The Cirque Aria Team

Sarah Modisette

Director, Coach Fabric 1 & 2

About

Sarah Modisette is a graduate of the New England Center for Circus Arts where she focused on aerial fabric, trapeze, and lyra. She has an extensive background in dance and performance. Her love of performance started with ballet at a young age and later became introduced to jazz and modern dance. While performing at SeaWorld San Antonio she became interested in learning circus arts and was later introduced to Julia Langenburg whom she began to learn aerial fabric from. She later was accepted into New England Center for Circus Arts attending the Intensive and Residency program. She had the joy of teaching in Hawaii at Samadhi Hawaii Dance for 6 months before making a return back home to Texas. Companies she has performed with include SeaWorld San Antonio, SilverLynx, Josephine Theatrical Productions and Lagniappe Productions just to name a few. She has also been an instructor of ballet and jazz with Showstoppers Academy, Studio 10, and TJ’s Dance Factory as well as Aerial Horizon.

Josh Grohman

Coach, Intro to Aerials, Rope & Trapeze

About

IN 1993, A YOUNG JOSH RETURNED HOME FROM HIS GYMNASTICS CLASS TO FIND HIS FRIENDS PLAYING BATTLETOADS VS DOUBLE DRAGON WITH HIS YOUNGER BROTHER.
With the pain of this moment of FOMO festering deep within his psyche, Josh spent the next two decades of his life playing video games, doing parkour, and singing Dashboard Confessional songs really, really loudly, in a foolhardy quest to never feel like he was missing out on something again. Eventually he found the circus, and his acrobatic life’s course was corrected.

He is a regular collaborator with Stars and Garters Burlesque, and was a company member and studio director in San Antonio’s first professional circus studio and school, Aerial Horizon, until it closed permanently in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He still performs music, most often with his band Royal Flush and The Jacks of All Trades, and he plays Monster Hunter way more often than he should (he has the Fatalis armor to prove it).

Sometimes he writes extremely short fiction. Sometimes he pretends to write extremely short fiction, but it’s actually extremely short non-fiction. Sometimes he just pretends to write.

Arthur Valverde

Coach, Horizontal Apparatus, Handstands

About

Arthur Valverde is a nationally recognized circus performer and instructor. He’s been the head coach for several circus schools across the United States, and has taught ballet, contemporary, and modern dance as the facilities as well as others. Growing up Arthur has trained in Gymnastics and Ballet, as well as theatre until he was a teenager, and then decided to devote his time to learning more about the circus arts. He’s been competing, teaching, and performing for a little over 30 years. Arthur has recently performed for the San Antonio Opera, Google at Rackspace, The San Antonio zoo, as well as performing nationally with the Metropolitan opera, the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts, and touring with independent projects.

Daniela Saurez

 Coach, Aerialist, Lyra 2, Fabric 1

About

Daniela Saurez is an accomplished aerial coach and circus arts enthusiast with a passion for teaching and performing. With eight years of experience in the field, she has honed her skills in various disciplines, including pole, silks, lyra, and flexibility training. 

While traveling as a military spouse, Daniela had the privilege of working at Disney World as a character performer, where she combined her circus skills with her love for entertaining audiences of all ages. Her time at Disney provided invaluable experience in performing under pressure and engaging with a wide range of spectators.

Daniela is known for her expertise in pole, silks, lyra, and flexibility training. Her extensive knowledge in these disciplines enables her to cater to students of all levels, from beginners seeking to build strength and confidence to advanced performers refining their techniques. She creates a supportive and encouraging environment in her classes, empowering her students to explore their capabilities and reach new heights.

Dessany Romero

Manager, Coach, Aerialist

About

Dessany Romero has been a lifelong lover of the performing arts. As a young girl, she dreamed of being a performer but didn’t know how it would happen.

In 2018 Dessany was introduced to aerial silks working at Artemov Gymnastics. There, she could train every day, teach herself silks, and grow the confidence she was lacking. Since then she studies Aerial & Circus Arts every day she can. She has received training from Carrie Heller (board member of American Circus Educators & co-founder of American Youth Circus Organization), Dara Minkin, and other local circus performers.

In 2021 Dessany and her Husband performed every weekend on aerial silks and trapeze at Paramour Rooftop Bar in San Antonio, Tx. doing solo and duo acts together. She has worked for entertainment companies such as Aqua Acro, Breakthrough Entertainment, DFNTLY Entertainment, and Lateremore Productions 

Mrs. Romero now has 8 years of experience in personal training and nutritional guidance. She has been certified to coach levels 1-3 gymnastics, NASM CPT, and an ACE sports nutrition specialist. She received Aerial Teacher Training from the Institute of Circus Arts in Atlanta, GA. She is certified in their Circus Arts Therapy program and an E-200 YTT from Circasana. She is currently training contortion under Amy Goh ( IG: missinkblot). Dessany also does professional stilt walking and is in the 1-minute handstand club and lovessss teaching mat pilates.

Dessany is so excited to be at Cirque Aria to share everything she has learned to help every student feel successful in their bodies and the art they create.

Maria “Cris” Morrell

Coach, Co-conspirator/Enabler

About

Maria “Cris” Morrell has been practicing aerial arts for over 8 years. She is a U.S. Air Force Veteran who discovered the Aerial Silks in an attempt to work out without the standard workout routine. Finding former Aerial Horizon owner, Julia Langenberg, online she began her Aerial Silks training and aerial arts safety in 2013. She fell in love with creating and performing routines that motivate people to move, gasp, and become entranced. This love led her to competing in Capital of Texas Aerial Competition in 2018 where she won Novice Audience Choice and Best Novice Silks. She continued her creation of routines by joining Aerial Horizon’s Student Company in 2018. She continues creating and believes in constant learning in every aspect. She begins her aerial arts teaching here at Cirque Aria to help other’s discover their own love for aerial arts.

Angela Sanchez

Founder, Chief Instigator/Cat Herder

 

About

Hi I’m Angela and I’m the founder of Cirque Aria! I’ve been training aerial silks for about nine years now first with Julia Langenberg at Aerial Horizon and am now a student at The Aerium with Dara Minkin. Aerials is definitely a passion project for me and my goal is to make this amazing artform as accesible to as many people as possible. When I’m not at the studio you can find me at Jefferson High School where I am a science teacher or at home with my husband David and our passel of cats!