Check out BollyX instructor Katie, based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania! When she’s not teaching BollyX, she’s taking care of animals in her veterinarian day job. Learn more about this Pennsylvania rockstar in our interview with her below!
Q: Tell us about yourself – what do you do when you’re not teaching? What are your hobbies? What other formats do you teach? Give us a little on your background.
A: I’m a veterinarian by day (and some evenings) which can be taxing, but my life outside work is just as busy and I love it that way! Besides BollyX, I ride horses, strength train, and run with an amazing group of people in Harrisburg. I ran my first marathon last fall with their help. I’ve been taking fitness classes regularly since 2010 but had never thought about teaching until 2015, when a friend encouraged me to get certified in P90X Live. Around that time I saw a Facebook ad for BollyX and was so disappointed to find that the closest class was hundreds of miles away. I kept going back to check for new locations but no dice. So I booked a train ticket to NYC and went to my first BollyX class at my training workshop with Minal Mehta in Dec 2015. Best decision ever!!
Q: How would you describe BollyX in one word?
A: My one word for BollyX is EXUBERANT!
Q: What is your favorite part of BollyX class?
A: My favorite part of every class is watching people, especially new or quiet ones, start to loosen up and move more freely and SMILE!!! It’s such a great feeling to see them come out of their shells.
Q: How has working with BollyX changed you or your lifestyle?
A: BollyX has given me so much confidence. I have NO dance background at all. I took two
Zumba classes in 2010. That was the extent of it. Walking into my training workshop with a bunch of more experienced dancers and instructors showed me I could do this and ultimately I could do it well. Plus, my favorite personal motto is “choose joy,” and BollyX is a perfect way to connect with joy – an emotion we don’t always allow ourselves to feel or want, much less to seek out.
Q: How long have you been with BollyX?
A: The first class I taught was in Jan 2016. I have two friends who loved it right off the bat and have taken the class almost every week since. But it’s been slow to get started here in central PA – I’m still the only instructor in the area, and with my crazy schedule I can’t do as many demos and as much promotion as I’d like. Now, a year later, I think we’re hitting our stride! I’m SO EXCITED to see people realizing how amazing this class is.
Q: What is your favorite BollyX song to teach?
A: I love Gallan Goodiyaan and Sheila Ki Jawani!
Q: Where do you teach BollyX?
A: I teach at Omni Fitness in Camp Hill, PA. April, the owner and now a good friend, has been super generous in helping me get started teaching and in allowing me to continue with BollyX there even when we were not growing much at all. I am so grateful to have found BollyX and to be able to see it grow in a new area!
Take a class with Katie today!