Dear Friends,
Meet Lynne
A few weeks ago, I received this email from Lynne Yuster, a student that I had only meta handful of times before in Stop Drop and Dance class:
"It has been quite a while since I have been to dance and I am missing the energy of that space. I actually have been recovering from a double mastectomy as I was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. The prognosis is very positive as it was caught super early and for that I have immense gratitude. Funny enough, the last dance class I took with you was on a sat morning class raising money for breast cancer. I attended that class with my daughter. Not too soon after I was diagnosed. I feel there are no coincidences in life, and that class may have saved my life."
That last dance class Lynne referred to was on Saturday, October 2nd, when we did a fundraiser class for Lisa Hudson's non-profit organization, B4BC, Boarding for Breast Cancer. At that event, Lisa was celebrating the 25th anniversary of B4BC, which was founded because of her friend Monica Steward, who had battled cancer at the young age of 26. Lisa also brought educational tools and shared the importance of early detection, which ultimately led to Lynne scheduling a mammogram and getting diagnosed.
As a token of gratitude, Lynne would like to give back to B4BC and continue spreading breast cancer awareness by hosting a Stop Drop and Dance fundraiser class this Saturday!
Click here to donate and dance with Lynne!
Celebration Recap
This past Tuesday, we had an "improvised" birthday celebration for Lesley Ganger! Lesley had come a few weeks prior to dance for the first time, and afterwards she accidentally left her yoga mat. She came on Tuesday to pick it up, but turns out it was her actual birthday too! With an open mind and a super fun attitude, we invited her to dance the last song together, "Get Me Bodied," by Beyonce, and it turned out to be a super fun drop-down-low-squat-jumping-circle!
Happy Birthday Lesley and thanks for making our thighs burn so good!
Happy Birthday Tanya Burdick!
On Thursday, we had a 75 minute sweaty dance party for Tanya's birthday celebration! She brought her SPICE with her (and her spice girls Jen Lefferts and Susannah Wallenstrom!) and also gave out sunflowers to all the dancers at the end of class. Such tremendous energy from everyone!
Congratulations J + J!
One of the areas I am most grateful for from teaching is getting to know the community. It's not just a workout class. My hope is that you get to know the person you always end up standing next to. For you to all become friends with one another. For you to share and to support, to laugh and to cry, to connect so that we can love, and be loved.
The same goes with colleagues. I am grateful to have worked alongside amazing, talented, caring instructors who I have so much respect and admiration for. Two of these friends of mine got married this past weekend and I am so happy to congratulate the newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Jenny and Jordan Assadi! They are two of the sweetest, kindest, and hard-core instructors out there, and they deserve a lifetime of happiness together!
"To the world,
you are a mother.
But to your family,
you are the world."
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!
You make a difference each and every day and you give the biggest gift possible of unconditional love.
Thank you for your hard work, patience, and care, and you are SO appreciated!
Love,
Grace
