2026 Florida Aerial Arts Championship
Judges
Talia Jade Marino
Talia Jade Marino, born and raised in Miami, has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years now. She has a bachelor of Art in Dance Education with a minor of sociology graduating from Florida International University. Her versatility as a pole artist, aerialist, and dancer has led her to starring roles in production shows for Cirque du Soleil, Franco Dragone Entertainment Group, Motley Crue, Rita Ora, Zombie Burlesque, Monika, One Drop by Cirque du Soleil, and Royal Caribbean International. You may have also seen her on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, Iheart Radio, along with television shows, commercials, and movies.
She has competed Nationally and Internationally in the Pole Community in which she has placed and even won such as NAPA, MPDA, and Pole Classic and she is currently the PPC 2017 Women’s Professional Champion for Pole Sport Organization. She is an athlete for X-Pole. She is also certified in the Barre Method. She is currently living back in Vegas, getting certified in Pilates, designing her athletic clothing line “Talia Jade”, and continuing her love for Pole- training, coaching, and choreographing in our Pole community. www.taliajademarino.com
Blake Borders
Blake is an internationally recognized performer known for his aerial performances and unique apparatuses. His love for training and performing began when he was just 11 years old. He became an ambassador for X-Pole at the age of 16 and never slowed down. He has toured across the United States before settling in Las Vegas post pandemic.
Now in Orlando, he is excited to share his love for circus to a new audience of people from all walks of life. As a coach, creator, and performer, Blake is happy to bring new inspiration and new ideas to each experience he is a part of. Blake is a multi award winning circus artist having won Gold at the Aerialympics and being a finalist at the Vivafest Pro Competition. He also has produced and directed shows in Las Vegas and around the Globe. He has performed alongside many talented artists and internationally recognized performers, including Rupaul’s Drag Race, Yung Gravy, and Gwen Steffani, Blake has had his fair share of fun as a performer.
You can currently catch him performing in Le Cirque Arcanus at Universal’s Epic Universe and flying over the stages of topic music festivals such as EDC, Escape Halloween, and Forbidden Kingdom. He is beyond excited to see all of the new up and coming talent in the Florida circus world!
Instagram: @Blake.borders
Nicole Sirdoreus
When Nicole was a tiny ballerina, she would lie face up and wedge her heel beneath the bar of her bed frame for extra split-stretching time, too excited for her next dance class to bother sleeping. Nicole has since used that drive to become a graceful, serpentine aerial artist with wicked, flowing lines. As such, she focuses on strong technique as well as carving out non-traditional shapes and pathways.
Classically trained in ballet, pointe, tap and jazz, she danced for Orlando, Florida theme parks and events before immersing herself in aerial arts in 2012. Although lyra is Nicole’s primary love, she also excels at silks, hammock, cube and lollipop lyra. Nicole is an accomplished, emotionally invested performer, choreographer and storyteller who has performed throughout Florida and the Southeast as well as the Bahamas, Belize and Mexico.
When she isn’t performing solo or in a duo, Nicole is usually training in the studio or squealing with glee when one of her students achieves even the smallest victory. She feels happiest choreographing and making art as well as helping students make skills their own.
Instagram: @dancinggirlnicole