Who We Are…

The heartbeat of Above Ground is to offer a space of both physical and emotional safety, and to bring honor to God. ALL walks of life are welcome here! We want our students to be free to express their authenticity and creativity while demonstrating kindness and respecting others. We are a studio dedicated to excellence, and to safe, technical learning. We strive to foster an environment that exudes warmth, encouragement, and support.

Our History…

Above Ground was founded in 2015 by Amanda Hamburger in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. What began as a hobby quickly developed into a side hustle on a rig in Amanda’s backyard. After seeing the positive feedback and the demand for group classes, Above Ground opened its doors in its first physical space in 2016 inside of a cheer gym.

It was clear that God’s blessings were upon Above Ground as it began to flourish. Students became friends and those friends turned into a family. Together, they put on almost a dozen in-studio performances, hosted many events and parties, and performed locally all over Baton Rouge and throughout the state of Louisiana.

In 2021, Above Ground closed its doors in Baton Rouge as Amanda and her husband Chris moved to California. There were plans for potentially reopening in Los Angeles; however, it simply wasn’t in the cards. With yet another vision and direction, Amanda and Chris moved to Georgia in the fall of 2022. By that winter, God opened the door for Above Ground to be reborn, reimagined, and reinvented.

As of 2024, Above Ground is now co-owned by Rebecca Bouras, who also shares an deep passion for people and this incredible art. Since reopening, Above Ground has grown with leaps and bounds, and has moved into a dedicated facility in Suwanee, GA. Amanda and Rebecca believe whole-heartedly that God has big plans for the studio. They trust Him with all of their business decisions, and with their lives. They hope you feel the love and the presence of the Father when you step into Above Ground Aerial and when you climb to new heights.

Meet Our Instructors

Amanda HamBurger

Amanda Hamburger is a southern girl with Cajun roots, born and raised in South Louisiana. She is obsessed with aerial arts and when she’s not doing it, she’s probably thinking about it. Amanda loves hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Her aerial journey, which began in 2010, lead her to receive extensive training in aerial silks, sling, lyra, rope and dance trapeze. She has earned multiple teaching certifications from Circus Arts Institute in Atlanta, GA, and works as a trainer for their company. She earned her BA in Communication Studies and an M.Ed. in Counseling. Her movement background includes multiple forms of dance, tumbling, theatre, art, and music. 

Amanda loves Jesus and people. She finds no greater joy than truly knowing people on a deeper level and helping them unlock their potential. Aerial arts have helped her realize just how much physical and mental potential people have at any age, and no matter what they’ve been through. Having sustained a few significant injuries in the past, Amanda spent a season learning that she had greater strength inside her than she realized. For her, it was God, determination (some call it stubbornness), and quite a bit of P.T., while delving into aerial arts that healed her body and mind. With newfound capacity coupled with her love for performance art, it’s her goal to have others realize that same capacity within them.  

“We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too.” — Kristin Martz. 

Rebecca Bouras

After working as a licensed therapist for years, Rebecca ran away to the circus! Co-owner of Above Ground Aerial, she currently teaches aerial arts to various skill levels and ages. Her fun and exuberant personality combined with her genuine warmth and heart for both people and animals makes her energy unparalleled. Her mission is to make all of her students feel welcome and confident.

In addition to her background in theater, film and dance, Rebecca spent her childhood jumping out of airplanes, climbing and hanging from fences, trees and rooftops any chance she had. No wonder she felt lead to the circus!

Today, single point lyra is her main passion, but she is adept at teaching aerial fabrics. She emphasizes form and theory to build skill with not just movement mastery but with creativity and sequence development as well. She completed the Aerial Teacher Training Program with Circus Arts Institute, certifying in Lyra and Silks. Rebecca has been working as a coach to help others discover their potential to fly.

Peter Logdson

Peter was introduced to aerial acrobatics in November of 2012 when a friend hijacked him to a Trapeze class taught by Davey Swinton. He then found an aerial gym, conveniently located close to home, where he learned predominantly from Amber Monson and Kara Jones for his first year. He went from not being able to do a single pull-up to being in some of their most advanced classes! He was then invited to join an apprenticeship program to become an instructor by the end of 2013 which he completed in 2014.

Peter has continued to expand his personal skills and his teaching repertoire over the years. He teaches rope, sling, silks, aerial partnering (on multiple apparatuses), and some partner acrobatics. He also dabbles in straps, trapeze, and on rare occasions lyra.

He has been known for having a focus on technique, conditioning, and understanding of theory, as he believes this enables higher levels of safety for his students in both his classes and when they learn from others. This approach also facilitates how efficiently his students have learned new skills in the past due to not easily tiring, truly comprehending the how and why skills work, and where their body truly should be when practicing the skills they are learning. 

If you want to chat with him about other interests he has, you will have a cornucopia of options! Beyond aerial acrobatics, he also enjoys spending time with his dog (Karrah) getting in around 55-70 miles in every week with her, playing soccer, Atlanta United, 3D printing, building/painting miniatures, baking, growing fruits and vegetables, snowboarding, and most forms of gaming!