Our Values
Community is at our core. We believe that acro is about so much more than just the physical activity. We want to create events that foster connection, compassion, and care for one another.
Diversity & inclusivity we are committed to celebrating the diversity in our community and creating a more inclusive space for people of different races, ethnicities, sexualities, genders, abilities, and socioeconomic statuses. We acknowledge power dynamics and different levels of privilege in the community and know that there will always be more work to be done to make Elevate more inclusive. Elevate will not tolerate Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia, or hate at the festival and recognize that these are systemic and ingrained issues in society.
Growth We know there will always be room for personal and community growth and healing. There will always be things that we can do better to stay in line with our values. We are open to feedback!
Sustainability Environmental, emotional, and financial sustainability are important at Elevate. We want to continue offering this festival year after year and have minimal negative impact on our planet.
Meet the Organizers
Aiden Lamb (He/Him)
Co-Founder- Teacher & Class Coordinator, Operations, Diversity & Inclusion
Aiden is a passionate community builder and teacher. He has an eye for meticulous details and loves planning. As a transman and advocate of the LGBTQIA2s+ community, Aiden believes there is a difference between being in a space created for you and being in a space where you are welcome. He plans Elevate and his classes with this in mind and tries to create a space where people's diverse needs are at the forefront of the planning process.
Aiden has being teaching acro since 2018 and has attended many acro festivals, workshops and events. He did his Acro Teacher Training with Danya as a part of an acro and social justice training. .
Aiden's core values are growth, compassion, and courage and he brings those values into everything he does.
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Erica Stables (She/Her)
Co-Founder- Volunteers, Logistics, Sustainability
Erica is passionate about building community and loves planning events that bring the community together. She has been involved in the Edmonton acro community for a number of years, and has planned countless events in that time. Acroyoga has been a beautiful, consistent outlet for play, laughter, support and authentic connection in her life and she has seen the effects that having a strong, loving community to lean on has had on multiple community members.
Sustainability and environmentalism are important to her, and she infuses these values into everything that she does in life. She exudes positive energy and has an excitable attitude that really shines through on anything she puts her mind to. She is focused, organized and committed to the things that light her soul on fire!
For her, Elevate was a vision of a space where people could gather and move their bodies, play, laugh and feel a sense of belonging and community. To see this vision come to life was overwhelmingly beautiful for her and she is grateful to work alongside two other dedicated humans and an extremely supportive community to make it happen!
Niall McKenna (He/Him)
Co-Founder- Registrations, Catering, Email communications, Community Liaison
Niall has been a student and teacher of yoga and yoga philosophy for around 20 years, having first trained at Yasodhara Ashram, Canada’s oldest yoga community, in 2004. Before this, he worked professionally as a juggler and children’s entertainer for a decade at festivals across southern Alberta. Acro combines those two passions, and has given to Niall the open-hearted, self-aware and adventurous community he’s always been looking for.
For Niall, Acro is about lifting each other up — as individuals and community. We create poses and flows that first seem impossible, but come to life by accepting and challenging our limitations, facing our fears and engaging in effective communication.
He wants Elevate to create strong, compassionate souls, and friendship that will last a lifetime.