Jody Ryker

I entered the world of acrobatic pole dance almost four years ago. I recall feeling that I had finally found what I was meant to do. Pole dancing strengthens my body and gives me an outlet to express myself. Learning the art of pole dance has been an incredible experience for me, and I want to share it with others. I am currently an instructor at Aerial Arts Santa Cruz. I teach acrobatic pole dance, aerial hoop, and strength training. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to be able to share my passion with my students. Performing is my favorite part of dancing. I choose a song that moves me in some way, and then I spend hours choreographing it. I put a lot of thought into every move so that I can share a feeling or idea with my audience. I recently produced and directed two dance shows. Fashion in Flight was an aerial dance and fashion show that I put on with my students and a local clothing designer. My new project is Pole Diversity. The debut of the show was a great success, and I’m currently looking into other venues to put on Pole Diversity. Outside of aerial dance, I study mathematics. I’m currently a grad student in the PhD program at UC Santa Cruz in the pure math department. If I’m not at the studio, I’m usually reading textbooks or teaching calculus!