Feels Pretty Awesome

This year will mark nearly 4 years of walking into Heartbeat House dance studio and taking Kristen’s Yoga Booty Ballet (YBB) class for the first time. And I have not stopped going ever since.
For the second time this May, I had a YBB Birthday with Kristen and 11 of my friends. She let me customize the entire Missy Elliot-​themed playlist. Nearly all of my friends were newbies to dance and at the end they all told me what a great workout it was and how much fun they had moving to the music! It’s such a fun and different experience to share with your friends and loved ones.
What inspires me most is that Kristen is both a teacher and student of life. She is always exploring new endeavors that inspire the spirit — which in turn enriches her classes. Lately she has been exploring sound therapy. So at the end of each YBB class she’ll do a mini soundbath/​sound healing. You leave feeling re-​connected, refreshed and relaxed. It’s one of those things you have to experience in person so I encourage you to check it out in person if you are curious.
I am so grateful for the beautiful community she creates with her classes. It’s a place to reflect and connect. A manifestation of that little piece of joy just waiting for you each week.

Me = Hate exercise, love to dance, but I’ve got a bum knee
Kristen = Teacher of Yoga Booty Ballet & DISQKO, amazing human being
YBB is the most amazing workout I’ve ever experienced. The class is a mix of cardio dance, ballet, and yoga, in a follow-​the-​leader format. It’s changed my body, how I feel about my body, and made me a happier human being. Kristen has a wonderful ability to make everyone feel accepted, regardless of ability. While every YBB teacher I’ve met has their own special qualities, Kristen’s love really shines through and keeps everyone coming back for more.
Once in a while Kristen offers a DISQKO class/​workshop that has the soul of YBB, but way, way more fun. Imagine you’re dancing in the dark, with a disco ball spinning above you, and you’re wearing finger lasers. That’s right, I said finger lasers. It’s so awesome that I opted to celebrate my birthday with a DISQKO party this year. I invited a bunch of friends, some that I knew would be into it and some I wasn’t sure about. It’s an experience they would never seek out on their own, but truly loved. We rocked out so hard that people from the street were trying to come inside. I guess they thought the dance studio was a night club.
About an hour later, my face hurt from smiling so much. I enjoy regular YBB class, but this was really something special. My friends saw a different side of me and I saw a different side of them. I was surrounded by so much love and I felt more free and happy than I ever do.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Kristen’s class has completely changed my relationships with exercise, my body, and my neighborhood. I started coming to her YBB class at Heartbeat House about a year and a half ago, and right away, I fell in love with the atmosphere she created – it wasn’t just about working out, but also about spirituality, community, and feeling good in our own skin.
Each class begins with time for students to share good news or ask for support, which immediately sets the tone for a different kind of workout experience and brings us closer together. From there, we do some Kundalini yoga to get our energy flowing, set an intention, and then start dancing! Kristen always introduces herself to new students and lets them know that class is totally non-​competitive, which I think is a big part of why even the less experienced among us feel comfortable really going for it.
This past weekend, I had a private birthday class with Kristen, and it was an amazing experience. Kristen was so easy to work with: she answered all my questions quickly, encouraged requests for favorite moves, and let me create my own playlist.
One of the main reasons I wanted to do a YBB class for my birthday was because I wanted to bring together my different groups of friends and loved ones (from 20-​somethings to my 50-​something parents) but worried that they wouldn’t know what to say to each other. Dance seemed like the perfect bonding experience, and it really was! I was so impressed by how kind Kristen was to all the people I brought to the class, and how she seemed to adjust her moves depending on how lost or tired they seemed. Everyone told me what a great time they had and how much they loved Kristen for her dance skills and her generosity.
What surprised me most about the class was how much Kristen customized it to fit me, and how much celebration of me there was, from having people write messages to me during the intention-​setting part of class to having everyone dance in a circle around me during the end of the cardio part. I’m kind of shy and not great at being the center of attention, but it was really touching to look around at my friends and family and just let myself soak up the love. It was so sweet of Kristen to give me that gift.
Long story short, Kristen is AMAZING! Her class will make you feel pretty awesome.

I first took classes with Kristen three years ago in Culver City. A friend and i were in search of a workout that we could do together and motivate each other. Entering our first YBB class, we were both a little nervous. Kristen quickly made us feel completely welcome and at ease, and made sure we knew that this was a non-​competitive class. It was just about *feeling good*. What was even more amazing was that, despite a crowded room full of dancers, Kristen gave us an opportunity to share anything that was going on in our lives — good, bad, scary, sad — anything, and feel 100% supported by her and other classmates. It was like exercise + therapy rolled into one joyous hour. Kristen possesses an incredibly positive energy that is infectious. I highly, highly recommend bringing her into your life.

First of all, I applaud Alexandra C. for capturing the spirit of Feels Pretty Awesome in a way that truly does it justice.
Indeed, Kristen is hands down the most inspiring, likeable, and badass teacher/​leader/​guru you could possibly dream up, especially in those times you wished like hell there were someone out there who made you WANT to exercise.
Honestly, I have always disliked working out, and never been able to keep it up consistently– until I started going to Kristen’s YBB classes in Atwater Village and Pasadena a year ago. It was the first time I have ever smiled during a workout! So I kept going. As the months went on, I noticed the physical and emotional benefits I was getting, and MY GOD was I EVER having WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY MORE FUN than say, running. I got in the best shape of my life and had a blast doing it.
While my initial incentive was to get in shape for my wedding last fall, I still exercise almost every day, and I credit Kristen for showing me how it can be a positive experience. It’s a part of my life now, and that really is a huge gift.
On top of that, Kristen is like a long lost friend — trustworthy, funny, smart and talented. She’s the kind of person you want to be around, and learn from. Book her for your private event or attend one of her classes, and you will both have an awesome time and do something good for yourself!

LA is an amazing quirky city with a lot of fun work outs, but nothing… I repeat, NOTHING has ever come close to Kristen’s version of YBB. Trust me, I have done them all (except for Crossfit because that s— looks like a good way to tear something and spend the next five years in pain before you have to have surgery)
Anyway, I started Kristen’s classes in 2011 and thought I was walking into a normal yoga class. NO! I WAS WRONG AND IT WAS THE BEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!!! Kristen’s class feels like going to a club and dancing all your stress out with your friends for hours (its actually like 1.5 hours) but you didn’t have to buys crappy drinks with Red Bull to get the dance frenzy going.
This class is great cardio. For my BFF’s bachelorette party, all the bridesmaids went a YBB/​DISKQUO to get the party started! (Party ended with my face in some pumpkin flavored waffles, so it all balanced out)
Going to a dance class sounds intimidating… But I have followed Kristen two three studios. Why? Because the moves are very easy to follow and you kinds just lose yourself. Also, no one in the class is a mini Baryshnikov, so I extol you… GO!!! DANCE WITH THE SPIRIT OF MICHAEL FLATLY INSIDE YOU!* GET RID OF YOUR BLAHS! GET YOUR DANCE! ON DANCE! DAAAAHHHNCE!
*Apparently, the lord of the dance had a few illegitimate children which were the subject of some interesting court cases. No pun was intended. DANCE!