2:30 PM Show
Iron City Circus Arts Coaches
Angela Anderson, Nikki Battestilli, Jenly Deiter, Lexi Ferguson, Elyse Kardos, Kelsey Keller, Sarah Moslen, Janet Peters, Liz Seip, Shelby Shingle, & Meghan Strickhouser welcome you to ICCA’s 2025 showcase! They are so proud of all of their students performing today.
Penelope Murphy
Penelope Murphy has been doing circus arts for six years. She is 14 years old and will be a freshman at Riverview Jr/Sr. High School this fall. She is also on her high school football team and likes to paint.
Zephy Fleenor
Zephy Fleenor is a rising sophomore at City of Bridges High School and has been doing circus arts for four years. Zephy does four different apparatuses: trapeze, hoop, aerial silk, and aerial sling, and she is learning to juggle!
Emily Hendrickson
Emily Hendrickson has been learning aerial arts since 2019 and training at ICCA since 2022. This routine features some of her favorite tricks, one of her favorite songs, and her favorite color - pink!
Claire Matscherz
“Hi friends!” Claire has been doing aerial arts for over four years now. This is her first time performing a solo! The artist of this song is her favorite artist of all time! She’s an independent artist and is so inspiring and comforting. She hopes you enjoy her performance!
Sarah Petersen
Sarah Petersen is currently 7 months pregnant with her second daughter. She dedicates this performance to her two little ladies, along with her husband, who is very excited to be an official "girl dad." She hopes her girls will grow up to know that moms can do fun stuff too.
Launa Powers
Launa Powers will be a high school freshman this fall. She loves acting, voice, competition archery, and aerial acrobatics. Launa also enjoys learning American Sign Language. She wants to be a teacher and an actress.
McKinley Hasan
After many years of silks, McKinley Hasan is excited to perform in her first aerial showcase with a dizzying routine she hopes you'll enjoy.
Leah Klocko
Leah Klocko has been taking sling classes for 3 years now. This is her second time doing Showcase. Her song "Tristan and Cassie" is from an original musical, "A Pirate's Tale," by Shaun Rolly and Paul Shapira. Tristan and Cassie are pirates and have sailed the Anne Marie together for years. They have just had a fight and are on opposite sides of the ship thinking over their relationship and their future.
Kate Lundy
Kate Lundy is excited to perform a fierce and emotional tribute to women’s empowerment. Celebrating women's strength, resilience, and voice, this act is a powerful reminder that no one should ever be told to stay small, stay quiet, or fall in line.
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INTERMISSION
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Kimmy Cianci
Kimmy Cianci is dedicating this performance to her mom, Barb, who has always been her biggest fan and supporter. Kimmy is so happy that she is here, along with many others, to cheer her on. Today's routine will be so smooth, nonstop, and high energy that it is almost criminal. ;) Hope you like it!
Steph Richard
Steph Richard believes that thanks to Jesus, even the worst day can still be a good day.
Ayne Terceira
Named a "solo tour de force" by Pittsburgh Magazine, Ayne Terceira creates strange theater in Pittsburgh.
Daniel Moore
Daniel Moore started doing aerial arts one year ago. For his first showcase performance, he brings you a tribute to Tron Legacy, a story of discovery, courage, and survival in an electronic world called the grid.
Emily Capezzuto
Emily Capezzuto presents her first showcase after nine months of training in aerial hoop and trapeze. With the guidance of her instructor Elyse Kardos—whose support and creativity helped shape this routine—Emily is excited to share her first performance. She’s grateful for the warm welcome into the aerial community and looks forward to continuing this journey.
Keely Smiley
Keely Smiley has been training aerial silks at Iron City Circus Arts for 2.5 years. This is her first time choreographing and performing a silks routine. This piece has challenged her strength and artistry, and she is very excited to share her experience with you.
Zephy Fleenor & Rose Rinehart
Zephy Fleenor & Rose Rinehart first met in preschool when they were two years old. Despite going to different schools later, they stayed in touch over the years and have been planning this piece mentally forever. This is their first self-choreographed duo together.
Liz Seip
Liz Seip found her community and best friends at ICCA eight years ago. She has been teaching aerials for the past 1.5 years. Her performance is about lost love.
Alyssa Amendola & Rose Leonard
Alyssa Amendola (Glinda) & Rose Leonard (Elphaba) are excited to debut their first duo silks routine. Together they’ll defy gravity and tell a story about friendship, self-discovery, and standing up for what you believe in, even when it’s not popular.
6 PM Show
Iron City Circus Arts Coaches
Angela Anderson, Nikki Battestilli, Jenly Deiter, Lexi Ferguson, Elyse Kardos, Kelsey Keller, Sarah Moslen, Janet Peters, Liz Seip, Shelby Shingle, & Meghan Strickhouser welcome you to ICCA’s 2025 showcase! They are so proud of all of their students performing today.
Tricia Ngoon
Tricia Ngoon started doing silks in grad school but only picked it up again at Iron City Circus in the past 8 months, and this is her first showcase! Outside of silks, she works in education research, coaches boxing at Level Red, and spends lots of time cuddling with her cat, Yukichi.
Tim Verstynen
Tim Verstynen is a husband, father, professor, author, aerialist, and occasional climber. As such, he is intimately familiar with anxiety.
Miki Scherer
Miki Scherer first learned rings with Sophie Kaufman from Esh Circus and found a passion for them. They have been training rings for the past year.
Kait Lander
Kait Lander is excited to perform her first-ever showcase! Silks has allowed her to step outside her comfort zone and learn to love her strength and everything her body can do! She can’t wait to continue to expand on her skills!
Andrea Weinstein
Andrea Weinstein, her husband, Tim, and their lovely daughter, Skylar, love to do circus as a family. Andrea likes to hula hoop and today she is trying to combine hula hoop and sling. This bio was written by the lovely Skylar.
Anna Jablonowski
Anna Jablonowski recently graduated from CCAC with a degree in Mechatronics and just got back from a two week trip in Europe. This routine is inspired by her favorite composer Hans Zimmer.
Kelsey Walls
A battle between good and evil takes to the skies in this quick adaptation of an English folk tale.
Shelby Shingle & Meghan Strickhouser
Shelby Shingle & Meghan Strickhouser have reunited once again on double sling. These ICCA coaches are bringing a little circus to 8 mile.
Elyse Kardos
This song used to be Elyse Kardos's favorite song when she was too young to understand what it was about. Today she performs to it in homage to the experience of a single woman navigating the choppy dating waters.
Nikki Battestilli, Stephanie Marasti-Georg, & Janet Peters
C'mon out to your neighborhood honkey tonk for a hoe down... or maybe do a little mattress dancing.
Angela Anderson
Angela Anderson has been training with ICCA since 2013, and is a coach and performer with ICA. Her act tonight, as with her circus journey, has included many different shifts and changes.
Sarah Moslen
The Doll People are angry. Can you hear them? Hear US?
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INTERMISSION
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Sarah’s Hoop/Trap 3 Class
Alex Aks, Allyson Morris, Bayley Brown, Laura Herrmann, Marisa Guarino, Rachel Yocca: Straight from Sarah’s horrifying dream world, the demons are searching for another soul to sacrifice to their dark master. Will she be another lamb to the slaughter or will she prevail over the powers of darkness?
Lindsey Briant
If you don't watch Rupaul's Drag Race, this performance probably won't make much sense to you. All you need to know is that Katya Zamolodchikova (your dad just calls her Katya) is Russia's only high class lady of the night. She loves men, money, and cigarettes and is excited to make her aerial arts debut.
Ryann LaNae Coleman
Ryann LaNae Coleman is a Pittsburgh native from the Hill District who has dedicated her life to art and dance. Her training has spanned across multiple artistic disciplines from many esteemed institutions such as HDAT, Reign Dance Productions, Pittsburgh CLO, CAPA 6-12, The University of the Arts, and Point Park University where she earned her B.F.A in Dance. Ryann is a passionate storyteller who loves to use her movement to inspire and educate those around her. She’s honored to be joining ICCA in their showcase and thanks her mom for all her encouragement through this journey.
Shelley Rowe
Shelley Rowe is a mom of three who started her aerial journey five years ago. Prior to aerial, she and her kids competed in Ninja Warrior. Shelley loves spending time with her kids, working out, and building a happy and healthy life.
Andres Garcia
Andres Garcia is an average grad student at a local university who likes rock climbing and other outdoor sports. Silks classes made him more flexible, and he is thankful to ICCA staff, students, and instructors for it. His choreography and music are based on The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker.
Lexie Reinhart
Lexie Reinhart is 334 months old. This month, she bought her first pair of running shoes and made her very first trip to Whole Foods! Her favorite things are aerials, yapping, and eating. When she grows up, she hopes to be retired.
Thyo Kimberlin
Celebrating nine years at ICCA, Thyo Kimberlin is thrilled for their first showcase on dance trapeze. They are excited to go out with a bang for their final showcase before they leave for college. They hope you enjoy their Queen-inspired routine!
Haley Vrolijk
“Hello there!” Haley has been doing aerial for about 7 years now! Hoop is her natural calling as it helps her channel her inner lyrical dancer from within. This routine is not only a redemption for her, but a cry to our current events. How did it truly end? That’s for you to digest.
Lena Fritsch & Justice Williams
Lena Fritsch & Justice Williams have been friends for around 2 years. They quickly bonded over their shared love for circus, followed by their love for duo. Tonight, they present their first piece together.
Shelby Shingle
Yesterday, Shelby Shingle and her husband celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. Yes, 10 years ago they stood up in front of their friends and family while buckets and buckets of rain kicked off their marriage. Tonight's performance is dedicated to the one who can keep her steady through any storm; the love of her life, Jake.
Emma Patarcity
We hear you Doll People, and we are angry too. It’s past time this village paid its dues.
Iron City Aerialists
Angela Anderson, Nikki Battestilli, Jenly Deiter, Lexi Ferguson, Elyse Kardos, Kelsey Keller, Stephanie Marasti-Georg, Amrit Moore, Sarah Moslen, and Kelsey Walls are here to help you kick off your summer right! You need only get in the pool.