About South Dakota Aerial & Arts

Sioux Falls' Premiere Aerial Fitness Studio

South Dakota Aerial & Arts was opened in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in January 2023 by Ashley Premer and Katie Critzer. They envisioned a gym that was dedicated specifically to aerial fitness classes, that valued and welcomed students of all backgrounds, skill levels and genders. They are passionate about bringing safe, inclusive fitness to others.

Our goal is to make South Dakota Aerial & Arts a community where you feel empowered, motivated and supported. We strive to make fitness fun for everyone through challenging classes, open gyms and workshops.

We want YOU to love aerial arts as much as we do, and to have a space to be yourself and grow as an athlete and human.

Grand opening ribbon butting of ceremonial aerial silk at south dakota aerial and arts.jpe

Meet Our Team

Katie Critzer (Katie in the Sky)

Co-Owner | Head Aerial Silks Instructor | Performer

Katie is the co-owner of South Dakota Aerial & Arts and Cirka Performance Arts, an online aerial education platform. She was a lifelong gymnast and has six years of aerial experience. She has been coaching aerial silks for over four years.

She has won multiple awards for her aerial performances, including Best Variety Act for aerial doubles at OKCBF, 1st place in Aerial Silks and Hammock at the Black Hills Aerial Cup and 2nd place awards in All Star Aerial Silks at Aerialympics and Aerial Star. She was also named on Sioux Falls' 2023 30 Under 30, and was in the 2022 cohort of CoStarters through Start Up Sioux Falls.

She loves creating new aerial silks moves, helping beginners discover their passion for aerial fitness, and being your (tough, but kind) cheerleader.

Katie professionally performs aerial silks, partner acrobatics, aerial hoop, lollipop lyra, aerial doubles and fire.

Ashley Premer - Priscilla Pins in the Sky.jpg

Ashley Premer (Priscilla in the Sky)

Co-Owner | Head Lyra Instructor | Silks Coach | Performer

Ashley is the co-owner of South Dakota Aerial & Arts and has been a circus and side show performer for 14 years. She worked as a sideshow performer doing specialty freak show acts and has been performing aerial silks and hoop for 3 years. She specializes in flexibility, and professionally performs aerial silks, aerial hoop, lollipop lyra, aerial doubles and fire.

Ashley loves creating beautiful sequences and putting together challenging aerial conditioning, Currently, she is working tirelessly on Sioux Fall's first, progressive aerial hoop program.

She also owns Vibrant Salon and Vibrant Body Arts, a piercing and tattoo shop, with her husband Erik, and is a staple performer in South Dakota Aerial & Arts' performance troupe.

She is a mother of one little girl, Lily, who is an aspiring aerial performer herself. You may see Lily in the gym hanging upside or creating routines on any/all apparatuses.

Kassie Hoiland

Silks Coach | Performer

Kassie has always had a unquenchable thirst for adventure and trying new things. Growing up, Kassie never missed a circus while it was in town. She was awed and inspired by the aerial performers and, six years ago, decided to try it out for herself. She has been in love with the sport ever since.

Kassie is currently an aerial silks coach at South Dakota Aerial & Arts and loves to perform! She specializes in aerial silks and has recently rekindled her love for baton.

She has six years of aerial experience and has been coaching for three years.

Chris Coughlin

Flexibility Instructor | Performer

Chris started aerial silks at the beginning of 2022 after teaching and doing yoga for 9 years. He has found a thrill in sharing his passion and talent with others. He’s currently working on building more daring aerial silks doubles performances on the silks. He coaches our flexibility classes and a variety of workshops, including acroyoga, hand balancing, aerial yoga and more!

In 2023, he won best variety performance for his duo aerial silks act at OKCBF.

His other talents include speaking Spanish and spontaneously dropping into the splits.