Our new instructor, Emily McElwain, is a beam of light!

Emily is the kind of person who lights up a room the minute she enters.  She has such an enthusiastic and sweet energy, which makes working out with her such a fun experience.  

I saw this energy in Emily at our audition, and it has continued to grow as we’ve gotten to know her.  Her transparency as a person has also been extremely refreshing — and so hard to find!  I am excited to have found Emily and look forward to introducing her to you.  Read more about here (and her Louis Armstrong impersonation!), and be sure to take her class this Sunday, April 29th. Even as you drip with sweat, she will keep you smiling!!

~ Mahri

Full name:  Emily Claire McElwain 

Where did you grow up?  Sioux City, Iowa (Northwest Iowa) in a beautiful home just on the outskirts of the city. 

What’s your biggest passion?  

My biggest passion is dancing & spending time with my loved ones! I’m also very passionate about seeing the world, experiencing new things, and spending time in the sun at the beach.  

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why?

I am a professional dancer in NYC, so my career has taken many-a shifts in the last year and a half. I began in the city with the hopes to join a modern/contemporary dance company and that led me to finding multiple survival jobs that weren’t worth my time and energy. I lost hope and interest in that pursuit, until, I found an incredible mentor who sparked a fire in my contemporary training. This training has become more for my own self enjoyment/fulfillment than any financial or success driven needs. Recently I’ve taken great interest in musical theatre! In the last few months I performed in the musical Grease at the Palace Theatre and I’ve found jobs to support these musical theatre dreams that are exciting and fulfilling. I am a dance and yoga teacher for youth programs in the city and I’m finding a great appreciation for health and fitness. Entering the world of fitness has been a new and exciting experience for me and I’m very inspired by the BoCo team in many ways. I know these fitness/health interests will develop into an even greater love and passion with time and cultivation! 

What do you wish you knew when you were younger?

As a child I wish I had practiced yoga and realized how much I love avocados! 

What’s your fitness fashion style?

I am all about comfort! I love a good print legging with a comfortable flowing top. Athleta is one of my favorite spots to find a cute and comfortable workout outfit. But, I’m also all about thrifting and finding a great deal!  

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten?

Don’t waste your time doing anything you don’t love. 

Always be fully present in what you do. 

Full out or get out!

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

LOVE sweets so very much. I could eat a pound of chocolate a day! 

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?

I am a very positive person and I really love making people smile.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)?

My little secret talent is my Louis Armstrong impersonation. As a child I grew up on 50’s & 60’s music and movies and fell in love with Louis and his incredible, unique and soulful voice. 

Announcing Our Beautiful, Soulful New Instructor, Cristina Gustaitis

It’s exciting for me to meet people who are aligned with my mission and my values as a fitness owner.  It doesn’t happen as often as I hope, which is why I was so taken by Cristina Gustaitis when she auditioned for us.  I saw immediately how passionate she felt about supporting others.  And she had the same soulful connection with music and dance that I have felt in my own life.

I am excited for you to get to know Cristina a bit here and have the chance to experience her in class as well (check her out on Sunday, April 22nd!).  Clients who work with her will have a strong, talented, and thoughtful trainer who truly cares about them and invests fully in helping them reach their goals.

Welcome, Cristina!  We are lucky to have you :)

~ Mahri

***************

Where did you grow up?  Bloomington, Indiana

What’s your biggest passion?  

Sharing the joy of movement with people, young and old. Movement is life and has taught me so much about myself, the world around me and my relationships. It allows me to express myself freely and explore. If i’m feeling down, it always brings me up! Movement is universal and I hope to continue to share and connect with people through it by helping others discover the physical and emotional benefits of movement as well! 

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why?  

For most of my life, I defined myself as a dancer. In my mind, that meant going to auditions and getting performance jobs. What I quickly realized after a few years of living that life in New York, was that it wasn’t bringing me the fulfillment I thought it would. Instead of going to dance classes because it made me happy, I started going to dance classes because I felt like I had to. I didn’t understand why something that had made me so happy for most of my life was making me so unhappy now. I soon realized that, as a dancer, I didn’t have to put myself into the “Performer” box. I started to explore choreography, teaching, fitness and Yoga and slowly began to let go of the guilt I felt for not “making it” as a performer. Once I started teaching and exploring other forms of movement, I realized that I had this entire body of knowledge from all of my years of studying dance that I wasn’t even tapping into as a performer. I began thinking more about how my dance teachers shaped me as a person rather than just a performer. Currently, I spend my days leaping around with my students in public schools, teaching the importance of classical ballet in dance studios, and now working up a sweat and dancing it out with BoCo clients! I’ve realized that a career doesn’t always mean you find one thing and do only that. I get to be around dance and movement every day in so many different ways and I feel more fulfilled than ever! 

What do you wish you knew when you were younger?

I wish I had known to stop worrying about the future! As long as you work hard and follow what brings you joy, life will unfold the way it is supposed to. It may not look like what you had imagined, but it will be even better because you followed your bliss to get there!

What’s your fitness fashion style?  

Anything versatile that I can workout in but still feel put together while I’m running around NYC! 

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? 

My brother once told me to “Do something that truly makes you happy every day, and it will lead you to where you’re supposed to be.”

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?  

I love to bake AND eat lots of buttery, sweet treats!  

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?  

I’ve always considered myself sensitive and often used to think it was a bad quality. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown to cherish this quality and realize that it simply means I am thoughtful, grateful and truly appreciate my relationships.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)?  

When I was growing up I was obsessed with the Laura Ingalls Wilder ‘Little House on the Prairie’ books and being a Pioneer! I spent days in the woods behind my house wearing a bonnet and acting out stories! I even went to a Pioneer school house summer camp!