Meet the Instructors | The Fly Girl Team

INSTRUCTORS

Gina has loved music and dancing since her mom took her to see the movie Grease when she was 5 years old. She took dance lessons until she was 13 years old and then was on the Pom squad in high school. Her passion for dance and was re-energized 6 years ago when she took her first Zumba class. She was been licensed for 2 1/2 years.

Gina is in Sales and loves Coaching and Training her team, but her passions are travel, spending time with her husband, family and friends, music, her cat, Alex, and ultimately smiling and living life to the fullest! Gina is high energy and brings life to the party!

Natalie is a former geologist now chasing her dreams in helping others live fit and healthy lives. Her passion for fitness started in 2012 when she fell in love with the Turbo Kick. The high-energy music and moves got her hooked! She is certified in both the Cize LIVE and Turbo Kick LIVE formats and believes that exercising should be fun and feel like a party! When you connect with classes you love, working out will never feel like a chore.

Natalie is a born and raised Chicago gal, happily married and a mom to Lil Joey [1]. In addition to being a fitness fanatic, Natalie is a happy-go-lucky gal, huge foodie, lover of life and believes that good music and mascara can make her day!

Regina has been teaching yoga for over 10 years and is a firm believer in the benefits of yoga to everyone who takes the time to get on the mat and discover it. Whether you have been practicing for years or are just discovering yoga, Regina will take time to work with you so that your time in the studio is spent in discovering your own inner strength and peace and additionally, find improved flexibility and reduced stress. Regina is also an avid swimmer and cyclist and has a lovely time being mother to three awesome daughters.

Bianca recently earned a BA in Sociology from NIU, and she looks forward to visiting UIC to enroll in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She has been licensed in Zumba Fitness for only two years, but she is absolutely obsessed! Bianca and her son, Geovanni (5) love dancing, staying active, and exploring all the world has to offer. She is driven on continuing her education in Health and Wellness, and to be a successful fitness instructor. She has a passion for giving all of her students a phenomenal experience when they come to Fly Girl Dance and Fitness!

Veronica found her passion for music at the age of 8 and dance at the age of 14. She joined multiple dancing ethnic groups in high school and as a result performed choreographed dances within the community and at her school. Veronica rekindled her passion for choreographed dance when she took her first Zumba class in 2013.

As a result of Zumba and dedicating herself to a healthier eating lifestyle, she lost 60 pounds in less than 4 years! Veronica joined Fly Girl Dance & Fitness in the Summer of 2016. After taking her first few classes, she envisioned herself transmitting her passion for dance and health to all its members. She became a Licensed Zumba Instructor on March 26th, 2017.

Veronica is very passionate about her Colombian roots although she was born and raised in Chicago. She speaks fluent Spanish and currently works full time within Human Resourcing. In her spare time, she loves getting to know cultures and traveling!

Lisa started her love of music and movement at a young age. She started ballet and tap from an early age. She then found her passion in gymnastics. She specialized in floor and beam and took it to the competitive level until the age of 13.

She has been a certified fitness instructor since 2006. She is certified through Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She also holds certifications in Resistance Training, Beginners Yoga, Pilates, and Kickboxing. This power house instructor specialties include; Step, Strength Training and Sculpting formats. She excels at formats such as Barre, AquaFit, Circuit Training and Boot Camp.

All of Lisa’s classes are designed for a full body workout! She is passionate about providing a healthy, safe and fun fitness environment for all body shapes, size and physical levels. She prides herself on encouraging modification so that everyone can participate in her classes. She choreographs all of her workouts and routines to keep things fresh, new and exciting. She works with participants to increase strength, endurance and results - to ensure success in whatever goal her participants are trying to achieve!

As a Puerto Rican American, music was and still is a big staple in my culture. As a little girl, I was always with my parents at family parties tearing up the dance floor to Salsa and Merengue music. My childhood aspirations were to become a dancer and/or choreographer, and in some ways it has come true.

On June 4, 2016, I finally decided to work on my health when I signed up to take my first Zumba class at Fly Girl Dance and Fitness. That was the best thing I could have ever done. Slowly, but surely, I have been dancing to a healthier and better me. On May 21, 2017, because of my love for dance, I became Zumba certified to become an instructor.

When I'm not at Fly Girl, I love spending my time with my boyfriend, family, friends and puppies.

During the day, Linnis works in a doctor's office, but by night, she's a Zumba instructor.

Let's get healthy together and dance the night away.

Kristi lives and breathes fitness. She is a certified Group Fitness Instructor through Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), a certified Personal Trainer with National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and an avid runner.

Coming back from two major knee injuries and unwelcome weight gain, she is dedicated to using her experience, knowledge and passion to design full body workouts that achieve maximum results. She believes that fitness and weight loss is as much about inner strength as it is about outer strength and focuses on teaching proper form, mind muscle connection and motivation.

Her mission is to help others see, feel and reach their full potential.

Michelle has been in the fitness industry for 20+ years - as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. She studied Exercise Science and is currently finishing her under graduate degree this summer!

She has been an athlete her entire life and enjoys trail runs, yoga fitness and weight lifting. Her motto is, "The body delivers what the mind believes"!

She has two adorable children and loves traveling with them and showing them the world!

Hi kiddos! I'm Tiffany and I love to dance! I have been dancing for fun all my life and began instructing Zumba since 2017. I am a Project coordinator by day, but grooving to the music in my spare time. I come from a very energetic family of talented dancers. My sister is an amazing dance instructor extraordinaire and my son is a phenomenonal hip hop dancer. My classes are designed to promote good health, positivity, self confidence, and tons of fun. My motto is, "leave your worries at the door and shake it on the dance floor".

Lena Suwalski has a passion for little ones! She has been a preschool teacher for 11 years. She holds a

Bachelors in Science: Early Childhood Education with a Special Education Approval. She also holds English as a Second Language Endorsement through Kendall College. Lena grew up in Chicago and has 2 children - 17 months old and 5 years old! She is part of the Learnwell/Startwell program for Chicago Public Schools - implementing and promoting healthy eating, exercise, and overall well-being for children. Lena received her Zumbini license in August 2017.

Yoga is when every cell of the body sings the song of the soul." B.K.S. Iyengar. I found yoga, or yoga found me, at a very difficult time in my life. I had lost my ability to hear my inner voice. A dear friend kept nudging me back to my mat again and again until slowly I started to open back up and hear it. Yoga helped me heal myself and rebuild. I knew right away that this would be something I wanted to help others find. The power to heal yourself. And if yoga practice helped my hear my voice, then teacher training helped me learn how to use it again. As a teacher, I believe that yoga meets you right where you are. It is for anyone and everyone. And it is your practice, your connection, your time. I am here to help guide you to yourself. And I can imagine no higher honor. I am an energetic and bright people person and my classes will strive for a combination of soothing, energizing, focusing, and inner connection. I grew up near Minneapolis/St. Paul. I have a BFA in Music and in Theater, I have worked as a professional actress & director. I teach voice, lead choirs and I have been a Professional Photographer for 13 years. I have 3 sons, I love people and animals and nature, I am part-mermaid, I have run 8 half-marathons and I can't wait to share a practice with you.