Directors
Grace and Gravity
Dede Ulses
Founder | Co-Director | Aerial Instructor
Dede Ulses is the founder and co-director of Transcendence Aerial & Dance, as well as the primary aerial instructor. Her career began in the dance studio at Evelyn Ott School of Dance where she studied ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and acro. After graduating from The Governer’s School of the Arts with a focus on dance and acrobatics, Dede toured with Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus for a season. Her desire to invest in the Hampton Roads community brought her back to the area where she fell in love with the art of Aerial Dance. Her 10+ years of professional training in aerial silks, lyra, and trapeze come from the best in the business. Her professional dance, aerial and acro performance experience and choreography has been seen all over the Hampton Roads community for the past 20 years. Dede started Transcendence Aerial & Dance with the desire to make circus arts accessible to the Peninsula. She believes her students can do anything they set their minds to… even defying gravity.
Lacey Ware
Dance Instructor
Lacey Ware is the co-director and primary dance instructor of Transcendence Aerial & Dance. She specializes in ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, and creating captivating choreography for performances and competitions. For 15 years, she has trained dancers of all ages and skill levels to achieve their technical goals, believe in their potential, and unleash the creativity inside them. Lacey’s formal dance education includes Arnora Hummel, Elbert Watson and Melissa Moore (Academie De Ballet and Dance Center) and Yvonne Salcado Williams (Pittsburgh Ballet Theater) and Connie Taylor-Krupp (Temple University, Philadelphia, PA). Her choreography has received regional and national merit awards and has been seen on main stage theatrical productions throughout the Hampton Roads area. Co-Founder and former director of Bethel School of the Arts, Lacey brings 11 years of professional experience both in the classroom and to the client experience. Lacey believes cultivating student relationships is the key to unlocking their potential and helping them to reach their goals - whether it’s to dance professionally or just for fun. Together, with Dede, their goal is make aerial and dance accessible to everyone.
Our Instructors
Mariah Roberts
Aerial Instructor
A Vet Tech by day and an aerial instructor by night, Mariah Roberts is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. As an accomplished advanced aerial student, she makes you believe you can do anything while challenging you to achieve your personal best. Mariah loves trapeze and tippy lyra the most!
Carlie Routzon
Aerial Instructor
Whether you’re looking to gain strength and flexibility or work on your existing skills, Carlie Routzon will help you reach your goals. As an experienced and advanced aerialist, she's been an integral part of our team since the beginning.
Carlie loves hand balancing and is often working on something difficult!
Ashley Waters
Aerial Instructor
Ashley Waters is one of our most impressive instructors having no prior experience to aerial or dance when she joined us 5 years ago. Her passion for teaching others to feel confident is a true inspiration. Ashley makes aerial performance look easy and has become an amazing aerialist as well as instructor.