Point Park Dance Alumna is an Aerialist/Aerial Captain for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Alumni Profile
Photo provided by Feld Entertainment
Meet Ashley Rose Zimmerman
- Job Title & Employer
- Aerialist/Aerial Captain, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
- Major/Program
- Dance (jazz)
- Hometown
- Berwyn, Pa.
- High School
- Conestoga High School
- Now Living In
- New York City
- Hobbies & Interests
- Aerial, food, coffee, wine, weight lifting, reading and listening to podcasts.
"When I visited Point Park, I really liked the atmosphere and the school. The studios were beautiful and the teachers were top-tier."
Why did you choose Point Park University for dance?
When I visited Point Park, I really liked the atmosphere and the school. The studios were beautiful and the teachers were top-tier. I also liked that you could choose a concentration in ballet, jazz or modern, and really focus your energy on the discipline you wanted. And since I've graduated, Point Park also offers a concentration in hip hop. Point Park offered many dance styles and techniques I had never been exposed to.
Photo by Will Aaron
Highlight your career path and key roles since graduating from Point Park.
After graduating, I moved to New York City and I worked for a handful of small contemporary dance companies for a few years. I then booked a contract with Celebrity Cruises, where I was introduced to circus and aerial for the first time. When I returned to the city, I started taking lyra classes.
During the pandemic, I shifted my training focus from dance to circus, and a few years later began working for Virgin Voyages as an aerialist. From there, I toured with Cirque Dreams and Parallel Exit (a New York-based circus company) before joining Ringling in 2025.
Tell us about your role with Ringling.
I auditioned for Ringling in Las Vegas in November 2024 and joined the 147th edition in January 2025 for the last three months of the tour. I then joined the 148th edition as an aerialist, aerial captain and character understudy.
Working for Ringling has been amazing! I’ve been exposed to so many circus disciplines I’ve never seen before and have had the chance to perform on new aerial apparatuses for the first time. We are also always coming up against new challenges and it’s never boring in the circus. Every venue has its quirks to navigate and tracks are constantly changing based on who is sick/injured that week. Having to constantly stay alert and make changes on the fly keeps the tour exciting.
Photo provided by Feld Entertainment
What excites you most about your work?
I love creating movement in the air! I feel that dance trapeze (my main aerial discipline) offers many opportunities to explore new pathways and sequences that complement a person’s natural movement quality. Trapeze offers ample room for self-expression and discovery and the feeling of flying never gets old. There’s nothing more exciting than unlocking a new skill you’ve been working on, or finding a new way to perform a sequence that you’ve done the same way a hundred times.
How did your undergraduate experiences and training set you up for success in the industry?
Point Park instilled in me an incredible work ethic. The dance program can be very demanding at times, but so is this industry. It takes a lot of physical and mental grit to pursue a career in the performing arts. There is always something to work on both in and outside of the studio, and rejection is inevitable. Passion will get you started, discipline will keep you going. Point Park taught me how to stay disciplined regardless of the external circumstances.
What advice do you have for a student considering Point Park’s School of Dance?
Soak up everything you can! Point Park offers a chance to learn many different dance techniques and styles. You never know what you’ll be asked to do in the professional world, so learn as much as you can, even if it’s not your thing.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Stay open to trying new things — you might end up discovering a new passion, and it’s never too late to chase your dreams!