Come experience the Zumba Afterglow with me Zumbero 28

My name is Pierre R. Cameron and I'm a proud black Latino born and raised in the Republic of Panama (Central America) which is where I get my passion for dancing all types of music. I've been dancing for fun all my life, but I've also done some professional dancing (in salsa, merengue, modern jazz and samba).

I'm so excited to join the Chaturanga team and add my little drop of spice to the mix. You can catch me there Monday nights at 8pm and Saturdays at 12noon. If you can't get enough then all you have to do is say so and maybe you'll see me one more time during the week!!

I am looking forward to grow as a great Zumba Instructor on this new phase of my journey and build a relationship with my students that will hopefully make a difference in their lives. I am currently certified in Zumba Basic Level 1 & Level 2 and Zumba Toning with plans to become certified in Zumba Atomics.

Hope to see you soon!!
Pierre aka Zumbero 28

Updated Schedule and Price List Now Online

The updated schedule IS actually online now... sorry about the mix-up for those who went there yesterday. I had made a couple of big mistakes so I asked my web guru to pull it off for a day. But it's live once again!

Also on our webpage is the new price list. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The contractors are working around the clock to get us into the space. They're starting to express doubts, but I'm not hearing them. :)

IKEA will be here any minute with our furniture. Diane Schroeder and I spent a very... um... eventful 8 hours there yesterday. I am sooooo indebted to Diane for her talent and vision. She is transforming the space into a tranquil haven that is perfect for any mind-body practice!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE to assemble Ikea furniture... and we have lots and lots of it!!!! Can you help??? Please??? Now accepting all hands for furniture assembly between now and Friday evening. Email me if you can spare a couple of hours! mbussard@gmail.com

:) mlee

Opening on Saturday!

Much to my amazement, it seems that all major hurdles have been defeated, and Chaturanga Holistic Fitness WILL open its doors, in our beautiful new space, on Saturday! THANK YOU to all who have made this happen by lending your time, talents, capital, and encouragement... and by coming to classes despite the temporary mess and blinding fluorescent lights! Your support reminds me of the power and goodness of this community we have formed over these weeks and years of taking classes together. What a blessing that we will continue to practice together!

I have more good news! The group fitness schedule is finally ready! It has been tweaked, and re-tweaked (THANK YOU, CYNTHIA!) and now you can see it at www.chaturangafitness.com. The pricing schedule will be up shortly... still ironing out a few wrinkles there. But know that the rates will be similar or the same as what you're used to, with a few added perks!

Some highlights and GREAT DEALS you'll want to tell your friends about:

We want you to explore ALL the great programming that Chaturanga has to offer... So from now on, your first group fitness class with any teacher you've never tried before is Half-Price!

• The Chaturanga team boasts 10 different Yoga instructors, all with a unique background and approach to this practice. Try them all! If you've decided you can't do Yoga, Pat Schulman would love the chance to change your mind on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. For those looking to understand the finer points of sun salutation, I'm told that Aya's Surya Namaskar classes are not to be missed! There are soooo many great new yoga offerings and I'll be asking each of our teachers to post more information about their classes on this blog, so check back in over the next few days!
  

• For those who don't know, I am a NUT for Brazilian music and culture, which is why we have several different Brazilian-themed classes for you to try out! You don't have to be musically inclined to take Marcos' Brazilian Percussion class on Sunday... and if you start now, you'll have plenty of time to prepare for Carnaval in Rio in February! Dil Costa's 8-week Brazilian Dance class begins on October 31st... you won't want to miss it! And Josh Granger is back on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons with Capoeira, the Brazilian martial art that is super fun and an intense workout!
  

• SUCH a better way to burn calories than a treadmill.... Zumba will make you sweat, laugh, and shed your inhibitions in a few heartbeats! Pierre and I will give you several chances a week to get your samba, salsa, reggae, and bollywood grooves on!

• For Ladies Only... Diva Dance Class will be just $5 on Sunday 10/3 at 5pm, and Friday 10/8 at 7pm. Contact Kania for more information: admin@divadancelessons.com
  

Thanks for keeping posted. More to come soon!

:) Marylee

The Chaturangan Team of Teachers... in a word....

WOW! Last night was our first staff meeting. I wish I could convey in one word the incredible talent and energy that was gathered in that room. I don't quite know where to begin...

There were many of the familiar faces, of course... V'La (the Glamorous Vuvuzela of Tai Chi), Cynthia (the Ever-Graceful Go-with-the Flow Vinyasa Yogi), Nicole (the Sunshine Dancing Vinyasa Yogi), Aya Nicole (the Devotee of Accessible Ashtanga Yogi), Janine (Pilates Rocket Scientist), Erika (Pilates Fashion Stylist), and Josh (our Golden Cord Capoeira Maestro).

What was so fun was, there were just as many NEW faces! All I can say is, the time to get seriously excited... is here. Let me introduce you to some of our new instructors!

Pierre (Bundle of Spice) Cameron will get our hips shaking with his Panamanian flavored Zumba; for the young at heart who want to shake it like its 1959, Myah McKinnie will help get your groove back with Zumba Gold; for LADIES only... if you think you've lost your inner-fabulousness, Kania "Jaguar Rain" will lead you home with her own empowered creation, Diva Dance!

Directly from Rio de Janeiro, we have the makings of our own Carnaval-style Escola de Samba Hyde Park with Marcos Oliveira and Dil Costa, two of the most talented Brazilian musicians in Chicago, coming in to teach Brazilian drumming and dance. You will feel like you've died and gone to Brazil!

For those seeking a little more "classical" dance instruction, you will want to check out the Nicole Jeka Trifecta of Adult Ballet, Pilates, and Yoga! She'll bring all three to our studio! Lovely Laura Coe emits a soothing calm that will inspire relaxation long before shavasana; Singing Emily Palmer and her candlelight yoga band... well, do I really need to say anything more?; and last but not least, Lani (Fountain of Youth) Granum, one of the original Chicago Yogis and teacher to many fine teachers... what an honor that she, and ALL of these incredible instructors, will be joining us!

Something for Every Body!

Things are moving along on schedule! I think we might actually make our October deadline for moving into the new space....

Classes this week have been great. Thanks for everyone who has been coming out! Please keep coming and keep spreading the word. By this weekend, you'll start seeing these flyers popping up all around the neighborhood. Contact me if you would like to have some to bring into your workplace, church, or condo building. Please also contact me if you have TV or print contacts who might be interested in doing a story about us...

A huge THANK YOU for everyone who has helped out this week, including...
- Catherine for her fantastic advice on Marketing;
- Rich, Erika, and Matt for helping me disassemble and cart the Reformers and Cadillac (and much more) to the new space;
- Marcy and V'La for their steady support (and strong backs);
- Claudia for jumping in to lighten the load;
- Cynthia for her patience, diligence, insight, and calm;
- Nick at the Deco Arts Building... Best building manager ever;
- Rajun Cajun, for feeding me... every single day... sometimes twice a day...
- and Diane, who is lending her design expertise to make our new space serene, functional, and flexible enough to accommodate both yoga and samba!

Speaking of samba... you won't believe the incredible instructors we're bringing in! I don't want to give everything away, but suffice it to say, boredom is no longer an option in Hyde Park.

More to come!

:) Mlee

Two Opportunities to Help

For all of those who have offered your services, there are two chances to help out tomorrow:

1) I am renting a moving truck to cart the Pilates equipment over to the new space. Is anyone available around 12 or 1pm to help out? I honestly don't think it will take much more than an hour. It's mainly just four large, awkward pieces (3 reformers and a cadillac) plus a few smaller props/mats.

2) If anyone is planning to take Cynthia's class tomorrow morning and could come over to Deco Arts early (say around 8/8:30) to help me cart up mats, bolsters, blocks and blankets.... I would be oh-so grateful!

That's all for now! Thank you!!!!

:) Mlee

Class Schedule September 20th - 30th

As of today, the following classes have been confirmed for the upcoming week. They will take place in the empty office space directly next door to our new studio, on the 3rd floor of the Deco Arts Building (1525 E 55th Street). Please come out and support your teachers. (Pilates equipment students, some regular sessions will resume this week also. Your teachers will be contacting you.)

Re. payment: We won't be able to accept credit cards this week, as we are still waiting for the credit card processing equipment to arrive. Cash or check will be acceptable. Price will be $15 for the next two weeks. So you are prepared, it will be a no frills setting... but what matters is that our teachers and YOU will be there!

The following list of classes could grow once I hear back from the other teachers, so please check in again tomorrow. And please drag your friends class! We need your commitment more than ever!

Thank you!
:) Marylee

Monday 9/20 and 9/27
9:15am YOGA with Cynthia
6:15pm PILATES with Marylee

Tuesday 9/21 and 9/28
9:15am PILATES with Erika

Wednesday 9/22 and 9/29
9:15am YOGA with Cynthia
4pm YOGA with Nicole

Thursday 9/23 and 9/30
9:15am PILATES with Marylee

Saturday 9/25
8am PILATES with Marylee
9am YOGA (Level 1-2) with Cynthia
10:30am YOGA (Beginners) with Cynthia

Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

It's official.... Today I signed a 4-year lease for the 3rd floor space in the Deco Arts Building!

Ever since, my inner state has been much closer to eeeek! than ommmm.... But thankfully, I know of a great place to do Yoga, Pilates, Dance, and Meditation.

Some classes will begin meeting at their regular time on Monday, September 20th, in the vacant office space that is right next door to our new home. Check in here for all the details about class times in this temporary space. I'll post a temporary schedule by Sunday.

Thank you to everyone who has offered their skills and talents to the cause! I haven't had a chance to get back to everyone yet, but I will soon. We can use all of the help we can get, but for now the most important thing is to keep spreading the word.

Have a great weekend. Namaste!

:) Marylee

Announcing Chaturanga Holistic Fitness!

Greetings, Hyde Park Yogis, Pilates-buffs, Belly-Dancers, Ballerinas, Sambistas, Capoeiristas, Couch Potatoes, Dharma Seekers.... your mind-body connection will soon have a place to call home!

Chaturanga Holistic Fitness, LLC is an interdisciplinary Yoga, Pilates, Dance, and Meditation center. We offer an eclectic mix of health and fitness classes in a beautiful setting, conveniently located in the heart of Hyde Park. Beginner or devoted practitioner, exercise-enthusiast or detractor, you are bound to find something that moves you among our full class menu and a teaching roster that includes some of Chicago's finest yoga, pilates, and dance instructors.

Our name, Chaturanga--familiar to Yogis as one of the most challenging and nuanced asanas of the Sun Salutation series--in Sanskrit, literally translates as "four limbs" or "four divisions." This name reflects our four main areas of instruction: Yoga, Pilates, Dance, and Meditation. Among these four pursuits, we can continually deepen our awareness, and perhaps encounter new and different parts of ourselves... One day, quiet reflection. Next day, off-the-hook booty-shaking! :)

An amazing team of teachers is hard at work to get this off the ground. I am so delighted that Cynthia Latimer has agreed to bring her tremendous skills and intuition to bear upon the Yoga Program, and you're going to love what's in store! I'm also working closely with an incredible team of Pilates Instructors to bring in some new mat and equipment classes that will power-up your powerhouse like never before. If you like to Dance, get ready for Zumba, a calorie-burning cardio-dance class set to the heart-lifting rhythms of salsa, merengue, samba, and more! We are putting together a range of other dance classes, including Adult Ballet, African Dance, Belly-Dance, and the beautiful "dance" (that is actually a Martial Art) from Brazil... Capoeira! Finally, regular Meditation classes will be offered as a means to awaken your experience in all of life's pursuits. Through meditation, we tonify the mind and have an opportunity to practice those simple yet often-overlooked foundations of physical life... breath, posture, and walking.

So when and where will all of this wonderfulness transpire??? We are very close to signing a lease for a beautiful 2100 sq ft space located on the 3rd Floor of the Deco Arts Building, at 55th and Lake Park. My sincere hope is to begin holding classes in the new space by the 1st of October. I am close to raising the needed funds to get into the new space, but by all means, if you have means and would like to help expedite the process, please contact me!

Stay tuned, because we may start holding classes in an adjacent office space within the next week or so. I'll be making posts to this blog frequently, so check in often and please help spread the word!

More to come! Post your comments and let's keep the vibe alive!

Peace!

:) Marylee
mbussard@gmail.com
www.bodyofmusic.net