About The Moxy Movement
In 2016, Angela Nelson & Sarah Child began the creation of a space and community for adults to explore their physical potential and build self-confidence through movement. Their search ended when they found The Old School (now The Studio Draper) located in the historic district of Draper, UT.
Moxy is comprised of two separate studios within the north-side of The Studio Draper: our Pole Dance studio (#205) with eight stainless steel poles and our Aerial & Dance studio (#105) with six rigging points for Aerial Hoops (Lyra) & Hammocks.
If you are looking to find community, performance/competition opportunities, or just a fun and unique way to add 'flair to your fitness' - Moxy has you covered!!
Variety of Classes & Styles
Not only does Moxy offer Pole & Aerial Techniques classes, but also Hip Hop, Yoga, various choreography classes and so much more! Our diverse and knowledgeable instructors guarantee that every one of our classes has something unique and special to offer.
Connection through Movement
Classes are offered DAILY so you regularly have the opportunity to cultivate your Movement Magic,
and the chance to connect with our community of movers & shakers!
Performance & Competition Opportunities
Share your Moxy!
Moxy provides regular opportunities to perform and offers support and connections to those interested in, or currently performing or competing. Check out our monthly Open Stage night to get started!
Quality Instruction
Certification, continued training and education are important to Moxy and its instructors.
Our priority is to provide our students with a clean and safe space to learn and explore.
Moxy instructors are well versed in providing detailed instruction and offering adjustments or modifications to promote inclusive accessibility for all students.
Instructors of Moxy
Interested in becoming a Moxy Instructor?
We are always looking to grow our community and appreciate diverse backgrounds and styles.
Our beautiful studio is available to any instructor of dance or movement looking for a space to rent for practice, teaching, or hosting workshops.
Angela Nelson
Owner of The Moxy Movement
Pole | Flexibility | Dance
Angela is a professional pole dance instructor, performer and the owner/co-founder of Moxy. She is a Licensed Massage Therapist and loves discovering the ways the body can learn to move, perform and heal through movement.
Through years of experience in dance, gymnastics, pole, yoga and working in Alignment practices, she is passionate in helping people better understand the integration between mind & body, and to find out that they have actually been "dancers" all along. She believes everyone should perform at least one time in their life!
Angela loves assisting others in learning, performing, competing or simply getting started with the most relevant tools to get the most out of their unique movement practice. She insists in "Taking your time in the beginning to build a strong foundation. It will carry further than anything without the injuries or breakdowns."
She is a pole dance champion locally and internationally, and a fabulous performer/dancer in live productions & music videos. She looks forward to dancing with you!
Foundation Training Level 1 Certified Instructor
Yoga Certified
Certified Pole Instructor
Licensed Massage Therapist / Structural Integration / Reiki
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Alysha Shelby
Lyra | Chair Dance
I have been in love with Lyra since the first time I tried it over 10 years ago, and my journey has only grown from there. As a lifelong mover with 25 years of figure skating experience, I love exploring the crossover between the ice and the air - blending strength, flow, and artistry in new and creative ways. Choreography is one of my biggest passions, and I love helping students discover their own unique style through both Lyra and chair.
Moxy has been my aerial home since opening day, and it's been a space of incredible growth for me- not just in my skills, but in my confidence and self-expression. Aerial has taught me how to get out of my head and into y body, and I'm so excited to bring that same experience to my students. Whether you're here to build strength, explore new shapes, or simply find joy in movement, I can't wait to fly with you!
Ashley Coats
Hammock | Lyra | MoXXXy | Flexibility | Chair Dance
Ashley is an instructor and performer in Aerial silks, hammock, Lyra and Pole. She started her Circus Aerial Art’s training in 2016 and getting certified in Aerial silks at only the age of the 17. She has found a love and joy for teaching people how to move their bodies and gain strength in movement, and is known by everyone in the studio for her contagious enthusiasm for all things to learn! She is a dazzling performer and you will love her creativity with her classes.
Aerial Certified
Emilee Valken
Pole | Heels
As an adult, I found it can be hard to start dancing without having a lot of past experience. I love that the aerial community fights that and is so open and accepting of anyone who walks through the door.
I started pole dancing 7 years ago with very little dance experience, but I felt supported and grew quickly into the aerial world I'm now so passionate for. I strive to create that same space for my students. I want them to feel safe, strong, and confident in their own bodies.
My experience teaching yoga has taught me a lot about mindfulness and body awareness and I'm excited to share that in my classes as my students learn and grow. I'm also an active pole competitor and love the creativity behind choreography and how much growth I can see between each routine I put on stage. If you are excited to grow in your own pole journey, I'll see you in class!
Hannah Bluemel
Hip Hop
Hannah always loved to dance since she was a toddler, and before doing gymnastics and soccer. By age 9 Hannah was playing soccer competitively, but missed dancing and chose to do ballroom for two years in high school.
Once she graduated, Hannah went to England to play soccer and study sports therapy. During her first summer break back in Utah, she was longing to dance again and ended up finding a new passion at The Moxy Movement.
“I was so nervous when I showed up to my first class at Moxy, but the second I walked through the door everyone was so kind and I felt so welcomed! I want to help everyone to be able to feel that as well!”
Hannah found great friendships with instructors and students alike at Moxy, which kept her coming back every time she was home from England. She was encouraged to do a hip hop workshop from such friends when they found out she loved that style of dance. From there Hannah grew more confident and is excited to share what she knows with such an amazing community!
Hannah Farr
Pole | Heels
Hannah has been performing her whole life, with a BFA in acting and countless stages behind her. In 2022, she discovered pole dancing at Moxy and fell in love.
Starting as a student and growing into a teacher there, she is now excited to share her journey and passion with others. Pole dance has shown Hannah the joy of connecting with her body and leaning into her sensual self, and she aims to help others find that same joy and bodily autonomy. She is also passionate about burlesque and loves producing shows that encourage everyone to celebrate their bodies openly and confidently.
In addition to dancing, Hannah is a vocalist with a love for musical theater and jazz. She even creates routines where she sings and pole dances at the same time! Her goal is to help students feel confident, expressive, and ready to celebrate their unique bodies in every class.
Heidi Burris
Hammock
Heidi started dancing at age 3 while living in Tooele. From there she was involved with a group that did jazz, cheer and modern dancing. She later became involved in gymnastics for 2 years and then moved to hip hop.
After moving to South Jordan, Heidi became interested in aerial dance. She began with another studio in strengthening her movement. Following Covid and the earthquake, that studio closed down. While looking for another studio that offered aerial classes, she discovered Moxy Movement.
Since joining Moxy, Heidi has enjoyed learning hammock, pole, chair, heels, lyra, Bollywood, and has thoroughly enjoyed every class and instructor. Heidi is excited to be part of the Moxy community and to be able to share her love of dancing and movement!
Lissy Largin
Pole | Heels | Dance
Lissy is from southeastern Indiana. As a child, she studied ballet, tap and jazz. She now dances salsa, bachata, and aerial pole.
Her day job is business, but dance is her lifelong companion.
Despite career, injuries, moving around the world and general life busy-ness, dance always comes back to her and feels like home.
She loves sharing what she's learned with others. "Besides," she says, "dance is cheaper than therapy and good for the body!"
Natalyn Jacobs
Pole | XXX
As a child I took gymnastics and ballet. After many years of doing almost nothing athletic, I started some basic working out. When I started going to a gym that offered many types of classes, I tried everything. The "dance" style classes had a profound effect on me; it felt like I was connecting with a side of me that had been disconnected for a long time.
Since then I found aerial arts which tap into that side of my soul that wants to create beauty. When I started learning pole, I was initially covered in bruises but I wasn't about to stop coming. Then pole got me through the pandemic. When everything else shut down, Moxy slapped on masks and kept going. I had something to work on during a time when a lot of people lost all their goals and projects. At the end of 2020 I wanted to see more of what polers around the country were doing, and a competition was coming up in April 2021. They were only allowing competitors to attend because of COVID. So I signed up and came away with first place in my division.
I love the chance to now share what I've learned. I am excited for the opportunity to share the love of creating beauty through movement. I am also passionate about movement. Adults need to move and stretch to prevent chronic pain. Aerial arts are so great because it feels like play and it fills the need to create.
Another passion of mine is helping women reconnect with their sexy side. My hope is to give women the permission and skills to access every aspect of their femininity.
Shanna Loughmiller
Pole | Heels | Hammock
Shanna was born in Utah and raised in California, with dance, movement, and music being some of her earliest passions. Having trained in ballet and dance from a young age, dance was one of the few ways she found to quiet her mind and focus only on her body and the movement tasks in front of her. She always wished to try pole dance one day, but she couldn’t picture that happening in reality. Thankfully, after graduating college in 2019, she found her way to pole at Moxy and has been growing in aerial as a student and performer ever since.
From early childhood, Shanna also had an overwhelming interest in medical and anatomical sciences, spending over 10 years in school to pursue a career as a care provider. She currently works in orthopedic research by day, teaching heels, pole, and hammock by night while finishing her master’s in public health (MPH) as well. Shanna hopes to attend PT school to continue expanding her expertise surrounding movement and the body. She wants to help dancers and performers work towards their aerial and movement goals as safely as possible, helping with injury mitigation and recovery where needed.
Shanna especially loves the nuance and intricacy of heels and floorwork-based pole movements and the challenge of creating beautiful and musical choreographies. She hopes to help people grow more confident in themselves and their own bodies — she wants people to internalize that it’s important and amazing to show up for themselves and proudly take up space, celebrating however they are as they are in that current moment.
“There is so much power and confidence to be found in these art forms, I only wish to share a piece of that with anyone who’s open to listening! Everyone could benefit from taking an aerial class in their life and growing in their movement confidence, especially if they don’t know it yet. Consistency is key; the rest will come.”
Susie Norman
Hammock | Lyra | Flexibility | Yoga | Pole
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a dancer. I thought ballerinas and gymnasts were the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Other than wanting to be a mom, I also wanted to be just like those dancers/gymnasts that I looked up to so much. Some of my favorite shows to watch were So You Think You Can Dance, Olympic gymnastics, and basically anytime a dance performance broke out. My jaw would drop, and I swear my eyes turned into cartoon hearts.
I grew up with a very big family, which meant I got to grow up with the most amazing best friends anyone could have. There are so many pros to having a big family, but one tricky thing about a big family is that it can be really expensive. As much as I wanted to be like the girls in dance/gymnastics/tumbling/cheer classes, it was a dream that was a little harder to achieve in the beginning. Ultimately it gave me a big appreciation for those classes, when I was later able to take them myself.
Before I stepped foot into a studio classroom, my classroom was my living room, and my instructor was the TV. I would pause a million times to memorize dance moves and attempt to copy them on my own. It sort of reminds me of my brother’s karate classroom, which was just at the side of our house, where he would practice his awesome fighting skills. :) I later had a few dance classes in middle school, but I was very intimidated. There were so many other girls in there, and they were able to take classes from the time they were young. I had a lot of catching up to do. When I was 15 my dad gave me fantastic news. With less kids in the house at the time, and with where he was at financially, he could afford to get me into dance or gymnastics, and it was my pick where I’d go. I did more research than I’ve ever done for any project in school. But again, I felt really intimidated. The thought of being in a room full of kids one-third of my age and sticking out like a sore thumb with my living room skill level was terrifying. But when I thought about all of those dancers that I looked up to, I knew it was worth it. One of the studios had something called “silks”, and the look of those pieces of silk intrigued me more than ever. After giving it some thought, I felt like maybe this was a better place for me to start, so I changed my search to aerial silks studios.
My mom took me to my first class. It was a pole-sport class, and it was an inky dinky place at the time. The classroom was down this really long hallway that was always really messy and dirty from the parties thrown next door. The bathroom smelled, the colors were dingy, and the room was small. But suddenly, none of that mattered after I saw Jen dance. She was the most beautiful dancer I’d ever seen. She had these long, beautiful legs that made her lines so pretty. She moved so slowly and humbly around the pole, and it wasn’t long before I was turning back to my mom saying, & quote; "This is it, this is the place”.
More than anything, I felt so honored to have been able to see her heart. I remember being so nervous in my first performance, so I brought a few people in my family to come see, and they all cried watching me. Not that I was that good (I still had a ton of growing to do), but because they knew how much I’d always wanted this.
During COVID, Jen ended up having to close down her studio, which broke a lot of our hearts, but she’ll always stick with me. After 8 years of training with her, I was able to learn so many valuable lessons, both professionally and personally. I only hope that one day I’ll have an impact on one of my students the way she impacted me.