Advisory Board of Directors

Born and raised in Italy,  after a long standing career (25 years) as a chef, restaurant owner and event producer, Luca started his training in aerial arts in 2007, under the tutelage of his wife, Ruby Karen, and furthered his training established instructors and institutions in California and Europe.  He is the technical director for the Ruby Karen Project and its associated organizations, Orange County Aerial Arts, Circo Etereo and Aerial Dance Theater as well as the is the official rigger for the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival. He installs, maintains and prepares all rigging needs and fabrication and designing of aerial apparatuses and circus props for the above organizations. He garnered his United States rigging certificate in 2010 in compliance with safety protocol of their school and has been the official aerial rigger for international companies – Ballet Manila, Airdance and Skyfly.  Luca also extends his services to rigging indoor and outdoor venues such as convention centers, theaters, hotels and park to clients including aerial companies, studios,academic schools and universities, fitness gyms, as well as small and large event production companies such as EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival).   And..as a young man in Italy, Luca grew up competing in martial arts in the likes of UFC type events, and carries his hobby till this day, in the form of sword fighting and combative stage training.

With a career spanning five decades, aerialist, dancer and choreographer, Ruby Karen has thrived in the performing arts – theater, cinema, music and circus arts.  Her success gave her the opportunity to globetrot, teaching and performing in metropolises locally in most urban cities within the Unites States and internationally in over twenty (20) countries, including cities such as, Zurich, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, New York, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Rio De Janiero, Vancouver, Gotenburg, Guatemala, Mumbai, among others, and has been the consultant to several organizations, including Philippine’s Ballet Manila and Airdance, Bangkok’s Sky Fly, Mumbai’s Fly High and Shree Samartha Vyayam Mandir, has received ostensible press coverage from respected publications across continents.   She holds three (3) World Titles in Ballet, Latin and Acrobatic Partnering, was a choreographer and guest performer for So You Think You Can Dance, has authored, designed and produced educational programs, e.g. Instructional Lifts and Tricks DVD, International Aerial Teacher Training Program (IATTP), and entertainment for Circo Etereo.  She is the founding director of Aerial Arts America, (the hosting organization to the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival (WCAAF) and together with husband, Luca Cecchini, they manage their school and other group outlets, the Ruby Karen Project Aerial Dance Performing Arts and Orange County Aerial Arts.

Ginger Ana Griep-Ruiz is a second-generation circus artist and aerialist. A Toronto native/circus kid, she has performed in a rich variety of disciplines in circuses and theatrical productions around the world since the age of three. Today Ginger is recognized not only as an elite performing artist but as a creative thinker, innovator and designer.

For the past 15 years, Griep-Ruiz has performed her renowned solo tissue act in multiple Cirque du Soleil productions including La Nouba, Solstrom, Delirium, Zed, One Night for One Drop, and currently Mystere in Las Vegas.  Her act is the first of its kind, bringing together intricate high-speed winch with breathtaking drops and flights with emotionally provoking simplicity.

Griep-Ruiz continues to push the boundaries of creative innovation off the stage as an artistic designer, coach and choreographer.  As an act designer, she was awarded first place in Cirque du Soleil's innovation competition for her technical design.  As a coach for Cirque du Soleil on shows and at headquarters she has integrated many artists into a multitude of roles. As a choreographer, she recently created a six-woman hammock act for the 2014 One Night for One Drop.  Griep-Ruiz’s love the aerial arts that keep her focused on the evolution of the art form. For Ginger, it is not a job; it is not about tricks. It is about expressing with clarity. Being off the ground is an essential element in Ginger’s life. She hopes to keep her feet pointed firmly in the air for as long as her arms can lift her. You can see more on Ginger at: www.GGR.photo

Direct from France, Aurelie made her professional debut at the age of 17 in “Le Jeune Ballet de France,” a company in which she performed principal modern roles all around the European continent. She was also in “Scottish Ballet,” directed by Robert North. in Austria for “ABC Dance Company” directed by Nicolas Musin, performed and developed aerial pieces at “Jean Ann Ryan Company’s cruise ship productions, principal to modern dance company “Maryse Delente”, and an acrobat and aerialist with the “Transe Express Company.  In Asia, she was a special guest for “Empat Mata TV show”.  After finishing 5th in “Tu Si Que Vales”, the Spanish version of America’s Got talent, she joins Cirque du Soleil in Japan for the “OVO” show as a principal role and is set for another contract with them this winter.  From an educational standpoint,  Aurelie is the artistic director of “Cirque de la Lune” a school and touring group for young artist. Ms. Dauphin has been retained by Cirque du Soleil in several of its projects, and currently is a resident aerialist for said organization.

Chobi Gyorgy maintains a successful career as a celebrated performer and a master rigger. A native of Hungary, Chobi graduated from the intense vocational program of the Hungarian Circus School. He began performing immediately with a nine-person teeter-board act called “Kiss Faludy”, which toured throughout Europe appearing in many well known circuses, including Krone (Germany), Trolle Rodine (Sweden) and, in Latin America, Circo Tihany, as well as on European TV shows. Chobi was the base for many incredible tricks like the four-man high, which was taller than the five-man high stack of other acts. His five years with Kiss Faludy culminated in a tour with the prestigious red unit of “the greatest show on earth,” Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey.

Representing the Performing Arts discipline, Deborah Brockus is labeled “ the single most important person in Southland Dance”, an “impresario”, “ the mother superior of LA dance” and “indefatigable” by the Los Angeles Times, for her involvement in establishing the local dance scene as a producer, choreographer, and teacher.   She is founder and artistic director of Brockus Project Dance Company (1991), the CEO for Brockus Conservatory of Dance and Musical Theater, a pre-professional boarding arts high school and has held many positions in the past including the former Chair of the Dance Department at Idyllwild Arts Academy, the Former Director of the Summer Dance Program at Idyllwild Arts Academy, Former Chair of Dance at the California Conservatory of the Arts, and former head of the Dance Division of LAUSD’s Saturday Gifted and Talented Conservatory.  Brockus has worked nationally and internationally on stage, in film, and on television as both a dancer and choreographer. She is also the founding director of Los Angeles Dance Festival and 40 Dance In LA showcases, which include Spectrum (local professionals), New Perspectives (high school invitational), Split (mixing an out of town company with three local companies) and  Caught Between (multi-media) and Why We Dance Series ( a dialogue between the artists and audiences).