Meet Ashley Miller | Aerialist, Dancer & Registered Health Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been an artist in some capacity. I started dancing at age 11. The first time I performed onstage, the rush I felt solidified that performing was what I was meant to do. Dance has brought me full circle to becoming an aerial teacher, and back to dance again. I saw an aerial performance by volunteering for Jackson School of the Arts’ Fairy Festival with my ballet class when I was 16. I was commuting out of town for aerial lessons by that summer, and have been ever since. With no access to higher dance training in adulthood, I diverted my focus to aerial performance, which gave me the creative freedom and expression that I valued from dance. I traveled the country for certifications, and now I’m teaching a new art form at the studio I grew up dancing at, in a town that did not previously have aerial classes. Through my aerial studio, I found Dance Uprising, the dance company I have been a member of since 2019, allowing me to fulfill my first dream of being a professional dancer. This is what I mean by full circle. The connections I continue to make keep leading me back to the things I love. Now, I’m still commuting to surrounding cities to train in aerial and dance, performing and choreographing with Dance Uprising, solo aerial performances, and teaching the next generation of artists who may find an unlikely connection to their future through the arts. I pursued a creative career because it allows me to dig deep, to do meaningful work beyond surface level. I interact with the people I work with on a deeper level– through our art, we explore each other and ourselves. It’s not something I want to only experience outside of a draining day job. Being creative and enjoying the depth of other’s experiences is one of the main joys of being alive, and to be able to afford to do that full-time by making it a career has always been the goal. If my career takes me anywhere else, it is unlikely to stray too far from some capacity of artistry.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It took me a long time to get to this point, and I still have plenty of goals and next steps. I worked a full-time labor job, including some time as a manager while going to school full-time. I got my associate’s degree, a 2-year program to become a holistic nutritionist & health practitioner, multiple courses, and traveling for aerial teaching certifications, all while paying for aerial arts training and going to classes out of town after work. It was a lot of money and a lot of stress, and often it still is. I have had to go to school a bit slower due to paying out of pocket because I refuse to go into debt. I take classes towards my bachelor’s degree in health science as I can afford them. I work a lot, save, drain the savings from school and training, repeat. I’m not quite to the point where I can rely on my performing & teaching income for living expenses, so I have multiple jobs to pay for school, living expenses, and my own aerial training. That said, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. This year, things have really started to pay off and I’ve made more connections than ever.
Behind me are years of not being sure if I would get anywhere, it seemed all of my work was in the negative. This is why I refused to go into major debt for continuing education, I didn’t feel I could guarantee that I would get a return on my investment. Compared to where I want to be, I have only cracked the surface of success. But compared to where I was, I now have enough lined up that I feel the snowball rolling and getting bigger. I feel progress.
I’m excited for the day that performing and teaching will be enough to make ends meet. I would love that to be my sole focus, to train, teach, and perform what I love, with enough balance that I can prioritize rest too.
While the packed schedule is what got me where I am, it’s not sustainable long-term. My big goal is to get to a point where
I’m solely working in my dream field and don’t have to spend so much time outside of jobs to meet deadlines for my dream. I may be involved in circus arts, but I’m not interested in juggling forever.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I may be ambitious, but I’m a homebody. We wouldn’t be going a whole lot of anywhere! Although there are some things we like to do on occasion, schedule and energy permitting. My friends and I frequent Jackson Coffee Company for reading dates & local coffee. We may go to the library– again, books. I’m a huge reader, and so are my friends. It’s my way to decompress after a long day of the aforementioned job juggling. For food, City Crepes or AKA sushi are spots we like. We thrift a lot. There’s a plethora of thrift stores in Jackson, Clothing Carousel being my favorite.
We’re also hobby enthusiasts– we want to try everything. Ice skating, tennis, horseback riding, and dance workshops are things we’ve discussed trying or have already tried together. Anytime a new and unusual workshop is offered for adults at Jackson School of the Arts, we’re usually there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jackson School of the Arts is the only reason my family was able to afford my dance education. They’re a nonprofit arts school with an income-based sliding fee scale for class costs. I can say with certainty that I would not be where I am without them, in more ways than one. Not only did they provide my start in dance, but I have been working with them to provide an entirely new program for this community. Aerial is an expensive art form, one I never would have been able to afford as a child, even if it had been available in my town. I am proud that I’m not only teaching aerial but also doing it with an organization dedicated to arts accessibility, providing to students just like myself who otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity. Additionally, my family, friends, and partner have all been supportive of my goals, helping with transportation, travel, and costs, taking my classes, and helping me promote what I’m doing. My parents have always done anything within their means (and many times, beyond them) to help me out, even during times of immense financial struggle. I truly have so much gratitude for the people standing beside me. Community is so valuable.

Instagram: instagram.com/apothecaerial

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApothecAerial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXD7eNg_KY7n8DAOekK9Gpg

Other: https://www.udemy.com/course/cyclesimplified/?kw=cycle+simpl&src=sac

Image Credits
Nicole Lockhart, Kirk Donaldson