Ashley is a very passionate, proud and professional dance fitness instructor. She started dancing at a young age and has had training in Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Latin and African Dance. She was awarded “Best Zumba Instructor in Los Angeles” in 2013.
Who got you into dance?
Initially, my mom. She thought it would be a great hobby to keep me occupied, so she threw me in a pair of dance shoes as soon as my little legs were ready. Once I started, I fell in love with dancing and the arts so I decided to keep studying and the rest is history!
What is your favorite part about dancing?
Dance allows me the freedom to express myself without judgement or insecurity. It’s also a great stress reliever, keeps me in shape and gives me an excuse to be the crazy, wild and goofy person I secretly am.
What is your favorite style of dance?
I love African dance because the movements and music make me feel energetic and vibrant. Plus African dance gives me one of the best workouts of my life!
Do you have any dancer role models?
Even though I was never a huge ballet fan, I really admire Misty Copeland and her story of perseverance and breaking boundaries. It’s always empowering to see strong examples of women and diversity within the dance world.
It’s always empowering to see strong examples of women and diversity within the dance world.
Have you had any challenging moments with dance that you can share? If so, how did you overcome that challenge?
My biggest challenge is learning how to rekindle my passion for dancing/teaching dance fitness after doing it for so many years. After a while, I begin to feel stagnant, so the best way I overcome that is by learning a new dance format or genre that challenges me in a way I’ve never experienced before. It definitely works!
What is your choreography process like?
I’m a very visual person, so I like recording myself throughout my choreography process. I’ll also take other dance classes, listen to new music or do something artistic for inspiration.
Many young dancers worry about their body types. What are your thoughts on body types in the world of dance?
As someone who has always been a curvy gal, my belief is that dance and fitness is all about your state of mind and how you feel versus how “skinny” you are. Having confidence and knowing your self worth is more important to me than body type. Don’t be afraid to own your body and werk it!
Having confidence and knowing your self worth is more important to me than body type. Don’t be afraid to own your body and werk it!
Want to have a dance party AND burn calories at the same time? This is the class for you! Get jiggy with us and workout to your favorite old skool hip hop beats! Old School Hip Hop with Ashley is featured on our Kickstarter video and we have a Virtual Flashmob of this class just for you! Join in on the fun by watching or dancing to our Virtual Flashmob workout and sharing on social media with #HipShaker. Move with us and help this dance community grow.
Hi Gorgeous!! I can’t stress enough how important arm workouts are for ya. It took me losing my arm functionality so I can understand how important arm strength is. Importance of Arm Workouts In 2012, while practicing Capoeira, I broke my right arm. It was a spiral fracture of the humerous. It was one of the hardest injuries…
This is a 2 week total body dance workout program that was designed for you to tone, strengthen and love yourself in the fiercest way possible. Down and Dirty Program This one is for all you fierce and unapologetic dance studio members. For the next  2 weeks we’re getting down and dancing to the sexiest workouts in the…
We’ve got at home dance workouts for beginners and you can do them all online! Ain’t that the best? You don’t have to worry about driving to the studio or fitting their schedule with yours. Start your beginner dance workouts whenever you want babe! Beginner Dance Workouts Taking beginner at home dance workouts is great…
What’s the best way to spend a Saturday night? Dancing to Bollywood Abs of course! I was lucky enough to be dancing again with the amazing Ashley and Hip Shake Fitness founder, Charlene aka my wonderful sister. So let’s go back on our blog time machine and check out some behind the scenes of our…
I love doing my workouts at home and I’m always looking for new ways to up my booty workout! Luckily, we’ve got the booty queen, Nicole Steen, on our side. Her Tone N Twerk workouts have a whole lot of ways to get your booty in tip top shape.
Need some easy lower back pain exercises to ease that discomfort? You’re in luck, we’ve got Rachel, a licensed Physical Therapist to guide us through a few stretches that will improve your mobility and flexibility of your back muscles. Lower Back Pain Since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve gained weight so I’ve had a to deal…
