Meet The Flyest Fly Team!
Michelle Carreno-Bolong
Owner & Artistic Director
Michelle was raised as a South Bay native having started her Martial Art training in Taekwondo at the age of nine. In her later teens, she decided to expand her movement knowledge with technical dance. She was eventually selected for a dance degree by The Laban Academy of Dance in London, England. In Europe she toured as a professional dancer, choreographer, and a performance martial artist. In 2000, Michelle relocated to San Francisco to culminate her own innovative style of movement entitled "Martialdance." Her choreography combined the power of martial arts, weaponry, alongside the fluidity of dance. This brought her to tour internationally with companies: Velocity Circus, Vortex Collective, and Los Angeles based dance theater company Diavolo. Soon after, Cirque Du Soleil recruited Michelle to join in their new production of the Beatles show called LOVE. Here she was part of the creative team, dancer, and aerial dancer. After 3 years with Cirque Du Soleil, Michelle returned back to Los Angeles to establish Fly Studios in Manhattan Beach. She still maintains her relationship with Cirque Du Soleil as a part of their brave team of "creative process performers," where she is called in to test new aerial inventions and to create innovative movement for their future productions. Michelle's other passion is being a creative director for live performing shows. Her credits include having directed shows for artists Kesha, OHM, and Billy Idol. Her 20 years of experience of being a movement artist including being a gold medal winner in the state championships in Taekwondo, a certified pilates instructor, a professional dancer, a performer, an entrepreneur, and a mother of twins...all gives her the momentum to continue to build her vision of a unique aerial arts center that specializes in children and generating something truly new and exciting to the South Bay area and beyond.
Anna Marie Carreno-Bolong
Co-Visionary & Operations Director
Anna Marie is a southern California native. Growing up she excelled in athletics where training in boxing was a large focus during her teens. Her employment experience includes working with renowned companies such as Los Angeles Magazine, Virgin Entertainment, and the Ritz Carlton group. Her extensive work and ecclectic life experience gives Anna Marie an amazing business perspective to Fly Studios. A few of the many contributions she brings to the Fly vision is her approach to building an awesome team culture and a consistent need for excellent customer service at all times. When Anna Marie is not creating new company software or perfecting Fly systems, you might find her adding to her collection of vintage records, or being a busy mother of twins!
Lita Gratix
Head Fly Instructor
Lita Gratrix began training in Aerial Arts after she moved to the Los Angeles area from Seattle in 2005. She is very grateful to have trained under the wing of internationally recognized aerial teachers, including Maximilliano Torandrell, Tania Peirce, Sagiv Ben-Binyamin, and Michael Lipiari. Lita has also performed on the Tissu (fabric), Hoop, Rope, and her newest creative endeavor: the Chain. Lita began teaching in 2007 and was welcomed into the Fly family in 2011 and now has a leading role in the continuous evolvement of the Fly Studios academy program.
Sammy Planchart
Fly Instructor
Born in Venezuela, and raised in both Venezuela and in the United States, Samantha Planchart was a ballerina for 17 years. Throughout her years as a dancer, she also explored other types of dance like jazz and contemporary. At age 15, national critics considered Samantha the number one dancer in her country. Samantha also studied theater and performed with Fernando Yvosky and Grupo Thespis in Caracas, Venezuela. Then she moved back to the United States where she studied Yoga at Golden Bridge Yoga, and music at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. She entered the world of aerial arts through FlyStudios, where she has found another home for her artistic expression.
Ramon Moore
Head Fly Instructor
Bri Price
Fly Instructor
Bri is a graduate of the Theater Arts department at Cal State Long Beach and has also worked with children of many ages and abilities for over 10 years. She believes that both backgrounds inform one another and help her excel in both. In her spare time, she enjoys acting and teaching herself circus arts such as juggling, poi spinning, and hoop. As a performer with physical theater experience, including clowning, she expresses herself best through exploration of movement and she is excited to be able to incorporate Aerial Arts into her repertoire. Aside from performance, she enjoys writing and contributes regularly to an online zine.
Lisa Armstrong
Birthday Instructor
