Katie Skiba is one lucky lady. She gets to
her passion for aerial arts with others.
And we mean passion. The 31-year-old owner of
Cirque Athletics in West Melbourne has a growing
business for a reason. Sure, who wouldn’t want to run
away to “circus arts and alternative fitness classes.”
But just like her own humble beginnings in a sport
she knew nothing about, Katie and her staff welcome
people from all walks of life to get their feet off the
ground and experience the silks, trapeze, lyra and
other eye-catching apparatus.
Katie’s path to the air
came after trying to find
her place. She left her life
as an inactive overweight
teen behind after
attending a free event in
Tampa: “I saw beautiful
women flying around,
holding themselves up
and bending in ways I’d
never seen.”
She found the nearest
aerial classes, and despite
being “horrible at
absolutely everything,”
she persisted.
“I couldn’t touch my
toes, pull myself up or
even get through the
warmup without needing
a break. But I decided
the day I saw those
strong, confident women
up in the air, that I was
going to stick with this
and succeed.”
She moved to Melbourne
with a significant other
and went from training
every day to losing a
piece of herself when
she couldn’t find a
local aerial gym. After
being allowed to train
at places geared toward
completely unrelated
activities, it was photos
she’d post on social
media of her working
with her apparatus that
sparked a cry for her to
go in her own direction.
The friends she’d made
while trying to find her
place in Brevard County
made her realize she had
the ability to light that
same fire inside others
that cirque gave her.
“Sparking that passion
and feeding the fire in
myself was one thing,
Photo by Christina Stauart
but being able to
experience all those
‘first times’ with my
peers was unmatched,”
Katie said.
“While it’s my job to
teach aerial arts and
keep everyone safe, I
also pride myself on
my ability to give these
students more than just
physical fitness. We are
a big, supportive group
who lift each other
up and showcase each
other both physically
and emotionally.”
Cirque Athletics has a
growing kids program
and puts on a monthly
‘Cirque Spectaculum’
showcase where any
level student can
perform. The shows are
breathtaking, complete
with music, costumes
and show lighting. A
group also can be hired
to perform at events.
meet
Katie
EVERYTHING sports
Cirque Athletics
(321) 327-4574
184 Westover Dr.,
West Melbourne 32904
CirqueAthletics.com
/CirqueAthletics
@CirqueAthletics
Photo by
Winship
Photography
AND CIRQUE ATHLETICS
B Y L E E N E S S E L
january ‘20 // 07
/CirqueAthletics.com