Hello My Fellow Polers,
This past week I had the amazing privileged to sit down and interview one of Aerial Dances instructors in training. Her name is Olivia, she was born and raised in Dall aspects of, Texas. Little Ole’ Wisconsin is a far cry from the warmth of Texas, especially after the cold we have been having this week. Brrrrrr. So, what brought Olivia on her journey to Wisconsin? It was her heart! She followed the man that is now husband from Texas to Hattiesburg Mississippi, where she attended The University of Southern Mississippi for Dance. While taking classes for dance she attended a seminar for a guest speaker who spoke about becoming a personal trainer as a way to make money and stay in shape while dancing on the side.
Instructor in Training Olivia and I
Olivia started her dance career at a young age. She attended a ballet class when she was seven years old. She took the class and then decided she didn’t really care for it and stopped. When was Olivia twelve, she watched her friend perform in a dance recital. This reignited Olivia’s love of dance! She knew that she wanted to be up on that stage performing. She began taking dance classes again and has not stopped since! I am keeping this all in the back of my mind, when she starts to write her own Pole and Core Flow classes! I have a feeling they will be amazing!
While attending The University of Southern Mississippi Olivia taught fitness classes like Zumba, she then decided that she wanted to become a personal trainer, she spoke with a supervisor and her supervisor set her up with the correct courses that she would need to become a personal trainer. She started teaching more fitness type classes other than Zumba, she began to bridge the gap between just teaching cardio classes and weight lifting. She holds certifications through AFAA (Athletics and Fitness Association of America) and ACE (American Council on Exercise).
After becoming a personal trainer Olivia taught various cardio and strengthening classes in Mississippi. Olivia’s now husband was re-located for work bringing him to the great state of Wisconsin. They shared a long distance relationship while Olivia was finishing school. When she graduated from college she moved up here to be with her husband.
When deciding on a place to live Olivia wanted to fulfill one of her life long dreams of taking pole and getting as close to an acrobat as she possibly could. She spoke with her husband and shared with him that she had always had a dream of taking pole. Olivia did some research on the studios located in Wisconsin. She found that there were studios in Madison, Green Bay, and of course Aerial Dance LLC in Appleton. Olivia and her husband decided to give Appleton a try and fell in love. Which everyone at Aerial Dance is grateful for!
To become an Aerial Dance Instructor you have to go through six months of training. As an instructor in training, you begin learning how to teach pole parties, beginner pole, aerial conditioning, flexibility classes, and then you build onto the other areas of the studio branching out into fabric, silk, and hoop. After learning the courses, the instructors in training have to obtain a aerial certification from an outside source.
Olivia is super excited to continue her training for the Aerial Arts, but she is even more excited for the personal training that Aerial Dance is now going to offer! Instructor in Training Olivia and Instructor Chrissy are offering personal training to students of all ability levels. You can sign up for personal training sessions online at Aerial Dance’s Website by logging onto your account and clicking on the online store tab. Once you’ve clicked on the Online Store tab you will want to click on the Series and Membership tab. This will bring up the screen that you will need to enroll in personal training sessions. I’ve included a screenshot, so that you are able to see the tabs I am talking about.
The last and final question I asked Olivia was, “What three essential exercises would you suggest for all people?” The three exercises she recommended for all people are the 1. Anything related to upper body strength, especially triceps push ups, 2. Hollow Rock Series, and 3. Cupid Curls (oblique strength). Below I have included a video of each of the exercises, so you can have a better understanding of what each of these exercises look like and a mini how to..
I am so excited to work with Instructor Olivia when she finishes her training! All of her talents and knowledge will greatly benefit all of the students who attend Aerial Dance! We are so lucky that she found her way to Aerial Dance!
Until Next Time!
Janelle