Meet Our Coaches

, Triumph Acrobatic Performing Arts Society

Katie Warren - Head Coach

Katie began her education and training in the circus performing arts at the age of 3, when she first took classes at CircusWest. In her formative years, she entered the elite National Circus School in Montreal, Canada, then went on to study at the Circomedia Centre in Bristol, UK. It was at the National Circus School and at Circomedia Centre that Katie received professional-level training alongside future performers for acclaimed acts like Cirque du Soleil. In 1998, Katie began performing with CircusWest, where she remained for 11 years, finally ending her tenure in 2008. During that time she was a founding member of the Avatar Circus Project. Katie then pursued her own dream project, founding the Random Acts of Circus company. The company became one of the few experimental circus performing acts in Vancouver, and had its own production run at Vancouver’s famous Granville Island. In partnership with the CPFA, Katie is the creator of one of the fitness industry's most comprehensive aerial certification programs. As an educator, Katie has travelled the country teaching aerial hoop and educating prospective instructors about how to safely teach and operate aerials. Other certifications include ACE personal trainer & youth fitness specialist, CPFA aerial instructor, and First Aid and CPR-C.

Adam Menzies

Adam Menzies is an acrobatics, contemporary circus arts, gymnastics, dance and trampoline instructor from Vancouver, BC, Canada. He has been coaching for over 20 years while continuing to perform in the productions of companies including Cirque du Soleil, Le Grand Cirque, Cavalia, Royal Caribbean, and MAC Cosmetics, and for Television shows, including being a guest on the Ellen Degeneres show in February of 2011 (and being named “one of her favorite guests of all time”). Adam’s most recent work includes being the Acrobatic co- ordinator for the Tony Award winning Broadway tour of Pippin. He has coached 4 students, who currently are in multiple Cirque du Soleil touring shows. Adam is a 4-time world medalist in the sport of Trampoline Gymnastics, winning both a gold and silver medal in the 2003 Senior World Championships, and a Silver at the 2001 Junior World Championships. He loves his work in the arts and loves passing on his knowledge to a new generation.

Jen Yan

Jen Yan is a certified expressive arts therapist who found her love for all things aerial in 2005. She is an ACE certified personal trainer, and a CPFA and first aid-certified instructor, who teaches aerial silks, trapeze, hoop, and general circus disciplines throughout the Greater Vancouver Area. Notable institutions include Vancouver’s CircusWest, where she was the Primary Program Coordinator, West Coast Circus and Tantra Fitness. Jen has performed aerials and acrobatics to rave reviews at a variety of public and private events, including the grand re-opening of the Coast Hotel in Prince George, and competed in acrobatic pole competitions at the provincial level. Jen’s joy is in sharing the art and physicality of circus with new students young and old, and her infectious energy and patience is apparent in all her classes and performances.

Summer Ashley

Summer teaches Pilates and aerial silks, and believes in creating a welcoming environment for all her students. Summer started dancing at the age of 3 and has trained and performed across North America and Asia. Her breadth of experience includes attaining Highest Overall Score at the North American Chinese Dance Competition, performing for Shooting Gallery Performance Series, and having her work featured on CBC Radio’s Now or Never. She holds an undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University and a law degree from the University of Alberta.

Anastasia Klassen

Anastasia Klassen started dancing at the age of 4, when her parents brought her to her first ballet class in Russia. She fell in love with the barre and pointe shoes, and later with the stage and the audience. Deciding to turn her passion for dancing into a career, at the age of 14 she joined the Volgograd Youth Theatre as an actress and a dancer, and also started her first year at Volgograd Municipal Institute of Arts. In 2002, Anastasia joined the troupe of the Volgograd State Theatre Of Musical Comedy, first in the corps de ballet and later as soloist. Between 2002 and 2012, she performed professionally in many classical productions including Nutcracker, Cinderella, Carmen Suite, Le Corsaire, Le Sylphide, Don Quixote and Sleeping Beauty, among others. In 2004, Anastasia earned her Bachelor of Arts from the Volgograd State Institute of Arts, named after P.A. Serebryakov. In 2017, after relocating to Canada, Anastasia obtained her British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD) teacher's certification in Ballet, passing the member's exam with the highest score in both the practical part and the theory knowledge. In 2019 Anastasia got her Personal Training certification with Hilltop Academy and since then she worked in numerous gyms where she successfully helped people to reach their fitness and wellness goals. Also, in 2023 Anastasia got Rambert Grades Contemporary Certification. Rambert Grades is a pioneering contemporary dance syllabus born from the partnership between two of the world’s leading contemporary dance organizations: Rambert Dance Company and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London, UK. Anastasia is very excited to share her knowledge and passion with the students at Triumph.