About

Meet The Team

Kelly Gentleman

Kellys aerial & flexibility journey started in 2010. After training pole for fitness for a few years, Kelly went on to try something different & unique.
Kelly spent months commuting to Circus Space (now National Circus of Circus Arts) every week to learn aerial skills including silks, rope, trapeze, hoop, & flying trapeze. It was here she fell in love with aerial and more specifically, silks.

Kelly continued training and gained her fitness instructor/coach qualifications & certifications, including Exercise to Music, A&P, Les Mills, advanced flexibility and all levels of aerial with NECCA certification, DBS checks, safeguarding courses and DSL training.

The studio (established in 2012) has gone from strength to strength with the amazing demand of more and more people wanting to learn the incredible, elegant & addictive art of aerial.

Kelly has furthered her education & qualifications in becoming an Education & Teaching Instructor, including a Teacher Assessor, which has enabled her to help other instructors on their aerial journeys.

Kelly founded “KAA ONLINE TUTORIALS” in 2018 which was created & designed specifically to help aerial silk instructors, students & performers, to enhance their aerial silk knowledge & skills using Kelly’s detailed online video tutorials of unique & quirky poses, moves, drops, combos, conditioning & flexibility and also including some of Kelly’s popular signature poses.

“Teaching silks specific & flexibility goals, is my absolute passion. If I’m not at home with my family & 2 young children, I’m in the studio training or teaching. I absolutely love helping & encouraging students and instructors of all levels with their progression & confidence”

Lisa Kennedy

Lisa was Kelly’s first ever student back in 2011. She has been a part of the journey since the beginning. She certified for all levels of aerial silks instructing with NECCA Certification.

Lisa became an Aerial instructor for KAA in 2013.

Aside from Aerial silks, Lisa is also a qualified sports massage therapist and runs a clinic out of the same facility as KAA (Reasons Fitness).

Lisa is also an experienced performer. She has performed along side Kelly at numerous events, including charity events, corporate events & parties. She has performed in every show that KAA have put on over the years and she also accompanied Kelly to Denmark to perform at a big event for Dell Computer Company.

Lisa has a passion for learning and is dedicated to being the best & knowledgable instructor possible. Her sports massage background really compliments her teaching. Lisa teaches our beginner and intermediate students.

If Lisa is not in the studio training or teaching or working with massage clients, you will most definitely find her doing extra courses to enhance her learning & knowledge.

Charlotte Sinclair

Charlotte started Aerial in 2016. Training in Silks, Hoop, Trapeze, Rope and Spanish Web.

She completed a Dancers Intensive Course in 2017 and a 1 month EAC Foundation Course in 2018 at My Aerial Home in London, dedicating many hours to improving her skills and performing abilities.

In 2019 Charlotte started performing professionally for Tui , working a 6 month contract abroad in one of their hotels in Rhodes. There she would perform in evening shows and teach fitness classes during the day for guests.

After returning she started her journey qualifying as an Aerial Instructor and also gaining her Level 2 Fitness Instructor Qualification, including A&P.

Charlotte joined Kelly’s team at KAA in 2022, teaching children and adult Aerial Silks classes.

You will find Charlotte either training aerial or being with her family and young son.

Aimee Walker

Aimee’s Aerial journey started back in 2016. First starting with Pole classes and then finding her way to Aerial Hoop! Her passion for all things aerial guided her to a silks class and this is where she met Kelly and the team at KAA!

She has over 7 years experience in Aerial Arts and has since become Spin City trained in Aerial Hoop, Grounded Hoop, Anatomy and Physiology and she is fully insured and DBS checked. She is always looking to expand and learn on new skills and experiences and is currently training in a new skill!

Aimee believes that it is so important to establish good foundations with students to be able to aid progression through their own aerial journeys. Understanding that everyone learns differently is something that she has learnt throughout her years of teaching and so it is incredibly fulfilling for her to see them all achieve and grow at their own individual pace.

She feels so grateful to be able to share her own passion with teaching those that also develop an addiction with all things Aerial! It has been so fulfilling and rewarding and is excited to continue the journey at KAA!

Jody Varndell

Jody has a strong passion for all things Aerial - her go to phrase being ‘Aerial is Life’! She started her Aerial journey back in 2015 with Kelly’s Aerial Academy at 14 years old! She fell in love with it immediately.

Since then, Jody has trained in other disciplines such as Hoop, Pole and LyraPole and competed in her first ever competition. Jody completed her instructor training to develop her Aerial knowledge and to give other people the opportunity to fall in love with Aerial.

Jody teaches adult beginners and can’t wait to see your confidence soar as you flourish and shine!

If Jody isn’t in the air you can find her spending time with family and friends!

Tabitha Sellick

Taba started aerial silks in September 2023 and immediately fell in love doing classes and 121 sessions. In 2025 did her certificates and started teaching in the summer. She teaches kids classes and loves every minute of it.

Taba has always loved sports but after having knee surgery, she was not sure she would be able to get back to it and after finding aerial, she knew she could train to build her stability & strength. This also gave her the confidence to train in the gym and out of her comfort zone, doing photoshoots and teaching others.

When taba is not in the studio, she will be found with her dog lettice or in her studio sewing and making curtains and hats.

Kate Gibson

Kate began her aerial journey in 2017 with aerial hoop, later adding aerial silks in 2019 and she was instantly hooked. Coming from a non‑athletic background, she was surprised to find that aerial never felt like a traditional form of exercise, but rather a creative, fun way to move.

Over the years, Kate has trained at a variety of studios and continues to expand her knowledge. She gained her first formal qualification in 2023 and now holds multiple Spin City certifications, including Anatomy & Physiology for Pole and Aerial, Core Strength and Stability for Pole and Aerial, Coaching for Pole and Aerial, Stretching and Flexibility for Pole and Aerial, Beginners and Intermediate Aerial Hoop and Foundation Aerial Silks. She has a hard time resisting an interesting aerial course, so this list is only set to grow.

Kate is passionate about making aerial accessible to everyone. She believes you don’t need to fit a certain mould to be a “good” aerialist—there is space for every body, every background, and every learning style. She loves the idea that people of any age or fitness level can develop new skills such as balance, coordination, and flexibility, and supports students as they discover what they are capable of.

Beckii Wernham

Hi, I’m Beckii. I’ve been with Kelly’s Aerial Academy since 2016, starting as a student. After being approached twice by Kelly to become an instructor, I finally believed in myself and took on a qualification in aerial silks. I qualified in August 2025. Since then, I’ve been teaching weekly classes for kids and have fallen even more in love with aerial silks. I love nothing more than seeing people achieve their goals and become role models for others hoping to have a go at silks.

When I’m not teaching silks, I work in childcare, which I’ve done for 15 years. I’ve also acquired several qualifications, including safeguarding DSL and SENCO. When I’m not working I’m on adventures with my family creating memories.