TEACHERS
Check out, who is already in for Acro-Sense Autumn 2024. This will be a great international teacher team again! And it's still growing...
Stay tuned, also on Instagram and on our Facebookpage
Alfonso & Julia
Some call him the „prime minister of icarians“. Indeed Alfonso has not only tons of experience in icarian games, but also in standing acro, circus and acrobatics. In his teaching he creates an amazing combination of technical language and physical sensations that allows him to reach and help all kinds of students. You can find him teaching and performing around Europe in numerous workshops and festivals like the Dynamic Acro Program or the Icarian Convention. Coming from spain Alfonso will teach together with Julia. Julia loves movement and exploring all there is in acrobatics. From gymnastics in her early days she now focuses on handstands, icarians and dynamic standing Acro. Besides teaching she is performing with an all-woman acro collective called „Hors de Portès“. She likes to teach with a combination of technical details, positive vibes and a touch of irony. So let yourself be encouraged by their fire energy and enthusiasm to face your limits in a safe and fun environment.
Agus & Gonza (from Mediogiromas)
Yes, they are coming back! Agustina Martin and Gonzalo Cano will teach at Acrosensefestival Autumn edition. We are super happy, that two of the famous Mediogiromas from Argentina will be with us again. They have a vast experience and a huge background in Acroyoga and Acrobatics – and they love Icarian. They are not only experts in the craziest tricks, you may have seen on Instagram, they are also specialized in building up the practice progressively. So there will be lots of technique and fun in their workshops, making things happen for everybody. Agustina Martin, or short Agus, started gymnastics at the age of 4. For 8 years she continued with the practice and in 2007 she even became a national champion. Some time ago Agus started with acroyoga, also acrobatics and she always continued with floor acrobatics. Right now she is focused on Icarian and enjoying to create new moves and challenges. Gonzalo, or better Gonza, has been practicing Acroyoga for 6 years. Throughout these years he has taken training, workshops and classes with FLAY (Arg) and international Acroyoga. Since three years he is traveling and teaching Acroyoga in different countries, of course Argentina, in the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica. He loves all the solar practice in Acroyoga and the last time he is specializing in Icarian, both in technique and in pedagogy.
Kiljan & Kat
Coming from athletics, mountain biking and rock climbing Kiljan Kaffenberger is almost exclusively into teaching, performing and playing acro all over the world in the past years. Achieving new skills lets us all feel empowered – and Kiljan really loves to be part of the movement in which people surprise themselves accomplishing a new skill that seemed to be out of reach. Together with Katrijn De Wilde he will bring some of those skills, especially icarians, to Acro-Sense-Festival. Kat is a passionate acrobat from Belgium that has a hard time choosing between handstands, icarian, whip-pops and standing acro. She started gymnastics at the age of 6 in a small town club ‘De Greves’ in Hamme. Following her passion, she obtained her Masters degree in Sports and Movement Sciences as well as her teaching degree in 2016 at the University of Leuven. Afterwards she rolled into the circusworld and has been traveling, teaching and performing around Europe.
Iris Salihagic
One highlight more: Iris Salihagic, the creator of MVMT Arts—accredited by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise—and co-founder of Movement Flow, is joining us to teach Movement Arts. Iris has recently been developing her own system, Movement Art, which she is now spreading globally. When you see her move, it’s all about grace, a perfect balance between flexibility and strength—always with a smile. Currently based in Canada, Iris travels the world offering classes, teacher training sessions, and festival workshops, both in-person and online. Her extensive background in physical and mental education significantly influences her teaching style. In addition to being an Orthomolecular Health Practitioner and a NASM Certified Trainer, Iris has worked with a diverse range of clients over the past decade, including adolescents, pregnant women, high-level athletes, and everyday individuals. Interestingly, while attending nutrition school, Iris competed nationally in bodybuilding. As her journey progressed, she discovered a passion for yoga, gymnastics, contortion, and ultimately, Movement and Acro. Iris’s main goal is to teach Movement in a way that shifts both mindset and physical capability. Her mission is to help others realize their incredible potential through the power of movement and nutrition, achieving peak performance and living in a body and mind they truly love.
Monika Kolb
Monika is a performer, circus teacher, traveller and mother. She lives a colourful circus life in between gyms and on stage around the world with her son Ruben. She loves to share her knowledge of circus- and movement arts. Monika teaches workshops for adults and circus projects for kids. She is a co-founder of “Bangkok Acro Convention” and co organiser of “Swiss Acro Fest”.
Manas Sahoo
Be ready for some tricky flows with Manas. Manas finds great joy in practicing Acro as it allows him to be fully immersed in the present moment. He embraces the process of attempting and failing, turning it into a fun and enjoyable experience. Manas's passion lies in discovering unique and unconventional acro transitions, as well as delving into the technical aspects of the practice to find ways to make it effortless and graceful. As a certified teacher of The Acro Way, Manas has shared his knowledge and expertise at various international Acro conventions and regularly conducts Acro workshops in Stockholm. His specialization lies in Acro flow, Slackro, Icarians, and Whips.
Elena Schmudlach
Dive into the world of Acro Yoga with Elena Schmudlach, who will teach together with Manas at the Acro-Sense Autumn edition. Elena is an enthusiastic teacher who passionately shares her love for movement and connection with others. For over six years, Elena has been captivated by the unique aspects of Acro Yoga, which immerse her in a completely present and joyful experience. She enjoys the process of experimenting and learning, turning failures into enjoyable challenges. Her passion lies in discovering unique and unconventional Acro transitions, and exploring the technical aspects of the practice to make movements feel effortless and graceful. Elena is particularly known for putting her own twist on flows, allowing her students to rediscover standard moves in new ways. Her figures often appear more challenging than they feel, making her classes both creatively stimulating and physically engaging. Elena playfully integrates various Acro Yoga techniques, emphasizing trust, communication, and community in her classes. Actively involved in the Acro Yoga community, she organizes local events to bring together people who share this amazing practice. Elena Schmudlach inspires people of all ages and fitness levels to explore Acro Yoga and experience the joy of movement together. Her classes offer a creative blend of challenge, fun, and opportunities for personal and collective discovery.
Luna
Welcome back Luna with her wonderful heartopening cacao ceremonies. After a long trip to Asia, where she also connected with cacao farmers in Bali and learned even more about this amazing medicine, Luna will come to Acrosense again. More than 10 years ago Luna started to discover the world of yoga. In the meantime yoga has become an integral part of her life. In 2018 she made her first attempts in Acroyoga and learned to let other people carry her, to trust and to get into the flow together. A trip to India not only brought her closer to different yoga styles, mantra chanting and Reiki healing, but also let her learn the secret of raw cocoa. Cacao has been used as a herbal medicine in Central and South America for centuries. It opens hearts and brings healing to body, mind and soul. Since then Luna loves leading cocoaceremonies and taking a wide variety of groups into the healing space of Mama Cacao.
Matthias Nowak
Addicted – this is the right word to describe Matthias’ relationship to Acro. Since he fell in love with Acro, he doesn’t want to miss the practice anymore. It’s the connective and joyful moments, the creating and exploring together instead of moving on alone, what he enjoys the most. Matthias came a typical way with an untypical result: Like many of us he was – and still is – very active in the Yogascene before he discovered Acroyoga. Today, besides his favourite of lifting other people, he also loves to lift stones or even trees! How this happened? Practicing and teaching Yoga very seriously he stepped in one of Sabines Acroyoga classes in Nürnberg in 2016. Curious about different styles of Yoga, he was immediately fascinated by Acro. Over the years he became an expert in washingmachines and flows, which he loved to practice almost nonstop. Today he is more and more into Icarian and Whippops and also Standing Acro. And this is the reason why his training changed tremendously. To build up more strength and prevent injuries, he started cross fit and he also trains with strength athletes for the strong man camp. Since he stepped into his first Acroyoga class he gained ten kilos pure muscle weight. By the way this provides positive evidence again, that it is possible to build up muscles with a vegan diet. This understanding of movement with the combination of strength and technique is, what es he loves to pass on to his students today. In his workshops you can feel a special supportive atmosphere, which probably comes from his own attitude: „Everybody is individual and needs an individual support. But together we can do it!“.
Sabine Winkler
You could say, she was an Acroyogi before Acroyoga even was known. Long before the connection of Acrobatics and Yoga became famous as Acroyoga, Sabine was practicing both passionately in her daily life besides her former work as theatre and event-engineer. Since seven years now she is passing on her experiences in a fulltime job. Sabines acro-crush has held up for 23 years now, a long time to learn many moves and tricks. That's why she has so many little details up her sleeve for every trick. Handstands are her favourites, but of course there is a lot more she loves to pass on to her students. In spite of her size, she loves basing and samesize acro and of course – always and a lot – H2H, wether as a flyer or base. Based in Nürnberg she is teaching Yoga, Handstands and Acroyoga, organizing her own events and retreats, like now she is co-organizing the Acro-Sense-Festival. Her teaching skills include one secret: Sabine never stopped being a student herself. After her Yoga education and Acro Yoga International teacher training, she is building up her knowledge about movement and alignment in many further educations like sound-therapy, meditation, thaimassage or Acroyoga for social inclusion, just to name a few. And if she is not teaching or learning, you may see her playing around – Acro of course – or dragonstaff, which she also loves to put on fire.
Isi Vogler
Standing still is literally not part of Isi's life: exercise, training and sport are a large and integral part of her life. Gymnastics was part of her program from an early age, which she incorporates into her teachings. After a long phase in semi-professional soccer and a few years of volleyball, she found the love for capoeira. The music and the powerful and elegant nature of the sport kept her there until 2017. In the same year this was replaced by yoga, acro yoga and partner acrobatics with Sabine. Since then, she never stopped to train and play. Over the years, various workshops, conventions and festivals have been added, both as a participant, part-time base and as a teacher. Isi's specialty is everything that happens on her hands or figures that make her fly through the air: L-Base/Standing H2H + high level skills and various Icarians. When it comes to training, conferences or snacks, she's there straight away – preferably with nice people, a lot of laughter and a good dose of adrenaline.