Monster Story

LISA GOLDEN (HER, our HEROINE)

Lisa has been training in aerial since 2021 and started her performance journey at last year's Fringe Festival with Highly Classified. While fabrics are her favorite, she has branched out to harder apparatuses in the last year and has been loving the diversity in her training!

ANNI (HER: understudy, nightmare ensemble)

Anneka has been honing her ground and aerial skills as a young adult as a means to enter the professional out-of-state industry after having begun her aerial journey as a teenager four years ago. She finds the most inspiration in the air when curiosity strikes around apparatuses with slack to wrap in and a good story in her head to guide her. Anneka's journey has been all about experimentation and discovery as she readies herself for a tougher world, far away under the big top, backed by her passion. 

PAIGE TURNER (HIM, our boogieman)

Paige Turner is a Denver-based multidisciplinary performer, artist, choreographer, and coach. A dancer of ten years, they now enjoy combining ground movement with aerial arts, specializing in aerial hoop (lyra). They are also a competitive aerialist who has won titles at multiple regional competitions. Outside of circus, they are a senior at Metropolitan State University of Denver working toward degrees in sociology and performing arts.

DUST BUNNIES

ALYSSIA (Dust Bunny)

Alyssia started performing in musical theater. Eventually, her love of dance and theatrics led her to aerial arts. She first started her aerial journey in 2021 at the Dallas Circus Center in Texas, where she found her love for Lyra, which has remained her main apparatus since. After moving back to Colorado, she continued to focus on her aerial training. Recently, she has been focusing on training in Duo Trapeze and Contemporary dance. When not up in the air, Alyssia spends her time coaching women's gymnastics and working on getting her degree in music education. She is incredibly excited for the opportunity to perform alongside and learn from so many incredible aerialists.

BRIANNA (Dust Bunny, ground dance lead)

Brianna started her performance career as a dancer early on in life. While in college, she studied dance and performance in the Gamma Phi Circus as an aerialist. Since then, Brianna has taught and performed dance and aerial dance while balancing her career as a behavior analyst and pursuing a degree in Dance/Movement Therapy.

COCO (Dust Bunny, creator/director/producer) Coco is the head dreamer behind MONSTER STORY. She’s the creator, director and guiding force for this frolic through the dream world. Coco is the founder of Highly Classified, which was created to allow new faces into the Denver performing scene. Highly Classified productions deliver strong visuals and relatable stories, utilizing themes of nostalgia, comedy, burlesque, and glamour. Looking for high-class entertainment at your next event? Reach out to High/Class and Coco to find out about our offerings!

HOLLAND (nightmare ensemble, Dust Bunny: understudy)

Holland adored movement arts as a child, but truly began their creative movement journey three years ago. She started out with pole dance, and while that remains her first love, she has since been collecting experience with different aerial apparatuses and dance styles like infinity stones. The pole/aerial/circus community has pushed them to become stronger, love harder, and try new things (even if it’s scary!). She is thankful for her partner and “Kyle and Group” for supporting her always. 

NIGHTMARES

ADRIENNE PICKERILL (nightmare ensemble)

Adrienne has been an aerialist for over 3 years, and she can't get enough of the creative outlet and physical challenge it presents. She specializes in aerial silks and sling, flying trapeze, and hand balancing. She is thrilled to be performing in her third Fringe production with Highly Classified, and can't wait to do her part to bring another creative vision to life!

ARIA NICOLETTI  (nightmare ensemble)

Aria dove into the world of aerial dance 3 years ago and has grown ever since. With a strong connection to movement, she expresses herself through getting lost in a character and making the prettiest shapes she can with her body. She has performed at first Fridays and an aerial student showcase, and also dabbles in hip hop classes in Denver.

ERIN (nightmare ensemble, TOOTHY)

Erin just likes to move, explore, and have fun. A dedicated performer, she thrives on the creativity, artistry, and physical challenges of aerial performance, always considering herself a student first. Her favorite apparatus includes silks, sling, and dance trapeze. When not in the aerial studio, she can be found buried in a book, collecting yarn for crochet projects, or making too many personal commitments.

KIM BURLY ROSE (nightmare ensemble)

Kim found aerial arts a little over 3 years ago, and was quickly hooked. She fell in love with the creative potential of the art form, as well as the addictive nature of setting goals and meeting them. This is her second year with Highly Classified and Denver Fringe Festival.

KJ (nightmare ensemble, nightmare council)

KJ enjoys flying, climbing, swinging, dropping, and moving on all sorts of circus apparatus. Her ultimate goal in life is simply to be weirder and more fabulous than the day before, and she encourages all of you to do the same. Never stop dreaming & weirding you beautiful creatures.

MERIDIAN (nightmare ensemble)

Meridian is a Denver-based tippy lyra, cyr wheel, and aerial loops artist whose work centers on fast spins, atmospheric moods, and entrancing sequences. Influenced by a background in performance art, Meridian is drawn to creating work that is immersive and experimental in nature.

SAMARA (nightmare ensemble)

Samara has always been drawn to the world of movement. She reignited her love for dance as an adult in her late 20s.

SPECIAL THANKS:

Gravity Aerial Arts, for rehearsal space and equipment help

Denver Circus Collective, for rehearsal space and fundraiser space

Robyn, for chaos wrangling, stage managing, and logistics

Julia, for welding incredible props

Brook Ostberg, for the incredible photography

• Website: highlyclassified.co
• Instagram: highlyclassifiedco

Cleo - Historic Shorter AME Theater

119 Park Ave W, Denver, CO 80205

Entrance: The main doors are on the southeast side of the historic building

Parking: Parking is allowed in the Safeway parking lot across the street and there is free street parking in the neighborhood. 

Accessibility: ADA access via ramp and lift, six (6) ground level seats with access to bathrooms.

Admission: You must show your ticket confirmation or purchase a ticket at the venue; all seating is general admission, audiences will wait in a queue before entry to the show.