Kinetic Arts Tucson

Katie developed a love of dance as a teenager after reading about the life and career of famed dancer, Martha Graham. Her love of dance transformed into a passion for performing as she danced with a local troupe as a young adult. Expression through movement became a life-long focus. In 2010, Katie found a new niche as a fitness instructor. She took her dance experience into the fitness industry as a cardio dance instructor. As a certified personal trainer, Katie spent the next several years helping people improve their strength and overall fitness level leading group fitness and cardio dance classes. In 2014, Katie discovered a form of fitness which allowed her to combine her passion for dance and performance with her love of fitness after taking her first pole class. From there, she began to also train on the areial hoop (Lyra) which quickly became her favorite aerial apparatus. Today, she continues to train as an aerial artist. Katie is excited to share her passion and knowledge with KATstudents.

Courtney’s relationship with physical fitness began at a very young age, growing up in the gym her parents owned and operated.  She is dedicated to living actively, her interests beginning with ballet at four and expanding outward exponentially. Courtney found her affinity for yoga as a young adult.  She became an ardent student, reaping benefits both on and off the mat. She was particularly captivated by the mind-body connection she developed as a result.

Courtney completed her training at Awakened Life School of Yoga in Amorgos, Greece in 2016.  Subsequently, she has been instructing various forms of yoga, Pilates, stretching and barre classes in our community to individuals ranging in age from toddlers to the elderly.  She genuinely enjoys inspiring others to improve wellness and assisting the achievement of long-term health initiatives.

Cat is a born and raised Tucsonan who discovered acrobatics when a friend introduced her to Kinetic Arts Tucson in 2019. She had never considered herself an athlete, but always an artist, and aerial was the perfect way for her to be both.

Davia Illetschko, is the Director and creator of Samba Southwest Performance Company here in Tucson, Arizona. She is a Capoeira teacher, samba performer and artist. Davia have over 15 years’ experience in pole and erotic movement. She has traveled and preformed coast to coast as well as been pole champion twice and Entertainer of the year twice. The arts are her passion and expression through movement is a necessity to my life. After all this time in the world of erotic performing there is just too much knowledge that I have acquired that I should share with you.

Kelsea comes from a dance and gymnastics background and has been pole dancing for 10-years. Kelsea was mesmerized by pole after taking her first introductory class back in 2011 and has been honing her craft ever since! Kelsea has trained pole dancers of all levels and loves sharing her passion of pole dancing with others. Kelsea believes the challenge of pole dancing ignites something amazing inside of our body and mind and offers us an endless possibility of artistic expression. Kelsea’s goal as an instructor is to motivate and inspire students to let loose, come as they are, and fall head over heels in love with themselves and pole dancing! Kelsea coaches every level of pole ranging from basic spins and striptease to advanced trick combos and acrobatics. She enjoys teaching exotic flow, floorwork, heel classes, bachelorette parties, flexibility workshops, and choreographing routines. Kelsea invites you to join her classes where you can release everyday stress through this beautiful form of dance and fitness.

José has been a pole fanatic since early 2014 when he was inspired by a video he saw online. José is passionate about teaching and helping others push their limits and feel comfortable and not be held back by the taboo views on pole, as well as creating a judgement free zone where both erotic dancers, as well as anyone who has an interest in the sport itself, can simply do what they love. "My goal is to have both sex workers and/or anyone interested in pole to feel like they can come and explore and have no limits in an environment where they won’t face criticism or feel uncomfortable. As a sex worker myself, I encourage people to simply do what they love and be proud of it while working towards fighting against the stigma that comes with being a pole dancer. We can all recognize that pole comes from stripping and keep enjoying the sport without engaging in the stigma or shaming.

   Michael is a Tucson native with 10 years experience performing, choreographing and directing fire performances. With a background in dance and martial arts, he can instruct technical, flow and character based styles as well as an array of props including, staff, double staff, poi and rope dart. He understands and recognizes different learning styles and adjusts his methods to help each individual student reach their goals. Michael always works to maintain a focused and friendly learning environment where anyone at any skill level can thrive. 

Jazmyn has always been an active person. At a young age, she got into gymnastics, then transitioned to basketball, and track & field. Despite her love for the other sports that she got involved in, gymnastics has always had a special place. She also found dance to be exciting and beautiful. She loved the idea of how your body could tell a story with music and movement. Through the years, she has wanted to pursue her love for dance but never thought she could… until now. 

Before starting, in early October of 2020, Jazmyn was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Her doctor was the one who told her that exercising would be great for her body. So, she started looking at dance studios and found KAT. After her first pole dance class, she was hooked and she knew this was something she wanted to continue. Jazmyn loves how the sport is a beautiful combination between dance, gymnastics, and a dash of acrobatics. Pole dance entered her life when she needed it the most. 

As she continues her pole dancing journey, she is learning more and more about the sport and what her body is capable of. Pole dancing is a beautiful journey where you can see yourself improving from one day to the next. By seeing your strengths and what you are capable of it is both amazing and very empowering. 

Brenna 

Anna was born and raised in Tucson, which she loves and will always come home to, no matter where she might travel. Her biggest passions are the environment, writing, biking, animals, art … and of course pole, which she started in 2015 and has been hopelessly addicted to ever since.

Pole has made Anna a lot more outgoing. She loves meeting new people and spreading the word about how this art and sport has changed her life. Building strength and flexibility through pole sport—and learning tricks she'd have never thought she could do in a million years—has made her infinitely more comfortable with her body and more confident all around. And now she's excited about the sexy side of pole, too—despite some bad club experiences in the past, trying exotic pole with people she loves and trusts (and has a blast with!) has turned everything around. In the studio, she's either barefoot or in 8-inch heels.

Pole has also helped her physically and psychologically recover from an accident in which her left leg was run over by a semi truck. Sometimes that leg still hurts, but she can forget about it when pole gets her off the ground and flying in the air instead.

She's still learning about all aspects of pole, but that’s one of the best things about it, in her opinion: "You never stop growing because pole is a process, a neverending story that’s usually exciting, sometimes hard, almost always fun, and fulfilling without fail.

“I hope you join me on my journey by starting your own.”

Rori's love of fitness came at an early age. From doing Richard Simmons videos and “Sweatin' to the oldies” with her mom, to rock climbing and surfing, she always loved to stay active. This busy mama of two runs a food truck, an aspiring graphic design business, and teaches little ones to swim. Her favorite part of the day though? Pole class, of course! if you could wear hats while hanging upside down, Rori would be wearing them all! Knowledgeable, personable, and full of energy, Rori has a passion for helping people to realize their goals and stayoptimistic despite any obstacles that may come their way. When she's not spotting a student, creating a campaign, or helping our wonderful clients, you can find her crafting magical creations, watching her husband and son on the baseball field, or choreographing cool pole routines with her daughter.