Who We Are
Believe is one of the longest standing Pole and Aerial studios in Los Angeles owned and operated for 12 years by Dana Mcatee. And still practicing pole and aerial artist herself, she found her passion for this challenging and beautiful medium later in life after family and kids.
With the understanding that life can have it’s obstacles and challenges, Believe has created a welcoming and supportive environment where individuals can freely express themselves and explore their playful side without fear of judgment. It is a place where challenges can be overcome and personal limits can be tested. We believe that everyone has the ability to achieve their goals, and our aim is to empower our students to believe in themselves and their capabilities. Believe strives to inspire confidence, promote well-being, and foster a sense of community. Our ultimate goal is to help our students reach their full potential, both physically and mentally, and to encourage them to believe that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
Founder & Director
Dana Mcatee
Aerial Arts / Pole Instructor
Dana McAtee is a passionate and dedicated pole dancer and aerialist . Her love affair with pole dance began in 2004 when she was first introduced to the art form. From that moment on, she was hooked, and in 2006 she started teaching pole dance herself. Her commitment to her craft has led her to pursue additional training in flexibility, Pilates, and aerial.
Over the years, Dana has had the opportunity to train with many renowned pole dance teachers, honing her skills and developing her own unique style. She remains humble and always considers herself a student of the art form. She believes that there is always something new to learn, and she continues to push herself to grow and improve her skillsets.
Dana's passion for pole dance and aerial extends beyond her own personal practice. She is committed to sharing her knowledge and expertise with others, and she has become a respected instructor and mentor in the pole and aerial community. Her teaching style is focused on empowering her students to embrace their bodies and push past their limits to achieve their goals.
Today, Dana continues to inspire and motivate others with her passion and dedication to her craft.
Instructors
Melissa Coindreau
Artistic Director
Aerial Arts/ Pole Instructor
Melissa performed as a principal dancer with the San Antonio Met Ballet for 5 yrs. A an international touring artist her professional credits include Grease, Cabaret, The Broadway Musical Swing, and she has had the pleasure of performing with such greats as the Cab Calloway Orchestra, Twyla Tharp, Terry Beeman's Mental Head Circus, and Michael Buble. She holds US titles in Swing Dance and , is a certified yoga and Pilates instructor. Consumed with the idea of taking dance into the air she found her way to aerial arts. Melissa is an advanced pole technician with competitive experience. She has also coached championship pole artists, produced, costumed, and choreographed aerial concerts, and loves any opportunity for a creative challenge. With over 20 years of professional experience, she is trained in aerial hoop, silks, hammock, and enjoys blending the world of dance and aerial together. She is proud to share her love of dance and aerial innovation with her students.
Helen Day
Aerial Arts Instructor
Helen began her aerial training at the Hanger Arts in London, before joining Zu Aerial Dance in Brighton as a student, and later as a performer and collaborator. She has performed at corporate events, private parties and cabarets all over London, the UK and Europe, with Zu Aerial Dance and also with her own solo work.
She joined Cirque du Soleil for the creation of 'Toruk', based on James Cameron's 'Avatar', in 2015, as a puppeteer (and later as puppetry artist/coach). After a few months she also began training for the aerial rope act in the show, and happily swung from the 'vines' as a na'vi, touring the world with the show until 2019.
She now lives in West Hollywood, and when she is not in the air she can be found acting on screen, working as a performance capture artist for the video game industry, puppeteering, and having adventures with her rescue pitbull Queenie.
Melissa Hellewell
Aerial Arts Instructor
Melissa was immediately hooked when she first tried aerial silks in early 2011. One week later she tried lyra, and then six months later, she began training on the flying trapeze (and hasn't stopped since!). As an instructor she loves to encourage students to notice the progress they are making no matter how big or small. Melissa feels the same sense of accomplishment she felt as a beginner each time works with a new student.
Kennedy Kabasares
Aerial Arts Instructor
Kennedy Kabasares is an aerialist and actor. He attended high school at the San Francisco School of the Arts where he studied theater, and was also taught circus arts with Judi Finelli of the Pickle Family Circus. Kennedy was invited to compete in the 2011 Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival in Denver, where he took first place for static trapeze. His current artistic endeavor, PULL project, is a narrative theater/circus hybrid with performance artist traci kato-kiriyama, which has been presented in the US and Canada.
Mina Mechanic
Aerial Arts/ Pole Instructor
Mina Mechanic started her aerial journey in 2008. She has competed and won national and international pole dance competitions. She has also traveled the world performing and teaching workshops. Her resume includes dancing in music videos for Usher, Enrique Iglesias, and Diplo as well as on stage with Snoop Dog. Mina is professionally trained and certified to teach silks, hammock, pole, lyra, and flexibility classes.
Diane Pak
Pole Instructor
Pak has been a passionate part of the pole world for 10 years and has cultivated a deep understanding of the physical, artistic, and emotional aspects of pole dancing. Her passion for flying high and commitment to lifelong learning led her to Believe and challenged her to expand her knowledge out side of the pole world into the world of aerial arts. Her strong belief that pole dancing is not just a physical activity but also a means of self-expression, story telling, empowerment, and building confidence allows her to help her students explore their own unique strengths, overcome challenges, and discover the transformative power of pole dance.
Pak draws from her personal experiences as a student, to help each and every student unleash their potential, celebrate their achievements, and inspire each other to reach new heights in both skill and self-discovery.
Kristen Swain
Aerial Arts Instructor
Kristen's journey into the world of aerial began in 2013 when she took a leap of faith and decided to try aerial yoga. Despite having no prior experience, she now holds certifications in yoga, aerial yoga, and has found her home at Believe.
As Kristen immersed herself in the aerial community at Believe, with a growing passion for aerial arts, Kristen began exploring different aspects of it, including single-point apparatuses. Inspired by her own practice and fueled by her curiosity, Kristen started experimenting with single point aerial techniques, using the hammock to explore new movements and sequences.
Throughout her teaching journey, Kristen finds great joy in working with students of all levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners. Her main focus as an instructor has always been to share the beauty of mindful movement with others. By guiding her students through their achievements, Kristen aims to help them build confidence and discover their own potential.
Overall, Kristen's path into aerial arts may have started unexpectedly, but her passion and dedication have guided her to become a skilled instructor, continuously inspiring others through her mindful teaching approach.