2026 Coaches
shani
Having loved movement and sport for as long as she can remember — growing up, Shani spent hours playing in the backyard with her brothers, jumping on the trampoline and exploring what her body could do.
That love of movement led Shani into gymnastics and eventually to the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. This was the beginning of her professional Acrobatic development.
She’s since performed with some of Australia’s most respected circus companies, including Circus Oz, Circa, and her current company, Gravity & Other Myths. Shani also co-founded Perform Athlete, where she creates strength programs specifically for acrobats.
Helping performers build strength, stay injury-free, and reach their full potential is just as exciting to her as performing on stage! Shani brings years of knowledge and an acrobatic vocabulary to this convention that you don’t want to miss out on.
keaton hentoff-killian
Originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, Keaton’s circus journey started at ‘Circus Harmony’, where they quickly became fascinated with circus and the constant challenges it presented.
Having performed in over 2,500 shows by the age of 16, Keaton somersaulted to Ecole Nationale De Cirque where they’d graduate by the younger age of 21 as a professional Tight Wire and Chinese Pole artist.
Keaton’s desire to learn and explore soon lead them to Brisbane, Australia; working for many years with CIRCA and then on to many other circus companies. Keaton brings a unique perspective and mind bending pathways to evolve even the simplest of skills. YOU don’t want to miss out!
See Keaton in action here
Chris CArlos
Chris Carlos is an acrobat, performer, coach and event manager with 20 years in the performing arts industry.
After spinning fire professionally for 7 years, Chris went on to graduate from NICA in 2011 with a specialty in duo acrobatics, comedy acrobatics and Russian bar.
He went on the have an extensive professional career coaching and co-creating/performing internationally.
Chris is the founder of Spin Circus and has been running circus and acrobatic festivals and training courses for over 15 years
Chris is a highly experienced coach and acrobat with a sharp focus on technique, skills and safety. His coaching technique and in-depth knowledge provides students with opportunities to upskill and grow in their acrobat journey.
duo die
Duo Die has been training and working together for over 12 years. This is preceded with Caitlin’s childhood/teenage career in artistic gymnastics, and Dane having started weight lifting around 13 years old and never stopping… making their chance meeting a dreamy partner acro match. They share the love of progressive training and skill building of dynamic tricks, both in standing H2H and in Icarian.
For the past decade they have taught all over the world in festival settings and in longer term training camps, sharing and learning different ways to approach training, skills, strength and communication in acro partnerships.
The knowledge they bring to building skills is both fun and affective, and their approach to training will help you towards being a well rounded acrobat.
Amy Nightingale-Olsen
Amy Nightingale-Olsen is a world class acrobat, with a wealth of additional skills. Performing for companies such as Cirque du Soleil, 7 fingers and Circa, Amy has travelled the world performing and teaching.
She has a passion to teach, inspiring her students to focus on learning good technique and fundamentals. “Drills get the skills” is one of her classic mottos.
Amy is excited to bring this passion to another year of APAC, meet wonderful new people and spread the love of acro.
keith bearne
Keith has been breakdancing for the past 24 years, performing for Snoop Dogg, The Black Eyed Peas, and Big Daddy Kane. He has also competed at World Championships in both Japan and France.
His true passion however is teaching and he has spent countless hours learning how to be a better coach not only for breaking but also tumbling and hand balancing. Over the last few years Keith has turned his eye towards aerial straps applying the principles he’s developed to create a dynamic and unique style
James regan
James works as a physiotherapist at Flexed Physiotherapy Malvern, in Melbourne's Southeast. He graduated from the University of Melbourne’s Doctor of Physiotherapy program in 2023, which he built a strong foundation in hands-on care as a remedial massage therapist.
His evidence-based approach combines exercise prescription, manual therapy, and patient education, all tailored to support recovery and long-term wellbeing.
Outside the clinic, James is deeply rooted in the circus community. Introduced to acrobatics over 15 years ago, he now trains, teaches, and performs partner and group acro in his spare time. With his unique blend of professional expertise and personal passion, he particularly enjoys helping circus artists overcome injuries and unlock their full performance potential.