Who Are We?

Night Flight is a performance company based in Portland, OR. We produce big, colorful, beautiful shows that combine breathtaking aerial artistry and playful storytelling. We are extremely passionate about what we do and we believe whole heartedly that love is in the details. Aside from our shows, we are also an Aerial and Circus Arts Studio and teach Series and Drop-in classes. Our Series include classes in trapeze, silks, lyra, rope, straps, handstands, stretching and contortion. As teachers, we are dedicated to creating fun, safe and challenging classes that focus on individualized attention. We are invested in our students and helping them reach their goals.

 

Meet Our Coaches

Daniela Steiner

Coach | Trapeze, Handstands

After teaching and performing with Do Jump! for 12 years, Daniela moved to the Bay Area, where she worked as a circus coach at the San Francisco Circus Center. While in San Francisco, Daniela co-founded Sweet Can Circus and performed in Teatro ZinZanni’s Cabaret Lunatique. Now back in Portland, Daniela performs with Night Flight, Circus Artemis, Curious Comedy, Pelu Teatre, and Nomadic Theatre Company. Other Northwest aerial instructing credits include the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts in Seattle and the Circus Project.

Jessie Orf

Coach | Silks

Jessie has over 13 years experience training, performing and teaching aerial arts around the country. She focuses primarily on aerial tissue but can also be seen on rope, lyra and duo trapeze. As a coach, Jessie specializes in training advanced student on vertical apparatuses and enjoys helping them increase strength and endurance, improve technique and discover a passion for performing.

Jack Stocklynn

Coach | Trapeze

Jack holds a BFA in Theater and Original Works from Cornish College, where he also studied clowning. Clowning lead to the whole gamut of Circus Arts! As a performer Jack has toured nationally with DoJump!, and all along the West Coast with his own blend of Clowning and Aerial dance, including the National Queer Arts fest in San Francisco. As a director Jack has been making original work with youth and adults for 10+ years. In 2014, Jack created his very own circus, Sir Cupcake’s Queer Circus, a professional circus which celebrates transgender and queer circus artists. As a teacher Jack is a master at breaking down skills so they are easy to learn, and so that anyone can learn a little circus! Jack believes firmly in the power of play, focus and hard work to make innovative circus theatre that can lift up an entire community.

Alison Lockfeld

Coach | Stretching, Contortion

Captivated by the circus at an early age, Alison began her circus training with preschool classes at Acrosports in San Francisco. Spending most of her life surrounded by inspiring people and immersed in the circus world Alison has learned a lot about acrobatics, dance, juggling, contortion, clowning and aerial arts. She has trained at a number of schools around the United States, Canada, Switzerland and France. Most notably the Mongolian Contortion Center in San Francisco and Kinetic Theory in Los Angeles. She also studied Psychology and Kinesiology and graduated Occidental College. Alison loves to share her skills with audiences and students.

Larke Schuldberg

Coach | Trapeze

Larke has been performing and creating theatre since she was a child in Missoula, Montana. After receiving a BFA in Playwriting from NYU, Larke moved to Portland where she discovered aerial and Night Flight and became immediately hooked. She has been performing aerial since 2012. As a trapeze instructor, Larke loves helping her students develop kinesthetic awareness and develop a deeper connection with their body all while learning how to do something amazing. As an theatrical performer, Larke loves all parts of the theatrical process from writing, directing and coaching to performing and stage handing.

John Hernandez

Coach | Silks, Straps, Rope

John Hernandez is an accomplished aerialist based out of the Pacific Northwest. He started his aerial training in 2007. His main focus to Aerial Silks and Straps. In 2009, He completed a certification program in Fitness Technology focusing on Movement Analysis, Class Management and Exercise Physiology. His talents have been shown in Night Flight’s annual Halloween Shows: Fright Night, Portland’s Vampire Masquerade Ball, Portland’s Umbrella Festival, Sir Cupcakes Queer Circus, Prismatic, Whoopee Live, and the Spokane Symphony. In addition to performing, John has spent most of his time developing his skills as an instructor, where he focuses on students establishing a good foundation and fundamental techniques, working on step by step progressions, strength and confidence building.

Chalese Marie

Coach | Dance

Chalese Marie choreographs and teaches hip-hop, jazz and contemporary dance. In 2006, she began her pole dancing journey. A chiropractor by day and dance instructor in her free time, she enjoys sharing her unabashedly sexy style while integrating anatomy, biomechanics, and booty shaking into her teaching. As a performer, she is inspired by her love of burlesque, exotic movement and always seeks to use her musicality to tell a story. Chalese competed in the 2010 USPDF West Coast Regional competition. In 2012, she received her Pro card by placing 1st in the compulsory round at the USPDF National Championship and 3rd place at PSO Pacific Pole Championships, and went on to compete at the 2013 PSO national competition. In 2015 she choreographed and performed in the Miss Pole Dance America in the group division with Thigh Highs and Heels. In Night Flight shows, she has been creating, directing and performing chair dance routines since 2013.

Kerri Jonquil

Coach | Silks, Lyra

Kerri Jonquil has a long history of exploring various dance styles. From falling in love with belly dancing at age 6, to directing her high school’s performing modern dance program, to performing in U of O dance department productions and touring locally with Dance Africa, to finally discovering aerial arts in 2011. She found aerial acrobatics to be brilliant combination of her dance background and gymnastics abilities. After starting her aerial training in Portland, OR with Night Flight, she soon embarked on a rigorous professional training program at the acclaimed New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, VT.

Paulina Munoz

Coach | Silks, Straps

Paulina was a competitive karate athlete and studied martial arts as a child. She later discovered her passion for dance and has performed and competed in dance for many years. Paulina eventually became an aerialist and has mastered multiple apparatuses (including some unique and invented ones) and has a strong sense for combining intentional movement and dance with high level technical skills. She specializes in silks and straps.

Ashley Schief

Coach | Silks

Ashley comes to us with a lifetime of movement study featuring 15+ years of formal dance training in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, & swing, and has been dancing semi-professionally for over a decade. In youth she competed, choreographed, & coached both competitive cheerleading & dance teams. Ashley's Aerial and Circus background includes training with Night Flight, New England Center for Circus Arts in Vermont & Stefan Furst. Performing is her true love, while inspiring others to overcome obstacles and do the impossible is her paramount mission in life.

Emily Cosby

Coach | Lyra, Silks, Trapeze

Emily took her first aerial class at Night Flight in 2012 and has been enamored with aerial ever since. She began performing in Night Flight’s student shows before performing in Fright Night and Flying Fruitcake, as well as other local productions. In 2019 Emily began teaching at Night Flight and loves coaching students beginning or continuing their aerial journey. She enjoys training and teaching trapeze, lyra, silks, as well as training duo lyra with her aerial partner.