Barre class on Wednesdays at 9:30 am
Barre class on Fridays at 9:30 am
$25 per class or 5 classes of her classes for $100
or 8 of her classes per month for $120
Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, PayPal, or cash
alixkissinger@gmail.com

“To me, being empowered means letting go of any doubts that might be holding you back, and showing up for yourself in whatever way you need to, regardless of what others may think.”

Alix was born and raised in southwest Florida, but moved to Gainesville in 2012 with her husband, daughter, and 2 dogs. In search of an activity that would fulfill her in her new town, she eventually took her first Barre class. Although she was more sore than she’d ever been after that workout, she somehow couldn’t wait to sign up for more! Even just trying a Barre class was a major step out of her comfort zone, but the empowerment she felt from the classes and community ultimately led her to become a certified instructor 5 years ago. She’s so grateful for the opportunity to lead fun, challenging, and effective workouts that are accessible to women of all ages and fitness levels, and hopes that her classes inspire others to see their own strength in and out of the studio!

Alix’s other passions include fostering rescue dogs (and failing—she’s added 3 more to her pack!) and working on growing her online boutique, Sol Chaser. When she’s not at the Barre, you can find her spending time with her family, traveling for pop-ups, or at her favorite spa, Club Synergie.

Yoga class on Mondays at 9:00 am
$20 per class
Venmo or cash
Call or text Anisa at 352-318-1943
anisayoga@gmail.com

Anisa is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, and offers a gentle flow that is appropriate for all levels. She is empowered through sharing her yoga practice that cultivates community, resilience and courage. 

 

Barre class on Sundays at 4:00 pm
Barre class on Thursdays at 9:30 am
Barre Express (45 minutes) on Thursdays at 12:15
$25 per class or 5 classes of her classes for $100
Venmo or cash
Text Deanna at 352-339-5388
deanna.a.henriksen@gmail.com
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“‘Being Empowered’ holds such a deep meaning to me. It's that reminder that we can ourselves be empowered to accomplish great things, whether it's big or small: starting a company, making it through the day with kiddos, or not killing our plants (that's me!). However, ‘being empowered’ also gives us the opportunity to help empower other women around us. We each have our own obstacles that we’re working to overcome. Sometimes we can do it on our own; sometimes we need a boost from our sisters—someone who makes it easier to believe in ourselves. I hope I can help give that boost to at least one person at Empowered.”

Deanna grew up in Tampa and moved to Gainesville to go to the University of Florida. She met her husband, Carl, in grad school for math in 2004. They got married in 2008 and have three girls—Natalie, Julie, and Mollie. Deanna’s been a math professor at Santa Fe College since 2006.

She started taking Barre classes in August of 2015 right after her second daughter was born. It took her a little bit of time to figure out her strategy to make exercise a part of her routine, but once she did, man, was she hooked! Deanna’s never been particularly athletic, but this was just what she was looking for postpartum. Barre is low impact with plenty of modifications! Plus, she could take as many breaks as she needed to without feeling like she was being judged. Deanna enjoyed barre so much that she decided to pursue her Barre certification and began teaching in early 2017. Not only that, but since Barre is such an accommodating form of exercise, she was able to take Barre classes until she was about 8.5 months pregnant with her third daughter! Barre truly has been a refuge for Deanna both physically and mentally, and she treasures her time taking and teaching Barre classes.

‍Barre class on Saturdays at 9:15 am
$25 per class or a 4-class pack for $80 (no expiration) or 4 of her classes per month for $60
Venmo, PayPal or cash (exact change only)
@fitforall352
Fitforall352@gmail.com
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“Being empowered means feeling safe to be your most authentic self.”

Emma’s fitness journey began in 2016 when she took her first Barre class and found a workout she truly loved—it was the hardest workout she’d ever done but also the most rewarding! Through her fitness journey, Emma found health, joy, and a community of strong women that inspire and support her every day! Her favorite aspect of group fitness is community. Working out doesn’t have to be a solo activity but a way to socialize, move, and connect with amazing people! She loves reminding everyone that they are “beautiful 2”!

Pilates class on Fridays at 12:00 pm
$25 per class or 5 of her classes for $100
Venmo, CashApp, or cash
Call or text 352-256-2054
jacquelinevaldezstudio@gmail.com

“Empowered, to me, is believing and loving yourself and having the confidence and strength to follow your true calling and passion. It means rising through life’s hardships and struggles and still shining bright and being the best version of you.” 

Jacqueline is a huge animal lover with two beautiful rescue cats and has been a vegan/vegetarian her entire life. Originally from Denver, Colorado, she started out in musical theater at a young age then danced professionally with a modern company.  

Over decades of performing professionally in theater and dance, Jacqueline used Pilates and yoga to improve her dancing, manage injuries, and stay in shape.  She quickly adopted these practices into her lifestyle, but Pilates became her passion after suffering career-ending injuries in a car accident.  Utilizing the skills learned over years of Pilates practice, Jacqueline has restored her physical and mental health through movement. 

Jacqueline is a certified fitness and dance professional dedicated to inspiring her clients to live healthy and empowered lives through movement.  Drawing on her vast experience in Pilates, pole dance, ballet, Zumba, and more, Jacqueline creates carefully curated programs to assist her clients in strengthening and toning their muscles while improving postural alignment, core strength, and flexibility.

Barre class on Mondays at 10:30 am
Body Balance* class on Mondays at 6:45 pm
Body Balance* class on Wednesdays at 11:00 am
$25 per class or 5 classes of her classes for $100
jenpricegroupfit@yahoo.com
*Barre Stretch class to begin March 4th, 2024 in lieu of Body Balance
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“Being empowered means being confident in my own skin and encouraging others to do the same.”

Jen is originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to Gainesville in 2015.  She’s always loved being active, but was never brave enough to try a group fit class by herself. She went to her first Barre class in 2017 with a friend and immediately fell in love with it and several other formats. Later on that year, she was encouraged to become a BodyBalance instructor and came to find that she was also in love with teaching group fitness classes! This led to even more certifications, so she could share her love for group fitness with more people.

Rise and Thrive Yoga class on Tuesdays at 9:00 am
Form, Flow, and Functionality class on Wednesdays at 4:00 pm
$18 per class or 2 of her classes per week for $30 (must be used that week)
Venmo, CashApp, or Credit Card
Text 352-316-4154
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"Being empowered means being a lifelong learner. To live life with a sense of enthusiasm, joy, and a genuine curiosity to try new experiences throughout our lives, THAT is the ultimate empowerment."
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Katie's fitness journey started as a young ballet dancer, later transitioning to running and weight training during her college years. She then attended the Florida School of Massage and practiced at Request Physical Therapy, where she learned how combining massage/manual therapies with therapeutic exercise helped patients of all ages and stages of recovery get stronger, feel better, and improve their quality of life.

In 2001, Katie began teaching “power yoga” classes that included elements from Pilates, postural stabilization, active isolated stretching, and isometrics. From there, she completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training with her dear friend and teacher, Melissa Montilla. 

Fast forward to 2023: she is married and raising two teenage boys, practicing massage therapy at the beautiful House of Yin, and teaching yoga. She’s in love with the work she does, practicing massage and teaching movement, more than ever, and she is so happy to continue her journey teaching at Empowered! 

Katie enjoys getting to connect with others in group classes and help them more fully understand their bodies. She feels lucky for the opportunity to help clients explore movement in a positive way by instructing classes that nourish strength and flexibility. She’s looking forward to both taking and teaching classes at Empowered and getting back in touch with her ballet/barre roots!

Barre Strength Class on Mondays at 5:30 pm
Barre Cardio Class on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm
$25 per class or
$80 for four of her classes per month or
$120 for eight of her classes per month
Email Kristy at ksasser711@gmail.com
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“I believe being empowered means recognizing and harnessing the power within yourself and confidently utilizing your gifts and abilities to fulfill your aspirations.”

Kristy grew up in Apopka, Florida, and attended the University of Florida, where she received her bachelor’s degree in criminology and joined Zeta Tau Alpha. She began her law enforcement career at the University of Florida in 2007 and recently completed a master’s program in public administration with a focus on law and legal policy. She lives in Gainesville with her husband and Chiweenie, 2 rabbits, and 3 cats. She has 2 grown stepsons who are attending school at the University of Florida and Florida State University. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and being active. 

After attending the police academy, Kristy became more intentional with her workout goals and began attending a variety of fitness classes for her physical and mental wellness. With her dance and cheerleading background, she instantly fell in love with Barre’s incorporation of dance concepts and energizing music and began instructing Barre classes in 2016.

Body Balance* class on Saturdays at 10:30 am
$20 per class or 4 of her classes for $60
Venmo @Lauren_Latta or cash (exact change only)
Latta.Namaste@gmail.com

*Flow to begin March 2024 in lieu of Body Balance

“Being Empowered means coming as you are, and showing up for YOU…because you know you are worth it!”

Lauren is a native Floridian; she grew up in Sarasota and came up to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida for college (Go Gators!).  At the University of Florida, she met her now husband, Michael, and they began their adult lives in the swamp with their 2 gray cats. Some of her loves are: coffee, spending time outside/hiking, cooking/baking, talking with friends, and tasting new wines or checking out the local breweries. While it has been on pause for a few years (pandemic and all), one of her passions is traveling and experiencing different cultures and foods. She is also becoming quite the budding plant-mom (pun-intended), as her pandemic hobby is quickly taking over her house!

Lauren’s main “gig” is working in banking; however, she has always been drawn to group fitness as it provides an outlet for her to move her body in a mindful way, and it allows her to be more creative and musical. Lauren has a background in music, so having a great playlist is a MUST in her classes! During her first few years working in Gainesville, she felt challenged to find community and to find her passion. When she first started taking Barre classes, all of the pieces fell into place. She found a community of amazing individuals, a workout she loved, and a strength that she never knew she had! Lauren absolutely loves the movement and musicality of BodyBalance and Barre, but most of all, she love that both have something for everyone and can be modified as needed. At Empowered, she’s looking forward to connecting and reconnecting with both new and familiar faces!

Barre Class on Tuesdays at 5:45 pm
Pilates Class on Thursdays at 5:45 pm
Pilates Class on 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month at 8:00 am
$25 per class or 5 of her classes for $100, expires in 30 days
Venmo or Cash
Text or call Sasha at 352-339-6976
Sasha.christopher@gmail.com
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“Being empowered means that the power resides in me. I have the opportunity to do (or not do) as I see fit.”

Sasha is originally from South Florida, but considers Gainesville her home. She began attending Barre classes in August of 2016 and instantly fell in love with Barre. Sasha became a Barre tender in June of 2017 and has continued to pursue other fitness certifications, such as Pilates. Sasha works as a speech-language pathologist, serving adult and geriatric populations, in a rehabilitation center in Gainesville. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., enjoys traveling, attending group fitness classes, spending time with her family, and attending Beyoncé concerts with her friends.  Sasha is so excited to meet you at the Barre!