Asteria: The Goddess of Falling Stars

Growing up as a classically trained dancer, Danni Maxwell has performed, trained, and instructed all over the world. Beginning her journey at national dance competitions, attending Performing Arts conservatories, and participating in the Nutcracker with the Miami City Ballet yearly, she quickly discovered her passion for the stage. It was during her teenage years at her home studio in South Florida that she first experienced aerial training on a trapeze and assisted the Artistic Director with the intricacies of running a studio. After receiving numerous entertainment and choreographic awards, she began to explore her own unique movement style and developed a love for choreography. Danni launched her professional performance career with the 8th Street Contemporary Dance Company in Colorado, followed by Code F.A.D. (Film, Art, Dance) in North Carolina. In between these opportunities, she trained in South Korea with the iDance Professional Company in Gangnam and also ran her own dance program in Dongducheon.

After having two little monkeys of her own with her husband, Danni shifted gears to begin serious training in the air, focusing on aerial performance. Training in fabric, lyra, sling, loops, and chains with Air Born Aerial Fitness in North Carolina, she quickly found her niche in bridging the gap between aerial training and performance. Her specialty lies in merging her worlds: teaching aspiring aerialists how to become performers and guiding dancers on how to perform in the air.

Danni spent several years in Colorado, performing across the state for various entities such as The Clocktower Cabaret, Luxe Entertainment, Paul Borrillo Entertainment, Aerial Aura Company, Mesmerie Entertainment, The Millibo Art Theatre, and The Dragonfly Aerial Company. For the latter, she served as the Performance Company Manager, creating and developing a pre-professional program for aspiring aerialists and directing full-length productions. Some of her most memorable gigs included performances for Re/Max, The American Heart Association, UCHealth, Temple Denver, and Dead Man’s Brewfest for the Colorado Switchbacks.

As a well-respected figure in the aerial arts community, Danni has been a workshop instructor for the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival and was invited as a workshop host at the Colorado Aerial Arts Summit during the challenging year of our Lord 2020. In 2021, she achieved 1st place in both Aerialympics and Aerial Star Organization in the professional division for her captivating giant loops act. She is currently on her third season as a judge for Aerialympics. 

Recently relocating to El Paso, TX as a military spouse, Danni continues to coach competitively across various apparatuses for students ranging from beginners to professionals. She actively works in community outreach to expand the reach of aerial arts in the area. Additionally, she provides program and curriculum development, implements teacher training, and collaborates directly with competition team members on act creation and professional transitioning at On Edge Aerial Dance.

Believing in the importance of continuous growth and learning, Danni Maxwell graduated in 2024 with her BS in Sport Health and Exercise Science, bringing her education firmly into her aerial coaching to ensure longevity and safety in student training.