Yoga™, is Yoga Doctor™ certified, Yoga Medicine™trained and a member of the International Yoga Association of Yoga Therapy. Kimberely has spent over 10,000 hours defying gravity creating Up Flying Yoga™ and Up Fly Aerial Dance™ as she is best known for her strong belief in the therapeutic power of Aerial Yoga Arts.
Whether you are attending her classes or you are a teacher in training, Kimberely brings a playful spirit as she guides every kind of individual in exploring and developing their Aerial wings. She customizes every experience based on each practictioner's needs to ensure personal growth.
Kimberely shares her craft outside of Up Flying Yoga™ through New Beauty Magazine, US Weekly, BuzzFeed, MSN Dance Nation, Mythbusters, MTV, VH1, Forbes, Basketball Wives LA, Yoga Journal Live, Goop and Choreographer for shows Live it UP, DJ DragonFly and Los Angeles' Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
KATIE SOLE
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFAD1, UFAN
Katie is certified Up Flying Yoga™ as an Aerial Movement Therapist since we first opened our clouds to the public in 2011. Originally from the UK, Katie has a Bachelors degree in Media Arts and Performance from the University of London where she studied movement expression through ballet and contemporary dance.
You can find Katie on the silks and Aerial Bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
CHELSEA CARROLL
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFAD1
Chelsea is a lead instructor certified through Up Flying Yoga's™ teacher training in both Up Flying Yoga™and Up Fly Aerial Dance™ in 2016. She also performs and Aerial Bartends for our performance Troupe The Lovely Hearts.
Chelsea holds BFA in Dance with an emphasis in Ballet and has earned her doctorate in Physical Therapy from CalState University.
You can find Chelsea teaching Up Flying Yoga Level 1, Up Flying Yoga Level 2 and Up Fly Aerial Dance 1 & 2.
MELISSA PRATHER
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFSF
Melissa is Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 certified through our extensive Mentorship training program in 2015 and continual education recertification in 2016. She is 200RYT certified through Trimurti Yoga in Dharamsla, India. Her background in gymnastics has given her the natural passion for teaching her students the confidence to reach high and obtain their goals. She began performing in live action shows at a young age that involved acrobatics, aerial, trampoline and stunts. Melissa has experienced the benefits that a yoga practice can bring and wants to encourage others to find acceptance, empowerment and balance within their practice and in life.
You can find Melissa teaching Up Flying Yoga level 1, Floating Meditation, Grounded Yoga Handstands, Up Fly Stretch & Flex and every once in a while aerial bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
JEN VON ESSEN
INSTRUCTOR/EVENTS
UFY1, UFAT, UFAD1, UFSILKS
Jen joined the Up Fly staff in 2018 through Up Flying Yoga scholarship and has been certified in Up Flying Yoga since February 2018, Up Fly Aerial Dance since August 2018 and Up Fly Silks in 2019.
Jen has always felt most comfortable when not connected to solid ground which shows in her childhood of gymnastics and swimming. Finding Aerial Arts through her first class at Up Flying Yoga was a life changing journey, offering peace to both a body full of old injuries, and a soul aching to fly. She trains consistently on silks and hammock but has been branching out to other styles of aerial and circus as well.
You can also find Jen performing with our Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
MELISSA PRATHER
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFSF
Melissa is Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 certified through our extensive Mentorship training program in 2015 and continual education recertification in 2016. She is 200RYT certified through Trimurti Yoga in Dharamsla, India. Her background in gymnastics has given her the natural passion for teaching her students the confidence to reach high and obtain their goals. She began performing in live action shows at a young age that involved acrobatics, aerial, trampoline and stunts. Melissa has experienced the benefits that a yoga practice can bring and wants to encourage others to find acceptance, empowerment and balance within their practice and in life.
You can find Melissa teaching Up Flying Yoga level 1, Floating Meditation, Grounded Yoga Handstands, Up Fly Stretch & Flex and every once in a while aerial bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
MELISSA PRATHER
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFSF
Melissa is Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 certified through our extensive Mentorship training program in 2015 and continual education recertification in 2016. She is 200RYT certified through Trimurti Yoga in Dharamsla, India. Her background in gymnastics has given her the natural passion for teaching her students the confidence to reach high and obtain their goals. She began performing in live action shows at a young age that involved acrobatics, aerial, trampoline and stunts. Melissa has experienced the benefits that a yoga practice can bring and wants to encourage others to find acceptance, empowerment and balance within their practice and in life.
You can find Melissa teaching Up Flying Yoga level 1, Floating Meditation, Grounded Yoga Handstands, Up Fly Stretch & Flex and every once in a while aerial bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
MELISSA PRATHER
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFSF
Melissa is Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 certified through our extensive Mentorship training program in 2015 and continual education recertification in 2016. She is 200RYT certified through Trimurti Yoga in Dharamsla, India. Her background in gymnastics has given her the natural passion for teaching her students the confidence to reach high and obtain their goals. She began performing in live action shows at a young age that involved acrobatics, aerial, trampoline and stunts. Melissa has experienced the benefits that a yoga practice can bring and wants to encourage others to find acceptance, empowerment and balance within their practice and in life.
You can find Melissa teaching Up Flying Yoga level 1, Floating Meditation, Grounded Yoga Handstands, Up Fly Stretch & Flex and every once in a while aerial bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
MELISSA PRATHER
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFSF
Melissa is Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 certified through our extensive Mentorship training program in 2015 and continual education recertification in 2016. She is 200RYT certified through Trimurti Yoga in Dharamsla, India. Her background in gymnastics has given her the natural passion for teaching her students the confidence to reach high and obtain their goals. She began performing in live action shows at a young age that involved acrobatics, aerial, trampoline and stunts. Melissa has experienced the benefits that a yoga practice can bring and wants to encourage others to find acceptance, empowerment and balance within their practice and in life.
You can find Melissa teaching Up Flying Yoga level 1, Floating Meditation, Grounded Yoga Handstands, Up Fly Stretch & Flex and every once in a while aerial bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
MELISSA PRATHER
INSTRUCTOR
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFSF
Melissa is Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 certified through our extensive Mentorship training program in 2015 and continual education recertification in 2016. She is 200RYT certified through Trimurti Yoga in Dharamsla, India. Her background in gymnastics has given her the natural passion for teaching her students the confidence to reach high and obtain their goals. She began performing in live action shows at a young age that involved acrobatics, aerial, trampoline and stunts. Melissa has experienced the benefits that a yoga practice can bring and wants to encourage others to find acceptance, empowerment and balance within their practice and in life.
You can find Melissa teaching Up Flying Yoga level 1, Floating Meditation, Grounded Yoga Handstands, Up Fly Stretch & Flex and every once in a while aerial bartending with our performance troupe The Lovely Hearts.
INSTRUCTOR
BECKETT ARNOLD
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFAD1, UFSF
Beckett is certified through Up Flying Yoga™ since 2013. 200RYT, Beckett diligently trains in aerial disciplines; Aerial Yoga, Lyra, Rope, Silks, Dance Trapeze and Hammock, as well as Contortion and Stiltwalking/dancing.
She believes yoga and movement therapy are essential for physical fitness, spiritual growth, and the sanity to overcome the difficulties of daily life.
Beckett performs stilt dancing, contortion, aerial atmosphere, and aerial bartending with our Aerial Troupe The Lovely Hearts. You can find Beckett teaching Up Flying Yoga Levels 1 & 2, Up Fly Aerial Dance Levels 1 & 2 and Up Flying Yoga Stretch.
INSTRUCTOR
RUTH CHOUDHURY
UFY1, UFY2, UFAT, UFAD1
Hailing from Ireland, Ruth found a love of yoga very early in life thanks to her Indian Father and his yoga teachings from birth. Ruth graduated Up Flying Yoga through our extensive Mentorship Training in 2015, and completed continual education certification in 2016. Ruth calls Up Flying Yoga "the greatest medicine" to those looking for a new way to feel fantastic. Her classes focus on re-connecting to oneself and one's body through mindful breathing as you stretch and strengthen.
You can find Ruth teaching Up Flying Yoga Level 1, Up Flying Yoga Level 2 and Up Fly Aerial Dance. As well as performing and Aerial Bartending for our Aerial Troupe The Lovely Hearts.
INSTRUCTOR
GIANNA MCLAUGHLIN
UFY1, UFAT, UFAD1
Gia has been training with Up Flying Yoga™ since 2013 and joined the UP Flying Yoga™ family through our Assistant Training program in 2016. Gia is certified in Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 since 2017 and Up Fly Aerial Dance since 2019. She also aerial bartends with our Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
Her background is in gymnastics and dance and has found Aerial Yoga to be a transformative practice to nurture her past injuries and bring a sense of playfulness and adventure into physical activity.
INSTRUCTOR
KAYLEE SACHS
UFAT, UFAD1
Up Fly instructor Kaylee has been with Up Flying Yoga™ as a student for over 5 years and is now an Up Fly™ Aerial Dance™ 1.5 certified instructor since August 2018. Kaylee danced competitively throughout high school and college. Shortly after, she took her first aerial dance class and hasn’t stopped since then!
You'll find Kaylee teaching Up Fly™ Aerial Dance™ Level 1.5, Up Fly™ Aerial Dance™ Level 1.1 and Up Fly Aerial Dance Level 2. You'll also see Kaylee performing in our Aerial Show Live it Up through our Aerial Troupe The Lovely Hearts.
INSTRUCTOR
GIANNA MCLAUGHLIN
UFY1, UFAT, UFAD1
Gia has been training with Up Flying Yoga™ since 2013 and joined the UP Flying Yoga™ family through our Assistant Training program in 2016. Gia is certified in Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 since 2017 and Up Fly Aerial Dance since 2019. She also aerial bartends with our Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
Her background is in gymnastics and dance and has found Aerial Yoga to be a transformative practice to nurture her past injuries and bring a sense of playfulness and adventure into physical activity.
INSTRUCTOR
GIANNA MCLAUGHLIN
UFY1, UFAT, UFAD1
Gia has been training with Up Flying Yoga™ since 2013 and joined the UP Flying Yoga™ family through our Assistant Training program in 2016. Gia is certified in Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 since 2017 and Up Fly Aerial Dance since 2019. She also aerial bartends with our Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
Her background is in gymnastics and dance and has found Aerial Yoga to be a transformative practice to nurture her past injuries and bring a sense of playfulness and adventure into physical activity.
INSTRUCTOR
GIANNA MCLAUGHLIN
UFY1, UFAT, UFAD1
Gia has been training with Up Flying Yoga™ since 2013 and joined the UP Flying Yoga™ family through our Assistant Training program in 2016. Gia is certified in Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 since 2017 and Up Fly Aerial Dance since 2019. She also aerial bartends with our Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
Her background is in gymnastics and dance and has found Aerial Yoga to be a transformative practice to nurture her past injuries and bring a sense of playfulness and adventure into physical activity.
INSTRUCTOR
GIANNA MCLAUGHLIN
UFY1, UFAT, UFAD1
Gia has been training with Up Flying Yoga™ since 2013 and joined the UP Flying Yoga™ family through our Assistant Training program in 2016. Gia is certified in Up Flying Yoga™ Level 1 since 2017 and Up Fly Aerial Dance since 2019. She also aerial bartends with our Aerial Troupe, The Lovely Hearts.
Her background is in gymnastics and dance and has found Aerial Yoga to be a transformative practice to nurture her past injuries and bring a sense of playfulness and adventure into physical activity.