Dancing since the age of 3, Maggie has always had a passion for movement in the human body. From the northern suburbs of Chicago, Maggie grew up studying various styles of dance, such as ballet/pointe, modern, jazz, and tap. Her dance career was extended into college where she danced in many leading roles with the Creighton University Dance Company. In May of 2017, she graduated from Creighton University, in Omaha, NE, with her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science and Dance. Maggie has taught dance classes in various disciplines for five years and jumped at the opportunity to add Barre Intensity to the list. She is very lucky to have been able to continue her dance journey and to still have the opportunity to perform and choreograph with various groups in the Omaha and Chicagoland area. In August of 2017, Maggie will continue her education at Washington University in St. Louis to obtain her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Human movement will always be an interest of Maggie’s, whether that movement is used for dance choreography, new barre exercises, or therapy techniques.
Aimee Balkenede
Aimee embraces the creativity teaching Barre Intensity offers. As a former dancer, with years of ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary training, she loves the opportunity to combine dance and fitness to create a mind-body connection experience. She strives to create a positive, yet challenging environment for each of her clients, encouraging them to embrace the strength and stamina you find with a Barre Intensity class. It is her goal to to make each Barre Intensity class a unique experience, and for each participant to leave feeling stronger, taller (physically and emotionally!), and more centered. Aimee currently resides outside of Denver, CO with her husband and two children.
Aimee is ACE group fitness certified. She is certified in Pilates mat and reformer, TRX, and Spartan.
Ellen Baker
Ellen is an avid music lover, former professional musician, road cyclist, and skier. For the past eight years she has made her home in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado, enjoying a career as a speech-language pathologist. After her second child, Ellen turned to group exercise classes because they made her feel empowered within her body and confident within her mind. Prompted by her personal experience with exercise as a means to transform the self, she began to take on the role as instructor for group exercise classes. She was guided and mentored by strong women throughout her journey to becoming an instructor. Now, as a certified Barre Intensity Instructor and spinning instructor, she seeks to help other women and men on their fitness journeys. She believes in the power of music to inspire, perspire, and transform the self. Her classes place an emphasis on proper form and alignment to produce functional power, and to allow the body to build strength and stamina without injury.
Anthea Beckles
In her prior life, Anthea was a headhunter for decades, owning an executive search firm on Wall Street in New York City. She worked fast and she was nimble, making massive decisions for her company and clients. Her move out west allowed her to slow life down and focus on her mind, body and spirit. Shortly after moving to Cali, however, she was in a horrific car accident.
“I had very horrible injuries” Anthea recounts. “I took yoga to replace physical therapy and I was preparing to face surgery but instead, I tried hot yoga and simply did so for the heat. I just would lay there and enjoy the heat and didn’t care if people were staring. It made me feel better and eventually I began to do poses and get more involved.”
Anthea became so involved that her love for yoga escalated into becoming certified in multiple disciplines of it. This changed her life and thus, her wellness journey had begun. “I experienced a clearer mind, I had weight loss of 30 pounds and I felt great.”
As she continued on her journey, barre was the next milestone.
If you peek in on one of her classes you will likely hear neo-soul, pop, house, oldies and even some rock & roll. You may hear her and the students singing to the music and having lots of laughs! Anthea loves to make her classes entertaining, but don't misconstrue the fun as a way to escape getting a hard workout in! She is determined to help her students sculpt their bodies and transform so prep yourselves for a serious workout!
Erika DeClerck
Born in Peru and raised in Ecuador, Erika DeClerck moved to the United States to attend college. This mom of 4 has always been active - whether it was being a gymnast or a track and field runner from a young age to running marathons, Erika has put a lot of stress on her body as she continues to work hard to be in tip-top shape. That wear and tear caught up to Erika, though, and her injuries led to the need for several knee surgeries. When the surgeries mounted and she was told she may need shoulder surgery, she looked at other options. Hot yoga became one of those options for her to alleviate the pain and it proved to be incredibly therapeutic. It turned out that it was just the thing she needed. After 9 months of doing hot yoga, Erika found that the need for surgery was not there anymore as her pain subsided. Her fitness journey, like a great marathon runner, would break through the wall and she began to actively explore more of what this type of therapy had to offer. After her last pregnancy, Erika explored barre as an option and in 6 months time she lost all of her gained weight. Barre (along with yoga) would then become a staple in her workout so much so that she decided to actively pursue an opportunity to become certified in Barre Intensity and teach others.