Who We Are…

The heartbeat of Above Ground is to offer a space of both physical and emotional safety, and to bring honor to God. ALL walks of life are welcome here! We want our students to be free to express their authenticity and creativity while demonstrating kindness and respecting others. We are a studio dedicated to excellence, and to safe, technical learning. We strive to foster an environment that exudes warmth, encouragement, and support.

Our History…

Above Ground was founded in 2015 by Amanda Hamburger in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. What began as a hobby quickly developed into a side hustle on a rig in Amanda’s backyard. After seeing the positive feedback and the demand for group classes, Above Ground opened its doors in its first physical space in 2016 inside of a cheer gym.

It was clear that God’s blessings were upon Above Ground as it began to flourish. Students became friends and those friends turned into a family. Together, they put on almost a dozen in-studio performances, hosted many events and parties, and performed locally all over Baton Rouge and throughout the state of Louisiana.

In 2021, Above Ground closed its doors in Baton Rouge as Amanda and her husband Chris moved to California. There were plans for potentially reopening in Los Angeles; however, it simply wasn’t in the cards. With yet another vision and direction, Amanda and Chris moved to Georgia in the fall of 2022. By that winter, God opened the door for Above Ground to be reborn, reimagined, and reinvented.

As of 2024, Above Ground is now co-owned by Rebecca Bouras, who also shares an deep passion for people and this incredible art. Since reopening, Above Ground has grown with leaps and bounds, and has moved into a dedicated facility in Suwanee, GA. Amanda and Rebecca believe whole-heartedly that God has big plans for the studio. They trust Him with all of their business decisions, and with their lives. They hope you feel the love and the presence of the Father when you step into Above Ground Aerial and when you climb to new heights.

Meet Our Instructors

Amanda HamBurger

Amanda Hamburger is a southern girl with Cajun roots, born and raised in South Louisiana. She is obsessed with aerial arts and when she’s not doing it, she’s probably thinking about it. Amanda loves hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Her aerial journey started in 2010 in the theater department of LSU. Her movement background includes multiple forms of dance, tumbling, theatre, art, and music.

Amanda loves Jesus and people. She finds no greater joy than truly knowing people on a deeper level and helping them unlock their potential. Amanda holds an M.Ed. in Counseling which she believes aids in meeting students where they are. Aerial arts have helped her realize just how much physical and mental potential people have at any age and circumstance. Having sustained a few significant injuries in the past, Amanda spent a season learning that she had greater strength inside her than she realized. For her, it was God, determination (some call it stubbornness!), and quite a bit of P.T., while delving into aerial arts that healed her body and mind. With newfound capacity coupled with her love for performance art, it’s her goal to help others realize that same capacity within them.

“We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too.” — Kristin Martz.

Rebecca Bouras

After working as a licensed therapist for years, Rebecca ran away to the circus! Co-owner of Above Ground Aerial, she currently teaches aerial arts to various skill levels and ages. Her fun and exuberant personality combined with her genuine warmth and heart for both people and animals makes her energy unparalleled. Her mission is to make all of her students feel welcome and confident.

In addition to her background in theater, film and dance, Rebecca spent her childhood jumping out of airplanes, climbing and hanging from fences, trees and rooftops any chance she had. No wonder she felt lead to the circus!

Today, single point lyra is her main passion, but she is adept at teaching aerial fabrics. She emphasizes form and theory to build skill with not just movement mastery but with creativity and sequence development as well. She completed the Aerial Teacher Training Program with Circus Arts Institute, certifying in Lyra and Silks. Rebecca has been working as a coach to help others discover their potential to fly.

Peter Logdson

Peter was introduced to aerial acrobatics in November of 2012 when a friend hijacked him to a Trapeze class taught by Davey Swinton. He then found an aerial gym, conveniently located close to home, where he learned predominantly from Amber Monson and Kara Jones for his first year. He went from not being able to do a single pull-up to being in some of their most advanced classes! He was then invited to join an apprenticeship program to become an instructor by the end of 2013 which he completed in 2014.

Peter has continued to expand his personal skills and his teaching repertoire over the years. He teaches rope, sling, silks, aerial partnering (on multiple apparatuses), and some partner acrobatics. He also dabbles in straps, trapeze, and on rare occasions lyra.

He has been known for having a focus on technique, conditioning, and understanding of theory, as he believes this enables higher levels of safety for his students in both his classes and when they learn from others. This approach also facilitates how efficiently his students have learned new skills in the past due to not easily tiring, truly comprehending the how and why skills work, and where their body truly should be when practicing the skills they are learning.

If you want to chat with him about other interests he has, you will have a cornucopia of options! Beyond aerial acrobatics, he also enjoys spending time with his dog (Karrah) getting in around 55-70 miles in every week with her, playing soccer, Atlanta United, 3D printing, building/painting miniatures, baking, growing fruits and vegetables, snowboarding, and most forms of gaming!

Lisa Frendahl

For all those people that are wondering if aerial is for you: If you are interested, it’s for you! I started my aerial journey in January 2018 after a friend invited me to an open house at the aerial gym she attended. When I started I couldn’t do a pull up, and to be honest, I couldn’t do a full pull up for two more years. Aerial made me stronger, but at every step of the way there were moves and goals that were safe and attainable for me.

At this point I have been training for around 7 years. My main apparatus is sling because I enjoy how it easily allows moves to flow together into sequences, but I also enjoy the drama and challenge that aerial silks provide. While I continue to train mainly on sling and silks, I also dabble in a number of other aerial apparatuses when I get the chance. Basically, if it’s in the air I want to climb on it!

Despite a background of working for over 10 years in the field of education, I have just recently started merging my favorite hobby with my experience teaching. As an instructor I bring my own aerial training, but I also bring the knowledge I have learned from the countless wonderful teachers and instructors I have had and worked with over the years. My goal is to help my students learn in a safe and fun way and continually support them as they work towards reaching their own goals!

Ally Young

Ally is an ACE certified personal trainer and a CIA Aerial Silks Instructor. She is very passionate about exploring movement and helping individuals find their favorite ways to be active and teaching them how to do it safely. She believes in moving with a purpose, whether it’s just for enjoyment or to reach a certain goal! Her movement background includes, parkour and obstacle course training, pole vaulting, theatre, and 8+ years of weightlifting.

While aerial silks is her primary apparatus, Ally also enjoys lyra and sling!

Outside of the studio, Ally likes to go salsa dancing, take exercise classes, create art, and attend concerts!

Elyssa Pate

Elyssa, determined to snag a role in a college performance of The Jungle Book (which she was told would feature some epic aerial silks), spent her entire summer becoming a circus arts enthusiast. She attempted to climb, flip, and spin her way through months of training, only to find out that the show didn’t even include silks. But by then, Elyssa had already become a full-fledged circus lover, so she just shrugged, hung upside down, and decided the jungle wasn’t ready for her anyway.

Fast forward eight years, Elyssa found herself captivated by other circus arts, especially the Lyra. Sharing its name with her favorite constellation, it seemed only fitting that she fell in love with the fluidity and grace of this aerial art—bruises and all. Outside of teaching Lyra, Elyssa is an event coordinator with a passion for live performances, creating experiences, and fostering community within groups of people. Having spent years as an actor and performer, Elyssa now carries that love into her aerial arts performances, blending her theatrical background with her passion for the circus.

Marylee Whitlock

Marylee first found circus in the form of flow arts through a hula hoop and dragon staff in 2018. Quickly falling in love, she began fire spinning a few months later. Marylee started studying aerial arts in 2020. She knew it was what she wanted to do with her life and began training to join a professional traveling circus company. In 2021, she took up juggling, globe walking, plate spinning, stilting and is always looking for a new prop to play with!

Marylee began coaching aerial and acrobatics in April of 2022 and made her directorial debut shortly after in November, assisting in the production of “A Circus Nutcracker,” following which she wrote, choreographed, and directed the spring show “Circus in Wonderland.”

She is excited to share her love of flying and circus! When not in the air or on a ball, she can be found enjoying time in the heat with a good book, cuddling her cat, or solving a neat puzzle. She can’t wait to meet you!

Rose Schimmel

Rose was born and raised in South Florida and recently moved to Atlanta in the summer of 2024. She has a noncompetitive background in gymnastics and dance, as well as experience with music education. Rose was introduced to aerial arts in the summer of 2016 at the age of 17. She was inspired to try out silks during her summer before senior year at a studio in South Florida, and has continued to train at a number of studios since then as she’s moved around for school.

Rose has received multiple certifications in aerial fabrics through the Circus Arts Institute, including a certification in Circus Arts Therapy, and is continually working towards more certifications. She has a BA in Psychology with a double minor in Music and Dance. She is currently in the process of obtaining her MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.

Rose is passionate about the therapeutic power of movement. As an aerial instructor, she prioritizes fun and safety and believes that circus is for everyone. When she’s not doing aerial, you can find Rose taking a dance class, doing schoolwork, volunteering with animals, or spending time with friends and family.