Monday, May 30, 2011

New Routine!

Hello!

Mattrick and I have been putting together some fun new routines for the June 5th workshop and thought we would tape one so you could get a sneak peek and learn some moves ahead of time if you like :)


We basically want to get you PSYCHED for this upcoming Sunday! Hope you enjoy!

Special thanks to the lovely and talented Jyl Fehrenkamp [Jildo] for taping this with us and for assisting at our workshops as well! Also thank you to Chris Ertel for filming and editing this video and making us look all professional :)

Enjoy




Thursday, May 26, 2011

TimeOut article

We're getting geared up for another superfun Cheerobix workshop coming next Sunday, June 5th!

Here's what TimeOut had to say after a visit to our last workshop :)


Thanks to Marissa Conrad for writing the story and Allison Williams for shooting

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Another ROUSING Cheerobix!!

Well, that was fun!  Another great group of squad members hopping, prancing and gyrating with spirited smiles!  Thanks so much to all the newbies and the pros! and also--THE BOYS--loved seeing you guys!

And, as one workshop attendee said, "that one was a lot sexier than the last time"

Yes. yes it was. Because we're that kind of cheerleader


Next workshop is:

Sunday, June 5th

Indigo Studio
213 W. Institute Pl
[just north of Chicago and Franklin]
1:00-2:30PM

Dressing up in your most spirited outfit is encouraged!  Here's a video that might help :)

Your Spirited Leaders

Cheerobix is a magical dance fitness class with poms! You'll be drenched in sweat while you dance, prance and drop it low. This is your squad. Come cheer dance with us!


Matthew Hollis [Mattrick Swayze]

Matthew Hollis has been committed to fitness for over 6 years as a certified personal trainer and iron-pumping addict. He trains individuals, teaches various group classes and boot camps, and will whip your hot tail into gear. His no nonsense approach keeps his clients focused and working hard throughout every workout. Your results are his top priority, but lucky for you, he is also very charming and fun to have around. You can find Matthew teaching and training and Cheetah Gyms, Columbia College, Indigo Studio and corporate classes at Google!

Jena Ertel [the Jenarator]

Jena began her on-again off-again experience with poms in middle school and has had cheer in her heart ever since. A degree in Dance from Columbia as well as a Dance Education certification from UWM led her to over 10 years [so far] of teaching dance and movement of all sorts to people of all ages. Jena currently teaches group fitness and yoga classes and loves the booming sound of unison pom swishes. She is a certified yoga instructor and is constantly building her knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology so she can be the best educator to her students. If she is not practicing her body rolls and high kicks, you'll probably find the Jenarator smothering her little doggie and baby Emmitt with kisses or obsessing over flora or fauna of some sort.


HOW DID ALL OF THIS START??

Well, Mattrick and the Jenarator have been great pals for just about ever, meeting as dance students in college. They have performed together and separately for over a decade and have been cheering together for about 6 years.

In 2007, Matthew created a performance group/concept called the "Power of Cheer" based on his need to be his own best cheerleader. So began an honest, funny, raw series of performances done with two other men, and sometimes just he alone.

As the popularity of the Power of Cheer grew, so did the squad. A core group of 5 males and 4 females began to form and not only did Matthew create, produce and execute a hugely successful full-length evening performance piece, but this core squad also began performing full-scale pom routines and original cheers for the halftime shows for the Windy City Rollers, as well as pranced and kicked on a moving float for 3 consecutive Gay Pride Parades.

It seemed evident that the practice that went into rehearsing for these shows was so physically demanding, that it would make for a really fun, cardio-tastic form of group fitness. With that in mind, in summer 2010, Matthew was asked by the City of Chicago to lead a series of ‘Cheerobics’ classes in Millennium Park, which was wildly popular.

One night, Jena and Matthew were dancing around in an empty beergarden and he showed her some of the moves from these ‘Cheerobics’ classes and Jena got so excited she said, “We HAVE to do this. People would LOVE this! “

And now here we are. Present day. Jena joins forces with Matthew to co-create a Cheerobix curriculum and pedagogy to take to all the inner cheerleaders out there. Because it's fun to dance, its fun to prance, and darn it--its fun to play with pom pons!