Instructor Highlight: Beth Blake

Momentum Aerial Instructor Beth Blake pioneered Pole as an art form for over a decade in Flagstaff

When you enter Momentum Aerial’s Studio A, one thing stands out; a 16 ft, timber framed pole studio beckoning from the back of the studio space. It calls you into its open floor plan, and the floor to ceiling chrome poles sparkle with intrigue. Current Momentum Aerial students may not know that it wasn’t always this way, and that our pole program has developed over many iterations. One thing has been constant through all of the change though, Instructor Beth Blake has been there for it all.

Beth performing a pole solo at Hungry Hearts Cabaret in 2023

Momentum Aerial Studio Co - Owner Joanie Grant met Beth Blake in 2013, five years before Momentum Aerial would open its doors. Back then, Blake was working at a local bakery. These were the early days of our aerial community, when people who were passionate about the art form were largely practicing on their own. Beth was self taught on Pole, but translated her 12 years of dance training onto the apparatus with grace and ease.

At that time, Momentum Aerial Co-owners Morgan and Joanie had a previous aerial studio called Flagstaff Aerial Arts. They invited Beth for an audition to teach a fledgling pole class. Once Beth became established as a pole instructor, she began developing a program. Over time, the program would grow into four levels of pole, and pole flow classes. Beth always brought her dance and choreography expertise into her teaching style, nudging her students to become solid polers and dancers. She began referring to her students as her “Pole Cubs”. She built community for pole students by hosting potlucks at her house, which helped people from different levels connect and feel a sense of community.

Beth poses at a photo shoot east of Flagstaff at Two Guns, around 2014. Photo credit: Scott Sawyer.

Beth felt passionate about, what she called, “breaking the glass ceiling” for pole. In other words, she felt that the stigma around pole being co-equated as exotic dancing was tiresome and misguided. She wanted to change people’s perspective of pole as an art form, similar to all other aerial art forms. In an effort to open people’s minds about pole as an art form, Beth performed in many venues and with a variety of performing arts groups in town. She performed with a former local aerial theatre company Dark Sky Aerial for their shows Opia and Tilt. She performed with local former circus troupe Circus Bacchus, and she became an annual sensation at Hungry Hearts Cabaret & Love Advice Show, Momentum’s signature Valentines Day Show.

Beth taught pole in Flagstaff for over a decade. At a certain point, she started setting her sights on the goal of retiring from her role as instructor at age 40. In that spirit, she trained the future generation of pole instructors at Momentum Aerial. Almost all of Momentum Aerial’s current staff has trained with Beth. Additionally, in her tenure at Momentum Aerial, she trained over 330 students for a combined total of 5,868 student hours! Her contribution has been life changing for so many pole students and audiences. These ripples of impact will continue for years to come.

Beth, from all of us at Momentum Aerial, we are grateful for your contribution to our aerial and pole community. Thank you for the decade plus of time you gave to building our pole program into the solid pole program it is today.

With deep appreciation, thank you for your years of dedication. We love you!

Joanie & Morgan and the Momentum Aerial Instructor Team