On the rise

4/5/2023

Felicia Coe became “Iowa Fly Girl” mostly by accident.

Raised in Des Moines and recently arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, she was driving to work when she heard the news on the radio: A local aerial arts studio was celebrating its grand opening.

“It was like, ‘That is crazy.’ I’d never wanted to do this; I never even knew it was an option,” she said. “I did not know what to expect at all.”

Coe doesn’t remember much of her first class, but she does remember experiencing aerial’s gentle, swaying motion for the first time — and being very sick afterward. 

“I sat in my car for, like, 20 minutes,” Coe recalled. “I couldn’t drive home because I was shaky; I was nauseous.”

But she had paid for a weeklong trial pass, and Coe was determined. After a few more classes, the motion sickness subsided, and she was hooked.

“I remember feeling — I still feel this way — very ethereal, very dancey,” said Coe, who hadn’t taken dance or gymnastics classes growing up. “I liked movement, but I didn’t know what the possibilities were; I’d never explored it. So for the first time in my life, I felt like I had this outlet. And I was moving my body in this expressive way.”

In 2011, Coe returned to Des Moines, armed with a newfound passion. Aerial opportunities were virtually nonexistent in the area, but she persisted on her own. Today, in what Coe called an “If you build it, they will come” scenario, she now teaches, performs and directs acrobatics for a living (and circus arts, but more on that later).

“When I started, it was just a fun, silly thing to try,” she said. “But then it was, like, ‘Oh, I freaking love this, and I never want to stop.’ ”

It’s been just more than a year since Coe left a decade-long career in the nonprofit sector to pursue her hobby full-time. Her Valley Junction studio, Cirque Wonderland, launched five years ago and houses nearly 200 students, staff members and performers.

Watching others discover her passion for themselves has been rewarding. Many adult students have stories like Coe’s. With little formal background in dance or acrobatics, learning new skills feels almost “childlike.”

“It feels very playful. They’re giggly and silly and willing to make a fool of themselves and fail. And that’s always really awesome and special to see.”

Of course, the artform comes with its risks, and student safety is top of mind for Coe — whose palms sometimes still sweat at the thought of climbing 30 feet in the air.

“I’m not a daredevil by nature. It makes me very nervous.”

Beyond supplying mats and other physical safety precautions, Coe also works to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment, one that is accessible to everybody.

“We really want people to feel safe being vulnerable and trying new things and looking stupid — because you’re going to look stupid,” Coe said. “It’s part of the magic of it.”

Aerial arts may have been Coe’s introduction into this realm, but she has since expanded into the full circus experience. And, no, it’s not just tiny clown cars, lumbering elephants and daredevil stunts.

“Circus is broader,” she said. “It’s a bigger community. It’s more inclusive.”

For those adamant against being airborne, many circus skills are ground-based, like partner acrobatics and prop manipulation (juggling, hula hooping and, yes, fire).

While the circus has a long and storied history, the local community in Des Moines is small. But it’s growing — starting with Coe. Through the years, she’s produced events through Misfit Cabaret, the Aerial Expo, and Cirque Wonderland Entertainment, giving countless artists a stage and a voice.

So, where does Coe see herself going from here? Up!

“The work I’m doing now is making moves for this to be a more sustainable, bigger community that can reach more people.”

Last year, Cirque Wonderland launched its Social Circus, using art as an outlet to reach underprivileged communities. Coe also hopes to collaborate with other Des Moines artists, crossing and blending genres.

“Des Moines is so great for that because we’re big enough to have a variety of artists, but we’re small enough that we can all work together,” she said. “We have a lot of growth to do, and I think we could do a better job of supporting artists, but we’re getting there. And hopefully I can help be a part of that and grow it.”