Meet the Knockout Bodies Team
Knockout Bodies classes are taught by a team of passionate & well qualified instructors. We all love fitness & believe that it should be fun to work out! We keep classes small, so you will get plenty of individual attention and get to know your instructors & classmates well! Our focus is always to give you the best workout in a safe and injury free environment. We all have experienced the many benefits of pole fitness including feeling strong and empowered. Let us show you that too.
Charisma Blue
Charisma recently acquired Knockout Bodies in 2017 from its previous owner Jen Cichon who started the studio in 2010.
Charisma fell in love with pole dancing as an alternative way of getting fit. She was getting bored with her current workout and turned to pole dancing as a way to break free of the monotony. She was instantly hooked with her first class at Knockout Bodies in 2011 and has been pole dancing ever since. After taking a year and a half break to have a baby, she turned back to her passion of pole dancing to get back in shape and to have some “Mommy Me Time”. Taking her passion for pole to the next level, Charisma became a certified pole instructor in early 2016 and found a new reason to love pole. She loves to see her students succeed and to provide the encouragement to try something new and different. Charisma was a dancer and theater background and applies her theatrical flair to all of her performances and routines. Recently, she took home 2nd place at the Central Pole Competition in 2017 for her Level 2 Dramatic Division performance and 3rd place at the MN Pole Competition in 2015 for her Novice Level Artistic Division performance. She was also a certified Sports Massage Therapist in 2008 and applies the self-care principles to her training and teaching style.
Dakota Wolfe
Dakota has been teaching pole dancing for five years and dancing for seven years. Her signature style is classic pole with a show of amazing flexibility, graceful flow, and awe inspiring drops. You can find her performing several times a year at multiple aerial and variety shows in the Twin Cities as a solo or part of Cirque du Pole performing group.
Most recently, Dakota took home the gold at Central Pole Competition in 2017 in the Doubles Division and placed second at the Pole Princess Competition in 2015.
Misty
Misty has been a fitness instructor for over 15 year & has dedicated her life to health, healing, & fitness.
She is a NETA certified group fitness instructor, certified Spinning instructor, and certified clinical Pilates instructor. Misty is a performing arts physical therapist, with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, a master’s in physiotherapy, & a doctorate in hand & upper extremity therapy, and has comprehensive mat & equipment Pilates certification. Misty offers teacher training through Performance Art Athletics. She is the ’09 North Star “Miss Fitness” winner, & currently performs with the group “Cirque du Pôle”.
Laura
Laura stumbled upon pole dancing when classes were offered at her yoga studio. As soon as she started dancing, she was hooked! After training hard for three years at Knockout Bodies, life intervened and she had to step away from coming to class, but continued to pole at home with her own pole. Life eventually calmed down and after taking several instructor training courses through Pole Art Athletics, she was finally able to realize her dream of becoming a Pole Fitness Instructor! She loves helping students discover how fun fitness can be through pole dancing.
Tasha
Tasha has been poling since October 2015 and started teaching March of 2017. She is dedicated to learning and getting stronger so she can continue to grow in strength and agility and to help guide her students in their pole journey. She competed in 2016 at the Minnesota Pole Competition and recently tied for third place in the Level 2 Dramatic Division at the Central Pole Competition in 2017. When she is not at pole class, she is an avid cosplay costume designer and attends conventions across the country. She is also a self-proclaimed Cat Lady and the proud parent of Pumpkin and Vader.
Kelsey
Kelsey has been a competitive dancer for over 21 years. Growing up, she competed in ballet, lyrical, jazz, and acro dance. Deciding to share her love of dance, she became a dance instructor and eventually found pole dancing in 2013. She fell in love with it and embraced the community fully. She loves how pole dancing has brought her confidence, happiness, and some of the best friends a girl could ask for.
Ketel Wonder
Ketel Wonder hails from Fargo, North Dakota where she still performs with her home burlesque troupe, Valkyries of the Valley. Throughout the years, she has dabbled with aerial fabric, aerial hoop, as well as professional cheer and dance. She began pole dancing six years ago and has been instructing for four. She is a barre instructor while also holding certifications for Pole-ates and Aerial Fitness. Ketel began her dancing career at age 5 with competitive dance and figure skating.
Lindsey
Lindsey is one of our passionate instructors with an approach to honor freestyle majority of the time! She has been a student at Knockout for five years! Despite life interruptions such as major abdominal surgery, traveling, school, and work- her love for pole has remained strong! She is a Social Work student and has many years of working in Human Services. This contributes to her inclusive, communicative, and approachable demeanor as an instructor. You won’t be leaving her class without a good laugh, a new song, or a smile! In addition to her employment, dance background, and education, she’s also completing her Yoga Teacher Certification and she is Reiki attuned. “Mind, body, and spirit fuel my creativity- in both my personal practice and group instruction. Let’s submerge our entire self into movement, TOGETHER.” Interested in a reiki session with her? Email her at divinemovement1111@gmail.com to schedule your session.
Myss Angie
Myss Angie is a visionary that believes in helping empower women, strengthening the community, and bringing pole dance and the performance arts to new platforms. She is thrilled to help others with their fitness and dance goals!
She has been teaching, training, and performing pole dance and fitness since 2010, been a pole sport judge since 2014, holds titles for 1st and 3rd Place Champion at the Central Pole Championships for her pole double routines with Dakota Wolfe and Cheryl Birch.
Myss Angie is also the creator, artistic director, and pioneer for Pole and Performing Art, an event production company, and the non-profit program that supports pole dance artists, Momentum Movement Arts.
Fitness Certifications:
- Pole Barre Fitness Instructor 2017
- Pole-ates Pole Fitness Instructor 2016
- Aerialates Fitness Instructor 2014
- 500-hr Yoga Alliance Instructor 2010
- AFAA Group Exercise Instructor 2006
- Saint Cloud State Aerobics Instructor 2004
Rachel
Rachel Glopatz Inspired by the healing power of movement, Rachel has devoted her life to exploring both the physical and psychological benefits of yoga, dance, and movement of all types. Rachel began dancing at 3 in her hometown recreational dance recreational dance program in Milwaukee, WI. Since then she has earned her BA in Dance Therapy and a minor in Somatics from UW Milwaukee, and has taught both classical and competition dance at many studios. When she graduated, she fell in love with the wonderful world of aerial dance! While she has experience on 2 panel silks, lyra, and cube, there is a special place in her heart for aerial hammock. She has found that working on aerial hammock has an innate ability to ground a dancer through the feeling of flight, as well as, acting as a fun full body workout! For Rachel, the best part of teaching dance are the moments where a student surprises themselves by doing something they initially thought they couldn’t, or seeing a student work hard to accomplish a skill or goal, and seeing them achieve that goal. There are a lot of these moments in aerial hammock classes, making these close to her heart. Rachel believes strongly in the power of dance and creative self-expression and its ability to heal and foster growth both on and off the dance floor!
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Professionally Trained Instructors
