Circus arts Institute STAFF
Here at the Circus Arts Institute (CAI), we are proud to have an instructional staff that are some of the most highly trained in Circus Arts Safety and Spotting in the industry!
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Instructional Staff
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Kasumi Kato began with CAI as a youngster and is a lifelong practitioner of circus and aerial arts. She trained with and led organizations across the USA including Cirque Du Monde and Aloft Aerial Dance. Now, she is Program Director of the Aerial Teacher Training program and a lead trainer at Circus Arts Institute teaching Fabric, Trapeze, Spanish Web, Corde Lisse, and Acrobatics. Her clownish personality makes her classes lots of fun, and she loves the team-work, strength-building, artistic elements, and self-confidence that are all a part of classes at CAI.
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Hilary Riall is a lead trainer who can teach every apparatus. Hilary also assists with Circus Arts Therapy® groups. She's been with CAI since she was 6 years old! She grew up in the circus and says that she loves everything about the circus - from the flying, to the spinning, and all the fun. Her current favorite apparatus is the hammock.
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Lauren Taglialatela, PhD teaches Circus Arts Fitness® and assists with Circus Arts Therapy® groups at CAI. Her silly personality fills her classes with fun and laughter. She has been clowning around with Carrie since 1996, and her favorite circus activity is the Spanish Web. For Lauren, circus arts is an exciting escape from her everyday life where she is the General Education Coordinator and also the Chair of the Curriculum Committee for the Department of Psychological Science at Kennesaw State University. She is an expert in thoughtfully scaffolding skills (in the classroom, in the air, and over Zoom) to catalyze success for students and teachers. Lauren’s son is an acrobat-in-training who loves attending CAI’s fitness classes.
In conjunction with Carrie Heller, LCSW, RPT, Lauren co-authored the article Circus Arts Therapy® Fitness and Play Therapy Program Shows Positive Clinical Results, which can be found in the International Journal of Play Therapy, April 2018 edition: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pla0000068.dit. |
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Like many before her, Sara Deull ran away to join the circus at a young age – starting with gymnastics at age four. She first took to the air at seven at Independent Lake Camp. Twenty years later, she continues to learn and develop as a circus artist and teacher. She has trained, performed, and coached with amazing people in Latin America, Europe, Africa and most recently, North America, with Carrie Heller and the Circus Arts Institute! Through the journey, with rigging guidance from a young age under Jonathan Deull, Sara has always focused on ensuring safe rigging practices for herself, and those around her, offering workshops around the world. For Sara, circus is an inspiring and constantly challenging adventure that connects physical, spiritual, and artistic growth for individuals and communities, brings joy to audiences young and old, and demonstrates that nothing is really impossible. Sara ADORES aerial straps and flying trapeze, and co-directing the Ritz Kidz Social Circus program every summer in Newburgh, NY. During the day, she enjoys coaching students from 6 months to 60 years old, and after school enjoys learning from her son Jack at their home in Montreal.
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Hayley Adamson is a classically trained mover, performer and instructor from the Atlanta area. She had the good fortune of finding the circus arts in early adulthood after a lifetime of ballet training, and has since never looked back. She received the bulk of her technical training at Circus Center in San Francisco specializing in Aerial Hoop and Contortion, and later learned to teach with Circus Arts Institute in 2017. Hayley was the Lyra trainer for Circus Arts Institute's teacher-training program for 2 years, until taking a hiatus to start a family. She came back in 2021 and currently teaches classes of all levels throughout the Atlanta area to children and adults, performs when she can, and is happy to be back to assist in the Lyra program at Circus Arts Institute.
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In loving memory
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Jacosa Kato had a remarkable 24-year history with Carrie since she began studying Circus Arts at age 4. Jacosa loved fitness, performing, and the boost of self-esteem that comes from learning and teaching the circus arts. Jacosa was an amazing acrobat and taught just about everything at CAI. When she was not busy teaching at CAI, Jacosa was an Aerial Director at Circus Camp and the Imperial Opa Circus, and the Program Director at Opa for kids.
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Mary Ann Hart and CAI Founder, Carrie Heller, had an amazing 24-year history together, since the time when Carrie was teaching at New Moves Studio in Little Five Points. Her favorite apparatus was the trapeze, and Mary Ann was also a professional mime, clown, puppeteer and Nurse Practitioner "Very Merry” for the Big Apple Circus Clown Care. She loved that Circus Arts made her stronger and more able to face challenges, and she particularly enjoyed working with other people. She would describe herself as "impish,” and although she was on temporary leave from CAI, she always planed to continue teaching all aspects of Circus Arts when she returned, including juggling!
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