Meet Kari Nguyen of Inspire Aerial Arts & Liquid Sky Ent.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Nguyen.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Atlanta. Although I played many sports growing up, like cheerleading and softball, I never realized that I actually had a strong interest in dance until I was in my early 20s. One summer, I decided to try a twist on dancing by taking a pole class at a local studio. Like what happens to most people who try pole for the first time, I became hooked! I took as many pole classes as I could and performed as much as I could at studio recitals. I would go to bed dreaming about pole and wake up in the morning excited to try out new moves. I even competed in and won a few state pole competitions! After about five years of pole dancing, I decided to venture into other forms of aerial arts. I took an Intro to Silks class, and, like what happened to me in pole, became hooked on silks. I started taking private lessons with then Fly Fitness instructor, Kimberly Sende, but after Fly Fitness closed soon after, Kimberly opened Inspire Aerial Arts, and she has been my coach ever since. About a year after training under Kimberly, she formed an aerial troupe and allowed me to be part of it. Inspire Angels performed professionally for a variety of venues (and still does), and being part of this troupe really helped me grow as a professional aerialist and performer.

In 2015, Liquid Sky Events, a local circus, and entertainment company, and Sky Gym, an aerial studio in Sandy Springs, held auditions for a theatrical cirque rendition of Dante’s Inferno. I debated even auditioning because I wasn’t sure I’d get an aerial part, but lo-and-behold, I ended up getting the main character of Beatrice! This was such an amazing experience for me because I not only got to practice and perform with other great aerialists and artists in Atlanta on this 4-night show, but I also formed a friendship with Marilyn Chen, the owner of Liquid Sky. Marilyn began contracting me for aerial gigs in Atlanta through Inspire Angels, and, as such, I have had the pleasure of performing in some of the most amazing venues in Atlanta! Through my work with Inspire Angels and Liquid Sky, my abilities as a professional aerialist and performer have grown so much and provided me with so many amazing opportunities to dance in the air.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunities to perform aerial professionally in Atlanta. Has it been a smooth road? Yes and no. Yes, because I work with two amazing companies that let me grow and live my dream of performing aerial arts (Inspire Angels and Liquid Sky). However, most aerialists know that scarcity of time and injuries can cause hiccups in one’s aerial career. For instance, although I get paid to perform aerial arts, it is not my main source of income. I am a teacher, and so I work 40-hours a week. When I get home from work, I am often tired, but push through to ensure that I make time for my aerial training. In addition to training after work, I juggle performing and training on the weekends, too. Making time for all of this, plus spending time with my family can be a bit of a juggling act. Injuries are also a (scary) and annoying thing for aerialists. When you rely on your body as we aerialists do, any injury is terrible. I pulled a hamstring muscle several years ago, but it still gives me problems today that affect my splits. I’ve been to lots of physical therapy for it. In 2017, while preparing to perform in another Liquid Sky cirque theatrical show, I pulled tendons in my left shoulder that not only took me out of the show but also halted my aerial training and performing for three months! But, on the bright side, these injuries have helped me be more conscious of how far I want to push my body for aerial arts, and if I choose to do a difficult move, I am much more aware of my body position and form.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Inspire Aerial Arts & Liquid Sky Ent. – What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I like to think of myself as a pretty well-rounded aerialist since I am trained on a variety of aerial apparatuses, including aerial silks, sling, Lyra, pole, and other unique apparatuses (although aerial silks remain my main love, and it is the one I most skilled in). I pride myself in working very hard to “perfect” my craft and love that I have been trained by some of the best aerialists and performers in Atlanta, Kimberly Sende and Marilyn Chen.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Kimberly Sende definitely deserves credit for being such an amazing coach. She has trained me since the very beginning of my aerial silks journey. She is so incredibly smart in business and aerial. For instance, I can show her a tricky sequence from Instagram and immediately she’ll say, “Oh, they’re doing this wrap, then this wrap.” It fascinates me how knowledgable her wrap-theory is on silks. Kimberly is encouraging and funny–two traits that make it so fun to train under her!

Marilyn Chen has also been a great mentor in my aerial career. Like Kimberly, she is also very smart when it comes to business, and she is an amazing aerial performer. When she performs, I stop and stare and try to learn as much as I can from her because her flow and style is just so pretty. She, too, is encouraging and has never hesitated to help me reach an aerial goal.

Both Kimberly and Marilyn have helped me get where I am in my aerial career, and I am so grateful to them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inspireaerialarts.com & http://www.liquidskyent.com/
• Instagram: @kari_nguyen1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kari.nguyen

Image Credit:
Rose Riot Photography, James Curtis Barger Photography, Vivian Kyle Designs

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