Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle McCurdy.
Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Aerial City originally started as nothing but a dream. I stepped into the circus world back in 2012 performing in Arizona where I am originally from. Shortly after my journey began, it almost came to an end when I was a passenger involved in 2 car accidents within the same year. The first had caused a concusion along with whiplash that i had to go through 5 months of PT before I was cleared to perform again. The second, however, caused a traumatic brain injury that caused the first seizure I had ever had, and would put me in a coma for 3 days. After months and months of PT, I was determined to not let the seizures hold me back and to get back in the air. I eventually moved to Houston Texas hoping to expand and grow the little entertainment company I had started at the time called Hypnotic Illusions. During the 2 years I lived in Houston, I wound up spending more of my time working in Austin which is where I met my Husband and eventually moved. After performing for some time, I started making moves towards my ultimate goal, which was to open my own studio. Shortly after filing for my first DBA, I wound up having a seizure at my regular job and fell on my head. This caused me to have a concussion but because of the prior TBI, it took almost a year to recover. During this time, I couldn’t work let alone get out of bed with out getting sick. At this point, I was ready to give up. Clearly this had to be a sign that it wasn’t meant to be. Around 2017, my husband and I moved to San Antonio in order to grow his auto glass Company. As I slowly recovered, I began to go back to work regular jobs eventually becoming a bank teller. I was good at it, but I was depressed. My husband was the one that encouraged me to start training again and eventually teaching classes. After about a year, he surprised me by taking the money that we had been saving to build a home and giving it to me to finally open my dream studio. Because of his support, Aerial City was born. From our Grand Opening back in May of 2021, we have grown from just a place to come and learn cool things to a place where a community development. Strangers turned into Friendships that turned into family. We then expanded our reach outside our doors and began performing in our community and even connecting with other studios around the country. Today, we host one of the regional competitions for one of the largest competitions in the US called Aerialympics. We have performed for the San Antonio Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Sea World, Hard Rock Cafe, Leukemia and Lymphoma now known as Cancer United, and Brighton Center to name a few. We’ve also had the pleasure of performing at the Tobin Center, Boeing Tech Center, Witte Museum, JW Marriott, and even Security Service Center. Our journey has recently taken us beyond just San Antonio with bookings in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Frisco, Fortworth, and even Brownsville.
Tragedy recently struck taking my husband’s life. I now not only run Aerial City because it began as my dream, but also in the memory of the man that made it all possible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Running your own buisness is not easy. The to do list never ends.You never truly clock out. And it feels like the odds are always stacked against you. I was not well known in San Antonio and I was never very good with social media, so trying to market for Aerial City when we first opened was tough. It was alot of individually reaching out to people and hoping they might tell their friends. We were also fighting the stigma that only certain people could do circus or Aerial classes. So many people didnt want to even try because they thought they already had to be fit or flexible not knowing that that came with taking the classes. Our biggest challenge is showing people that anyone can try Aerial and Circus classes and if you stick with it, and wanted to go further, you could even turn it onto a profession.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a professional Aerialist and Circus Performer and Owner/Instructor at Aerial City. I specialize in anything Aerial and Circus including lyra, trapeze, silks,hammock, Rope, Cube, lollipop, moon, Sphere, lyra ladder, net, flying pole and regular pole and more. I also perform fire dancing, eating and Fleshing and fire breathing. I stilt walk and can perform various ground roaming characters, led dancing, mermaiding ect. What i am most proud of and what sets me apart is my versatility in multiple disciplines both in the air and on the ground.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband, Patrick McCurdy. When I was ready to give up, he was always there to pick me up. He was the one that gave me the courage to go after my dreams and he was the one that made them possible. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
Pricing:
- Drop Intro Class $35
- 4 Week Series $120
- 5 Week Series $150
- Private Group Parties $250 *up to 5 poeple*
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Aerialcitytexas.com
- Instagram: @aerialcitytexas
- Facebook: @aerialcitytexas
