Members

Amy Bethel | Rebecca Bock | Holly Buchholz | Patrick Crean | Linda DiRaimondo | Kenneth Loud | Marcia Miquelon | Angela Richardson | Jennifer Ruef | Sophia "Chiron" Stevens | Sandy Rae Thistle | Jenn White | Lisa Wilber

Amy Bethel

Amy has been trapezing with Cycropia since 1996. She became interested in gaining circus skills after taking a tumbling workshop with the Women's Circus of Melbourne, Australia at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in China in 1995. The Women's Circus gave her a vision of liberation through movement and performance that she has carried into her involvement with Cycropia. The first thing Amy can ever remember wanting to be was a ballerina, and she took lessons in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance as a young person. After pursuing the visual arts for fifteen years, she finally rediscovered dance at the age of 31 when she took a workshop with Cycropia and learned to fly. She has performed with Cycropia since 1998 and choreographed her first aerial dance piece in 2000.

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Rebecca Bock

A childhood penchant for tree swings, wrestling and cowgirl boots predisposed Rebecca to linking up with Cycropia in their aerial endeavors.

Reconnecting, also with a childhood love of being lifted and tossed into the air, Rebecca has been gleefully perched on a trapeze with her fellow Cycropians since 1995.

She loves open-grown oaks, the feeling of wind on her face and is experiencing a growing fascination with wings.

Rebecca also likes participating in yoga, improvisational dance, skinner releasing, swing dancing, roth waves, swimming, ice skating and rollerblading. She is especially fond of artistic endeavors and has a love of beauty.

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Holly Buchholz

Holly has been a member of Cycropia since 1993. Dance being liberation and trapeze a joy, she is grateful to have the opportunity to fly, co-create, and work hard with her fellow Cycropians. Open your heart and you will soar.

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Patrick Crean

Patrick has been with Cycropia since 1992. In addition to Cycropia shows Flights of Fancy, Dreams of Flying, Caution, and Nocturne, he has danced in the Children's Theater of Madison's Peter Pan, with Don Redlich at UW Madison, in the Isthmus Jazz Festival, and the Performing Artists' Spotlight. "I wish everyone watching could come into the dance, experience the quick spin of the trapeze, feel the acceleration and weightlessness."

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Linda Di Raimondo

Linda first took flight during a Beginner's Workshop in Autumn of 1998. She has been dancing, performing, and dabbling in costume design with Cycropia ever since.

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Kenneth Loud

Kenneth has danced on the floor since 1985 and through the air since 1991. When he is not working as a professional carpenter, Ken teaches, choreographs and acts as technical director for the company. Outside of Cycropia, he has performed in works by Peggy Choy, Tim Glenn, Neal Jahren and Atala-Nicole Loud.

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Marcia Miquelon

Marcia has been dancing on the ground since about 1967, and in the air since 1995. She has taught aerial dance workshops for adults and children, served as a corporate officer for the company, choreographed (Improvisation, 1998; A Dish to Pass, 2000) and performed. Highlights include Nocturne (1996), Aerial Chautauqua (1998), the Performing Artist's Spotlight (2000), Potluck in the Park (2000), Io and Her and the Trouble with Him (2001), Lift (2001), Alchemy (2002), Firefly (2002), Elements (2003) and Strange But True (2004). In her earthbound life, she works in sustainable agriculture, as a writer, photographer and market gardener.

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Angela Richardson

Although she knew instantly that she wanted to fly after seeing Cycropia perform in 1998, it took Angela two years to prepare for takeoff. A proud member of the troupe since 2000, she has been amazed to see how much bigger both her biceps and heart have become during her tenure with Cycropia. An avid athlete and adventurer, Angela also enjoys yoga, Latin dance, scuba diving, and neo-burlesque. She is a visual artist and a TV industry professional.

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Jennifer Ruef

Jennifer has been flying with Cycropia since 1997. She first saw them perform in 1996. After she picked up her jaw she was stunned to find a flyer for a beginner's workshop. Her background in gymnastics and ballet served her well in the transformation to trapezer.
She has served as dancer, choreographer, teacher, tech crew member and director for Cycropia. She has also performed with the Madison Opera and Children's Theater of Madison. She keeps her dayjobs as Math Teacher at Madison East High School and Mother to Kristofer. She is ever grateful to Adam Cain for keeping her grounded and supporting her membership in this most amazing family of flyers. Cycropia goes beyond dance; it is community.

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Sophia "Chiron" Stevens

Chiron has been dancing with Cycropia Aerial Dance since 1995. During this time she has performed in over twenty shows. She has studied Skinner Releasing Technique in Seattle Washington, Gabriel Roth's Waves Technique, Aerial Fabric with Cathy Gaugh, Motivity with Terry Sendgraff, and Aerial Dance with Nancy Smith. She has also done some Aerial Rock Wall Dance. Chiron has been part of Cycropia's rigging team since 1998 with rigging experience in both indoor and outdoor venues.

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Sandy Rae Thistle

Carpenter by day, dervish by night

Sandy began dancing with Cycropia in 1991. In the fall of 1996 she began a personal collaboration with musician Daithi Wolfe and production of her own mini trapeze troupe. Her two young daughters, Mairead Snow and Fiona Dance have already choreographed and performed their own trapeze solos. Sandy returned to Cycropia in 2001 and has been flying with the mighty moths ever since.

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Jenn White

Jenn has been a member of Cycropia since 1995. She has performed in Nocturne (1996), Aerial Chautauqua (1998), Performing Artists' Spotlight (2000), Potluck in the Park (2000), Io and Her and the Trouble with Him (2001), Lift (2001), Alchemy (2002), Firefly (2002), Elements (2003) and Strange But True (2004). She has made corporate and school appearances, and choreographed Incantation (2000), Sujato Nartana (2002), Sandihya (2002), Neptune's Barbies (2004) and Six Cables and Eighteen Feet (2004). She holds a masters in social work, and currently works with children and families doing crisis intervention.

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Lisa Wilber

Lisa has been a member of Cycropia since 1995. After seeing Cycropia's amazing feats at the old Turner Hall, she threw fear and caution to the wind and has been flying high ever since. She has taught trapeze classes for adults and children, and has performed with Cycropia and other area dance troupes since 1996. Her 18-year course of study has included training in yoga and Skinner releasing, as well as modern, aerial and improvisational dance.

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