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Gretchen
Yoga, Pilates, Cardio Dance (Zumba-like) Instructor, Personal Trainer
Gretchen, highly qualified and extremely motivated, joined the Dance Centre team of instructors December 2008. Gretchen now teaches Yoga Fitness,
Extended Yoga, Mind-Body Mash-ups, Pilates Group Reformer/Chair classes & (subs) Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga at the Dance Centre.
Gretchen has a B.S. & M. Ed. in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University. She is an Assistant Instructional Professor with the Texas A&M University
Health & Kinesiology Department's Physical Education Activity Program. Her love for fitness began at birth, but she has been working as a group fitness
instructor since 2000. In addition to the classes she teaches at Dance Centre she teaches multiple other formats such as: step, cycle, kick-box, strength training,
Zumba and other cardio dance classes.
Gretchen holds the following certifications & attends numerous continuing educational classes to stay current: American Heart Association CPR for
Healthcare Provider; Aerobics and Fitness Association (AFAA) Group Fitness Instructor; Schwinn certified Cycling Instructor; American Council on Exercise (ACE)
Certified Personal Trainer; and YogaFit® I, II and III. She has completed fundamentals courses and specialty trainings in Pilates & Zumba Certification.
SHELLEY
Yoga, Prenatal & Yoga Baby! Instructor
Joining the Dance Centre Fitness team in the Fall of 2010, Shelley has worked in the fitness industry since 1983.
She is certified as a group exercise instructor (through American Council on Exercise) and yoga instruction (through SCW Fitness Education).
She has taught many fitness modalities, but yoga and pre/postnatal fitness are her passions.
She has taught childbirth education and is credited with creating the Prenatal Yoga, Yoga Baby, Baby’s First Year, and the Early Pregnancy programs at Lake Forest Hospital, Illinois.
Shelley also has a love of dance, majoring in dance at the University of California, Irvine and spending one year in South India studying Bharatha Natym, a classical dance style of India.
A registered nurse for 19 years, Shelley holds a Master's in Nursing from the University of Texas at Houston and is certified and licensed as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of Texas, Houston.
She is an assistant professor in the Nursing department at Texas A&M and works part time in the Labor & Delivery unit at St. Joseph’s Regional Health Center.
Shelley and her husband, Steve, moved to College Station from northern Illinois in 2007 to be near their two A&M medical-student children and their first grandchild.
They now have four grandchildren! Shelley’s mission is to empower people to become stewards of their own health care, which includes the practices of healthy habits,
good nutrition, mindfulness and, of course, exercise!
VICTORIA
Belly Dance Instructor
Victoria began teaching Belly Dance classes at the Dance Centre in the Fall 2008. She is a multi-award winning Middle Eastern dancer & instructor.
She started belly dancing in 2006 under Viviane Nome and quickly grew a passion for the dance and culture.
She explored multiple styles, including Egyptian, Turkish, American Cabaret, Roman Gypsy, and Spanish Fusion belly dance.
She has competed across the nation, winning the titles: People’s Choice Rising Star Yaa Halla Y’all 2008, Miss Hot Texas 2008 (Heart of Texas Competition),
Texas A&M’s i-Week Best of Show 2009. She also has performed live in Las Vegas, Austin, Houston, Corpus Christi, Dallas, and College Station.
In the Spring of 2010, Victoria was chosen for the first ever belly dance reality show, "Project Belly Dance". She is now featured in an
instructional DVD by Cheeky Girls! She was the 2010 Yaa Halla's Professional Cabaret First Runner Up. She also auditioned and was contracted
to tour with the Bellydance Superstars for their Japan tour of "Bombay Bellywood" summer2010! As a new member of Belly Dance Superstars, she
also toured the US & Canada with the group performing "Club Bellydance", Fall 2011.
Locally, she is a former member of the Brazos Raqs Ensemble, the dance compilation of local instructors and performers.
Studying under the acclaimed Yasmina Ramzy, Aziza, Sadie, Bahaia, Souhail Kasper, Dilek, Mia Shauri, Gina, and
Virginia, Victoria continues to expand her knowledge in the art of belly dance. The Fall 2008 Belly Dance Show & Canned Food Drive was her first production -
followed up by "Shimmy!", her Spring 2009 production featuring local & guest dance talent. And she produced another awesome show May 2010 for her 3rd annual production
of "Shimmy!". She continues to perform in local show productions and guest teaches in Houston and Austin as opportunities are presented!
Victoria grew up and graduated high school in College Station and is currently an engineering student at Texas A&M University.
Click here to view website
DANTZEL
DANCE, YOGA & PILATES Instructor
Dantzel (along with husband and a cat), moved to CS from Idaho and joined the Fitness team at the Dance Centre in the Fall 2011!
Dantzel found her passion for dancing when she was 9 in Idaho Falls, Idaho with Becky Gili of the Chicago Ballet. She also received extensive training from John and
Janice Nelson of the New York City Ballet, Amy Gertsch of the Atlanta Ballet, and Sergiu Brindusa and Beth Moore of
the Orlando Ballet. Though her foundation for dance began with ballet, particularly the Vaganova technique, Dantzel’s taste in dance is eclectic and she loves learning
any dance style she can find. She has studied jazz, hiphop, jazz funk, contemporary, ballet, and other dance styles the past 5 summers at the EDGE Performing Arts Center
in Los Angeles, and frequently attends master classes, camps and conventions from choreographers such as Thayne Jasperson of Odyssey Dance Theatre and Season 4’s So You
Think You Can Dance, Troy Powell, assistant associate director of Ailey II, and Caine Keenan of Ririe-Woodbury. Dantzel has taught ballet, pointe, jazz, tap,
modern/contemporary, hip-hop, Pilates, and yoga at many studios throughout Southern Idaho over the past 11 years, and loves teaching all ages and abilities.
She has choreographed and directed full length productions of The Nutcracker with Studio One in Idaho Falls, ID, as well as The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake,
and other various concerts and competitions.
In 2007 Dantzel performed as a zombie with Utah’s Odyssey Dance Theatre in their Halloween production of Thriller!, and again in 2008 in the piece “Alone”
for their Moulin Rouge! production. Dantzel was awarded several dance scholarships while attending ISU, and from 2008-2011 she danced as a principal member
of I-MOVE, ISU’s modern dance company, and frequently choreographed and performed with Danson, ISU’s student dance company. She was selected to perform in
several pieces for the 2009 and 2011 American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA), and was selected to perform the faculty piece “Assuage” in the 2011
Northwest ACDFA gala concert. Dantzel is a recent Cum Laude graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in English and dance minor in Dance Education from Idaho State University
in Pocatello, ID.
Dantzel holds Pilates Certification from PhysicalMind; YogaFit I and ISU Yoga Certification. She has been teaching classes in both since 2008
at dance studios, Yoga/Pilates studios, and the Idaho State University Wellness Center. She places equal importance on mind/body development, and believes that
anyone can do yoga and Pilates, and everyone should! The Dance Centre is very excited about adding her to their qualified instructors for the upcoming seasons!
REGINA
Women's Self-Defense Instructor
Regina joined the Dance Centre in the summer of 2011 teaching "Empowering Women In Self-Defense"! Regina, a wife and mother, finds true gratification
when she is making a difference in the lives of others. She holds a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do,
has completed R.A.D., Rape Aggression Defense; and is a Certified Smartsafe Instructor.
Regina is passionate, fun and enthusiastic as she shows women how to tap into their personal power
and helps them gain the confidence to defend their selves emotionally and physically. "Confidence is the unconquerable enemy of fear." The Dance Centre
is very privileged to welcome Regina to teach Women Self-Defense!
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