Get to know us a little…
Sarah
Sarah studied the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus at Adams Ballet Academy in Tempe, AZ. She continued her dance training at Scottsdale Community College and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Fine Arts and Dance. Sarah moved to Los Angeles in 2010 and has worked with multiple dance companies; including Kybele Dance Theater, Diavolo’s Educational Company and Invertigo Dance Theater. She discovered Barre at the beginning of 2014 and fell in love with the work out. She loves being an instructor and is very excited to be a part of the FitBarre Team!
Lauren
Lauren has been practicing Barre since 2010. After years of dance in her adolescence and persistent challenges with lower back injuries, she was looking for a workout that would tone and stretch her body, and also strengthen and support her weaknesses. Barre was the perfect solution and has given her strength, confidence and a mental release from her busy career as a fourth grade teacher. Here she is able to share her positive energy and passion for barre with others!
Melissa
A Detroit native, Melissa has been living in the Valley since 2007. Always being active mostly through cardio and yoga, she discovered barre classes in early 2017 and has been hooked ever since! In September of 2018 she decided to take her love of barre to the next level and become certified through FitBarre studio. Her other hobbies include running, Bikram yoga, reading, writing, and pizza – life is all about balance! Melissa is so excited to share her love of barre with others and continue to grow and learn with them, while keeping her classes interesting and motivating. As an active family, Melissa and her husband have two young daughters with whom they hope to share their love of fitness someday and instill in them the importance of movement, mind-body awareness, and healthy self confidence!
Nikki
Nikki, originally from New Jersey; graduated as a musical theater major from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She spent the last 10 years touring internationally as a performer, choreographer and teacher on cruise ships, in casinos and live theaters. A proud member of the Screen Actors Guild, Nikki worked on “Modern Family”, “Blue Bloods” and “Orange is The New Black”. Her love for dance was, of course, accompanied by a love for fitness. She has taught dance and fitness to children and adults in various styles over the years.
Studio Owner
Monika
In 2013, her family was “chasing the sunshine” and decided to leave the Washington state drizzle and move to sunny Arizona. They love this area and are thrilled to call Gilbert “home”!
While Barre and dance are not in Monika’s background, a love for healthy eating, fitness and movement are.
Monika sustained an injury which prevented her from performing her favorite workout routines. These routines involved running and HIIT – all high impact exercises. She started to focus on the things she could do – stretching and walking seemed to be the only options at the time. Yoga became a focus to fill the group fitness void but there was something missing. Through online searches, Monika found Barre. She immediately fell in love with the style, energy and overall good feeling that the classes provided.
At the same time, Monika was on a mission to find herself again and was making big changes in her life – a career change was in order! Monika and her husband are not new to entrepreneurship. Dan has an engineering background and many years’ experience with starting and running a successful business. Monika has an Associates Degree in Business and experience building strong, cohesive teams while consistently exceeding investor expectations at the multi-million-dollar apartment communities she managed.
Monika found FitBarre while searching for entrepreneurial opportunities in the Phoenix area. It was the perfect the match – she loved Barre and the studio was the perfect “community” for her!
Her mission is to help women (and men!) become more confident, get healthier and grow strong friendships along the way. Our studio is warm and inviting, and a judgment-free zone. We encourage smiles and good vibes! We use your name when we greet you, we want to get to know you, we love hearing about your kids and fur babies, your trips and accomplishments. Monika loves helping others achieve their goals!
#findyourinnerbarre
