Michelle Spurlock

Captivating Aerial Entertainment to make your event unforgettable!

If you hire Michelle to perform for your event, you can expect the highest quality aerial entertainment from one of the most experienced professional aerialists in the area. Michelle will thoroughly discuss your event vision with you to make sure she delivers exactly what you want. Let her know your event theme, colors, and style so she can match her costume, makeup, and performing to your vision! She will also discuss all the rigging options available depending on the space available at your event venue.

Michelle specializes in Aerial Silks but also performs on Trapeze, Aerial Hoop (Lyra), and Aerial Sling. (These other apparatuses can work better than Aerial Silks if your event venue ceilings are less than 14 feet.) Michelle also performs duo acts where 2 aerialists perform together on the same apparatus for extra excitement for your audience! She offers 3 different service types (which can be mixed and matched as you choose):

1. Center-Stage Performances - meant to be a featured performance during your event. These are typically choreographed to a specific song (average of 4 to 6 minutes long) and include exciting drops and amazing feats of strength and flexibility. Michelle can provide a max of 3 center-stage performances separated by at least 30 minutes due to their physically strenuous nature.

2. Ambient Performing - meant to help set the mood for your event and entertain strolling guests. Michelle will perform slow-moving, mesmerizing shapes in the air for 5 to 10 minute sets (with 5 to 10 minute rest breaks in between for safety) for up to 4 hours.

3. Interactive - for events where your guests want to try aerial arts for themselves! Michelle can teach your guests beginner aerial tricks one at a time on her aerial rig. Expect lots of laughter and plenty of fun photo ops! The only requirement is that guests sign Michelle's liability waiver (which can be done online in advance, or at the event from their phones). Michelle reserves the right to refuse participation to anyone who may be inebriated or unable to participate safely for any reason.

Please note if you need more continuous aerial entertainment (with no rest breaks), Michelle also manages a full team of professional aerial performers that can take turns performing or even provide an entire show. Just let her know if you'd like to hire multiple aerialists for your event!

What sets me apart from other aerialists?
1. My 13+ years of aerial experience. I can also provide a variety of different types of aerial performances, including aerial silks, aerial hoop (lyra), dance trapeze, lollipop lyra, and duo acts on all of these.
2. My professionalism and dependability: I manage a successful aerial arts studio and have recurring performance contracts with local city governments, private businesses, and circus companies.
3. I am known for my aerial artistry, grace, strength, and impeccable form in the air.
4. I care deeply about cultivating meaningful connections through my job as an aerialist: with my audiences, my clients, my students, and my community.
5. If you need more than one performer, I manage a full team of professional aerialists at my studio, Upside Aerial.

Here's more detail about my background and training:
I have a background in ballroom dance and yoga instruction and began training on aerial silks in 2010 at the Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center. I completed my Aerial Silks Teacher Training with AerialCLT in 2016. I discovered I loved teaching and performing aerial arts so much, I gave up my career as a pharmacy professor to follow my passion and become a full-time aerialist. In 2018, I opened my own aerial arts studio, Upside Aerial, in Burlington, NC. It has been thriving ever since. With over 13 years experience, I am one of the most advanced aerialists in the area. I not only perform regularly for events of all kinds, but I am the primary aerial coach for many of the other professional aerialists in the area. More than anything, I love inspiring others with this thrilling, beautiful art form through both my teaching and performing.

For aerial performances, Michelle provides a CircusGear free-standing aerial rig which has a 20' x 20' footprint and reaches up to 23' in height. (Lower heights with smaller footprints can also be used to accommodate your event space. A minimum of 12 feet of ceiling height and 12' x 12' footprint is required at your event venue.) The aerial rig has rubber feet to protect flooring indoors or can be set up outdoors. The rig requires 2 people and 60 to 90 minutes to set up and another 45 to 60 minutes to break down when performances are finished. Michelle can provide a rigging staff member or you can provide an able-bodied to save on cost. (If you provide someone, Michelle will show them exactly what to do to help set up the rig.)

For smaller spaces, Michelle can also provide a free-standing lollipop lyra which requires a minimum of 8.5 feet of ceiling height and 6' x 6' footprint. This can be assembled by Michelle alone, so it is also a cheaper option than the aerial rig if your budget is more limited. Pictures of both the free-standing rig and the lollipop lyra are available in Michelle's Gig Salad Photo Gallery.

If your event venue has rigging structures (such as exposed steel I-beams) and a way to access them (e.g. a scissor lift or appropriately-sized ladder), Michelle can also rig from these structures. (Note this requires a rigging assessment in advance, which will be included in the price quote.)

For musical accompaniment, Michelle can provide a portable audio system, use the audio equipment available in your event space, share her music with your DJ, or perform to live music. Music choices are fully customizable to the mood, theme, or style of your event. If you let Michelle know at least 4 weeks in advance, you can choose the song(s) you would like her to choreograph. Or if you just provide her with the theme/mood for your event, she'll create something magical to match it!