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Meet our April 2023 Teacher Feature: Pole instructor Suzanne-Michelle and Aerial instructor Kyla Ranney. We hope you get to know a little bit more about them and their respective dance backgrounds. But best of all, take any of their classes for $25 ALL MONTH LONG!!

Take class with Suzanne: Use code BPSUZANNE

Take class with Kyla: Use code BPKYLA

**PLEASE NOTE: instructor discount codes are only valid for classes with Suzanne and Kyla. Using the codes for any other instructor will result in early cancellation or a $45 single class purchase. No exceptions. 

MEET SUZANNE-MICHELLE 

Which apparatus do you teach?

My main apparatus is pole but my secondary is Lyra hoop.

What is your training and background in pole dance?

I started dancing at Body & Pole around 2009. I have competed through the national level. I have a background as a personal trainer and I studied at Berklee College of Music. So, my main love is choreography and movement to music.

How did you transition from student to teacher?

I completed my teaching certification with Kyra Johannesen as my instructor in 2012. I’ll be honest, all I knew was that for the first time in my life I felt like I was headed in the right direction.

Are there any teachers that impacted your pole journey, and if so, what gift did they give you? 

Roz the Diva taught me to love my body and not be afraid to take up more space. Tracee Kafer taught me to stop seeing things in boxes and that movement doesn’t have rules. Kyra taught me not to hesitate.

What makes your classes unique? 

I see everything in puzzle and geometric form. I go over the shapes that create the healthy and efficient positions for our joints while also teaching students how to break those rules. I am often told by students that their brains are just as worked out as their bodies.

How do you motivate students when you walk into a class with low energy? 

I always do team building exercises after warmup. I make jokes and I pull everyone into a community mentality. Everyone is asked to say hi to one human that they do not know. By the end of class, no one is a stranger, everyone is cheering. When we lift each other up, we share energy!

How do you motivate yourself? 

5 years ago this month, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This question is the easiest one to answer. I keep moving forward because I don’t want to move backwards. I motivate myself by the knowledge that life is short and I might not always have use of my body. Now is when I have this privilege and I refuse to waste it.

What’s your favorite playlist to jam to? 

Hardest question!! I am a musician So, It’s just impossible to say! I will say that I have hundreds of Playlists on my Spotify incase anyone wants to deep dive! You can find me at @suzaycue. And, I will say that Jacob Collier is my favorite musician. And … Watch What Happens from Newsies is just the best.

What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in pole dance? 

Get out of your own head! It’s really nice out here : )

What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in class (as a student or a teacher)? 

Oh my gosh I HATE not remembering your name!!! But you already know this because I have told you …5 times or so!

What future projects are you working on? 

After competing at nationals I was offered a spot in Pole Theatre UK. Due to both physical and mental health reasons, I decided that I would take a break instead. I am currently finding myself… and secretly writing a circus show, IDENTITY,  that touches on the intricacies of human emotions and how they intertwine. I’ve been told it’s a lot like the movie Inside Out which, I have yet to see!

See Suzanne-Michelle’s schedule here

Follow Suzanne-Michelle on Instagram @suzanne.michelle.noodles

MEET KYLA

Which apparatus do you teach?

I’m most drawn to lyra/hoop, with a special love for my tiny hoop I’ve named Lyrita. However, I love to work on several different apparatuses and teach hoop, silks and hammock.

What is your training and background in aerial dance?

I started as a dancer at 3 years old and transitioned into focusing more heavily on aerial 7 years ago after moving to NYC. I started on silks and then quickly started exploring more apparatuses bouncing around to various studios around the city.

How did you transition from student to teacher?

I knew since about 5 years old that I wanted to be a teacher in some type of artistic movement realm, I just didn’t know it would end up being aerial! Pretty shortly after I started I knew I wanted to take it seriously and one day be able to teach. I was drawn to the idea of being both strong and graceful in the air and love the new puzzles it made for my brain. Once I was at the level where I could train and create on my own I would want to share sequences I discovered with others.

Are there any teachers that impacted your aerial journey, and if so, what gift did they give you? 

There’s honestly too many to name, but I will give a special shout out to Brenna Bradbury! She’s supported me and believed in me the whole time, helped me learn to teach and as we know provides so many opportunities for the community. Thank you Brenna!

What makes your classes unique? 

I know others do this as well, but I really try to promote exploring weird, creaturey shapes and leaning into how your body naturally moves rather than trying to be pretty all the time. There’s so many ways a body can move and I think it’s important to dig into them and discover what feels best for you.

How do you motivate students when you walk into a class with low energy? 

I have a couple go to playlists to help boost the energy, typically either some classic throwbacks or Abba. Then I tend to lean into more of the fun aspects rather than the harder, serious work.

How do you motivate yourself? 

Training wise it’s definitely hard some days, but I’ve got a lot of things I want to learn and some good accountabili-buddies that help me get going!

What’s your favorite playlist to jam to? 

There’s too many to list and it really depends on the day. My favorite artist is Moses Sumney and on a day where I want to lean into sad girl vibes I have a few go to’s by him. But otherwise I have a massive playlist with songs I find interesting to move to and I choose whatever feels right for that day/week.

What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in aerial dance? 

Just stick with it! It’s a beast and takes time but the hard things will feel easy one day and it’s so exciting to accomplish things you didn’t think you were capable of.

What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in class (as a student or a teacher)? 

I think I’m used to feeling embarrassed all the time so nothing so far sticks out to me  😂 stay tuned, now that I’ve said that this will probably be the week that changes

What future projects are you working on? 

I always have about 5 acts I want to create that live in my head, so I’m trying to decide which one to focus on for the time being.

See Kyla’s schedule here

Follow Kyla on Instagram @ky_ranney