Gillian Alexandria Clark is the Visionary and Overseer of SWERVE * Dance *Fitness *Yoga in Los Angeles, California. Swerve * Dance * Fitness *Yoga is not a traditional dance studio in that it is also a fitness and yoga studio. It is a community of no-nonsense people who are making their bodies into more powerful, sustainable temples of health, fitness and movement for the love of it – a community of non-competitive movers. dancers, yogis and athletes who are working with their best selves toward their even better selves. Simply, SWERVE® is a productive and positive place to work on yourself, starting with the body you’ve got.
Gillian states that she has loved working both one on one with her students and teaching group classes throughout her career, but now her big joy is teaching future teachers to become great instructors through her teacher trainings.
Gillian believes that the biggest mistakes dancers make is a lack of self care due to an obscured sense of self-love. According to her, you have to love what you have and from there work toward making it better. This is done with work-discipline as well as rest, restoration and relaxation disciplines. Plus, of course, you have to let the fun out!
Her goals for the next year are to be more loving and giving; to receive more loving and giving; to have fun; and to travel.
In her mind, Gillian believes she had to start this studio. She said it was one of her life-purposes and her dreams would not let up until she convinced her BFF to join her in the endeavor. As a result, she joined hands with BFF and began Swerve.
The Los Angeles studio is the original home of Swerve and Yoga Booty Ballet®. There are now studios in 11 states plus Washington, D.C. and Canada. They are actively hoping to open more studios in more locations.
SWERVE® features original classes and private classes with its many hot instructors and some of them are master teachers who have been at it 30 years or more! SWERVE® also has a private training space and a gym which is where some of the non-dance floor magic happens.
Gillian Clark is a dedicated practitioner of meditation and contemplation. Her interest in the physical arts began at an early age as a figure skater, then as a ballet student. Her classical training includes a B.F.A. from UCSB and an M.F.A. from The American Conservatory Theatre. She began teaching in 1987 and was certified as instructor and personal trainer through ACE, AFAA. She’s been practicing Kundalini yoga since 1989, Hatha yoga since 1998 and Kriya yoga since 2002. She is grateful to all of her teachers, namely Siri Sat Nam Singh, John Friend, Ed Riddle, Osha Reader, Harrison James and all in their various lineages.
Gillian created Yoga Booty Ballet® in 1998 from a dream, originally developing the class at Crunch. Her longtime friendship and creative and business partnership with Teigh McDonough Gilson facilitated SWERVE® for its first decade. With the added support of Beach Body, these partners are honored to offer 20 Yoga Booty Ballet® DVD’s, props and a meditation CD, the #1 best selling retail workout program in the United States in 2007.
Teigh believes in the transformational and healing power of dance, movement, yoga, meditation and exercise! With humor and fun she strives to employ spiritual principles in her life and as a teacher. As a founder and former partner in SWERVE® and Yoga Booty Ballet®, she has worked as a fitness instructor, personal trainer, dancer, choreographer and movement director for over 20 years. She enjoys working with people of all backgrounds, young and old. Teigh has been featured on numerous television news shows for both Yoga Booty Ballet® and Yoga Fusion (which she choreographed and designed) as a featured instructor and fitness expert. Along with her dear friend Gillian Clark and partner company Beach Body, they have completed 20 workouts within the Yoga Booty Ballet® DVD series, including a meditation CD. In 2008, she completed a pre-natal DVD entitled “Baby On The Way” and is currently developing a new workshop entitled “Divine Yoga Mama.” She studied Kundalini Yoga with Siri Sat Nam Singh for 10 years and holds a 60 hour Pregnancy certification with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. She has also studied Hatha and Anusara yoga with numerous teachers including Desiree Rumbaugh and John Friend.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Swerve Studio or Gillian Alexandria Clark.
If you would like to know more about Swerve Studio, Yoga Booty Ballet®, or their DVDs, check them out on their website at http://www.swervestudio.com. Also, you can call them at 323-782-9741 or call them toll free at 866-289-8939. You can also email them at info@swervestudio.com. Don’t forget to “Like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and view them on YouTube.
