Jaclyn Jones is the owner of Indigo Studio and a Yoga Booty Ballet instructor! She discovered Yoga Booty Ballet in LA after seeking a form of movement. JJ started dancing in Boulder, CO where she graduated from the University of Boulder with a degree in Anthropology. JJ has also studied Anusara Yoga and dance in Maui. JJ loves to teach Yoga Booty Ballet because she loves the way she feels after YBB and wants to spread her enthusiasm with others.
Britanny Puglia
From the moment I first stepped on stage as a five year old ballerina, to the day I began teaching Yoga Booty Ballet, dancing has always been my passion! I love teaching Yoga Booty Ballet because it pulls my inspirations into one class that allows me to spread amazing energy and share my expertise. I have an extensive background in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, competed in Pom Dance, represented the IDTA All Star Dance Team as well as the DePaul University Dance Team, and have won awards for my choreography. Hatha yoga is also a very significant part of my life. My practice has included Ashtanga Vinyasa, Forrest, Anusara, and Power Vinyasa. In 2009 I studied Yoga Booty Ballet under Gillian Clark and began teaching here at Indigo Studio.
Angela Gusman
With her affinity for all things creative, Angela Gusman graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management. Along with Her experience as a Marketing Specialist at a Fortune 100 company, Angela is currently creating her own health and wellness brand through teaching fitness classes and educating people on the benefits of essential oils.
Don’t let the corporate pedigree fool you; Angela can bust a move. You can find her driving around Chicago with a bumper sticker that reads “I’d rather be dancing…” As a certified Yoga Booty Ballet instructor at Indigo Studio, Angela conducts her class for all levels of fitness. Angela incorporates her over 20 years of dance experience with her passion for music as a club DJ (her dj moniker is Angel_a), and her love of Yoga to create a beat thumping, booty shaking, sweat inducing class that will leave you fit and feeling hot!
Pauline Case
Pauline is a certified aerobics, Zumba (Latin dance), Middle Eastern dance, yoga and mat-Pilates instructor. Pauline started dancing at a young age. When she was 5 her mother enrolled her in ballet and jazz. It was the beginning of a love affair and Pauline has been dancing as well as exploring other movement modalities ever since. In 1999 she became a certified aerobics instructor and in the year 2000, following a family tradition, she got certified in yoga as well.In 2002 Pauline added Middle Eastern dance to her repertoire. She started her study with Dawn Gundez of Imperial Jade Belly dance. She was quickly asked to join Dawn’s dance company and began to dance professionally. In addition to being in a video with Imperial Jade she danced many festivals, parties and restaurants.Pauline continues to study the art of movement taking workshops and certifications whenever she can and enjoys passing on her knowledge through the many classes she teaches.
Stefanie Cary
Stefanie is originally from Iowa, where she was studio trained in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and pointe for 16 years. She then moved to Phoenix where she danced for Arizona State University and professionally for the Phoenix Suns for 4 years. She also interned with the Broadway Dance Center in New York City where she studied under Wes Veldink, Sheryl Murakami, Luam, Rhapsody James, and Michele Assaf.
Stephanie Lukich Roldan
Stephanie’s love of all things dance related started very early in life. She began her ballet training at the tender age of 2 1/2. As her dance classes became more diverse her appreciation for all forms of movement increased immensely. Stephanie continued her training at Indiana University where she graduated with a B.S. from the school of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. After a short hiatus from dance, and thanks to the love and support of the Kula at Indigo Studio, Stephanie has rekindled her love for the art form with a vengeance. She loves the confidence strength and grace that ballet brings her clients. As an instructor she believes that knowledge is the key to empowering her clients and strives to incorporate education into all of her classes. In her Core Barre Ballet class, she has structured the class to enable those with little or no prior ballet experience to not only work hard to strengthen their core and lengthen their muscles but truly feel graceful and beautiful while doing so. Stephanie is proud to be a Certified Yoga Booty Ballet Instructor and whether she is assisting in the Indigo Challenge Bootcamp or teaching class, she hopes that all of her clients share in the joy that moving her booty brings!
Kathleen Sullivan
Kathleen is a Yoga Booty Ballet instructor as well as a teacher at a nursery school. She graduated from St. Norbert College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and then started practicing yoga regularly when she moved back to Chicago. It was Kathleen’s New Years resolution 3 years ago to start dancing and prior to this she rarely danced. Dance and Yoga Booty Ballet have completely changed her life. Dance has become a powerful avenue of self expression, as well as a way of communicating her emotions and ideas with the universe on a visceral level. Kathleen incorporates the innocent, natural jovial state that she experiences through her contact with kids into her Yoga Booty Ballet classes. After a summer filled of YBB and more activities, Kathleen plans to pursue a Masters degree in Psychology at Naropa University in Boulder Colorado this fall and will bring YBB to the Boulderites!
Hillary Thieling
Hillary Thieling, yoga teacher, business owner and mother of two children, decided to deepen her own practice and seek balance and peace in her own hectic life by becoming a yoga teacher. She found a passion for bringing the joys of yoga to everyone. She completed a 200 hour teacher training in the Spring of 2008 and is currently continuing her studies. Hillary has focused on teaching Prenatal, Basics and Kids Yoga. Hillary especially enjoys offering a soft place for other moms and caregivers to nurture themselves with the healing powers of yoga.
Frannie Kell
Frannie has always an affinity for exercise, and has made health and wellness a major part of her life. With her athletic background, she has participated not only in team sports, but in running and triathlon races. The years of looking to running and competition as a way to stay healthy lead Frannie to look for other avenues of fitness that also provided stress relief. From the first class she took in college, yoga has provided her with an opportunity to create balance and strength in a welcoming and peaceful environment. As a Yoga Booty Ballet instructor, Frannie can merge her love of cardio exercise and yoga into an effective and heart-pumping class. After working as an Environmental Scientist during the day, she looks forward to walking through the doors of Indigo Studio to guide her classes through a high energy, full body, spirited workout. YBB is the perfect way to get people excited about doing something beneficial for their health in a new and fun manner, and leave the stress of the day-to-day at the door.
Sue Koch
Sue has been involved in dance and fitness for most of her life. Zumba® became an incredible way to bridge her background in Latin Dance together with her desire for more enticing cross training methods as an avid endurance runner. The result was less injury, more cardio endurance, and loads more fun! As a Certified Life Coach focusing on Life Transition and Fitness & Wellness, teaching Zumba® is yet another powerful venue to provide new, life transforming fitness solutions to people and create a fun, dynamic, energizing workout, in a non-intimidating environment. Sue is thrilled to have the opportunity to share this amazing fitness program with others while bringing her passions for fitness, music, & Latin Dance all together. Feel the music, let yourself go, sweat and HAVE FUN!
Milana Segal
I have been dancing since the age of three years, with an emphesis on ballroom, jazz and hip hop. I competed in International Latin Ballroom since the age of 14 years, and taught adult and kids classes for over ten years. Dance and working out are my life, but my other passion is medicine. I have vast experience in the field of optometry, and will be starting optometry school at the Illinois College of Optometry this coming fall. I enjoy a great workout, especially one that’s upbeat and makes me sweat. Nothing better than dancing to great beats, in an energy filled room with a fun group of people!
Jessica Ortega
Since the age of 3 Jessica has studied ballet, tap, jazz and modern from some extraordinary teachers around the country. She received early ballet training from Pamela Tanis of the Joffery Ballet and continued to study dance with Linda Crist at the University of Iowa. During college she also performed with the University of Iowa Dance Team. For the past 14 years, Jessica has been teaching dance to children and adults at various dance studios around the Chicogoland area. Her main focus in class is to provide quality dance instruction with a positive and creative attitude. Jessica intends to have every single student leave her classes with good sore muscles and a smile!
Alicia Hartman
Cristina Grieco
Cristina is originally from Brazil and has been dancing her whole life, in an international setting, including in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Spain and the United States. Her specialties are Latin rhythms, such as Samba, Forró, Lambada, Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha, and Bachata. She found teaching Zumba to be a great way to express her love for dance and fitness and to get people moving to fun choreographies! Dancing to this Latina represents her hobby, her escape from life’s tough situations, her fitness activity and her passion! Let’s move!
Heather Atkins
I began taking ballet at the age of 4. Originally from Dallas, I attended a performing arts high school where I studied theatre, classical ballet and modern dance. I continued studying dance at the Etgen-Atkinson School and Madame Krassovskaʼs Ballet Jeunesse in Dallas, and discovered pilates around the same time. I also taught children for three years with a non-profit organization. Since moving to Chicago in 2007, I have continued studying ballet, modern, and pilates at Hubbard Street Dance and the Joffrey Ballet. I have always had a strong passion for dance and movement, and I enjoy teaching because it helps me learn more about the way our bodies work in the process. I appreciate the strength, grace, and posture assurance that result from ballet and pilates. My goal is to make ballet accessible and non-intimidating to students with no formal training. I know from experience it is a form of dance that everyone- regardless of age, size, background, or shape- can practice. Although currently pursuing a Masters in Architecture, movement will always play an important role in my life and contributes to an overall sense of well-being.
Jena Ertel
Jena has had a big crush on dance and movement of all sorts for as long as she can remember. Her journey so far includes receiving her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago, co-founding Barefoot Productions, [a collaborative arts production company] a Dance Education Certification from UWM, and 10 years of dance and movement instruction to people of all ages, including a much-loved 5 years of teaching and directing a dance company at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire and teaching the Summer Dance program for Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools. Currently, Jena is certified in Yoga Booty Ballet, is completing her ACE certification, as well as a yoga teacher certification through Tejas Yoga. She is excited and honored to be a new member of the Indigo kula and looks forward to being a part of as many people’s lives as possible!
Jillian Schiavi
Jillian Schiavi took her first yoga class four years ago, and has been continuously inspired ever since. After receiving her undergraduate degree from New York University, she completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Yoga to the People (rys) in 2010. In her teaching, as in her life, she exudes positive energy with a passion for sharing the physical, mental and emotional benefits of yoga. She moved to Chicago in August of 2010 with the intention of bringing that vision to others, as well as beginning work on her MFA in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She believes that yoga should be available to anyone and everyone who wants to experience greatness and genuine possibility in their lives, and she believes that through teaching, she is able to further her understanding of the practice each and every day.
Sheeba Bari
Given that she is a Paralegal by day, Sheeba’s transition into fitness came as a very pleasant surprise. It started with a passion for TurboKick and after seeing the changes that came physically (and mentally!) after putting forth a little effort into each workout, Sheeba started looking for new ways to challenge herself. Thanks to connections and encouragement from friends, she found that challenge in instructing. Sheeba eventually ventured out and became certified in other formats and classes, including, TurboKick, Piyo, Zumba and soon Hip Hop Hustle. Sheeba also received her group fitness certification in February 2011, and anticipates getting certified in much more! Fitness has changed her life and Sheeba is on a journey to share her weight loss story, motivation, high energy and enthusiasm with others.
Rebecca Niziol
Houston, Texas native, has been a yogi for six years. Her practice includes vinyasa, hatha, and resorative aspects, as well as a passion for meditation. Rebecca is also a professional dancer, and finds that yoga is the perfect balance to her hectic dance lifestyle. She moved to Chicago in January 2008, to become a founding member of Danceworks Chicago. Soon after she also started working at lululemon athleica, and enjoyed getting to know the Chicago yoga and fitness community. She spent the past year in an adventure as a freelance dancer. She traveled to 18 cities, performing with multiple dance companies. This spring she completed her 200 hour teacher training at Sonic Yoga in New York City, one of the most incredible experiences of her life thus far. Rebecca recently moved back to Chicago, the place that won her heart, and is thrilled to be a part of the Indigo family!
Joseph Martinez
Joseph Ryan Martinez has been a certified personal trainer since 2006. After studying Kinesiology in college and receiving his certification through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), he began integrating his Muy-Thai Kickboxing background into his training. Combined with diligent body measurement tracking, & focused nutritional “homework assignments” for his clients, Joe’s training focuses on examining exactly where & what creates physical results.
