popn' cherries

GINA SHALAVI

uforia Studios

San Francisco, CA – Nob Hill

Cardio Hip-hop

Every Monday at 6:30pm and Friday at 5:00pm Thursday at 6:30pm

**5/8/18 ANNOUNCEMENT: GINA TEACHES REGULARLY ON MONDAY’S AT 6:30 PM AND STARTING NEXT WEEK ON 5/17/18, SHE WILL ALSO TEACH ON THURSDAY’S AT 6:30 PM.**

Dance Style:

• Super fun cardio hip-hop style with power behind the movements.
• Incorporates interesting fingers/hands/arms choreography that stimulates your mind and challenges you to combine your upper and lower body parts to work together in sync at opposing directions.
• Vibe is a different kind of sass and the best way I can describe it is “gangsta sassy”. There’s power and strong movements that works well for both men and women.
• Encourages entire class but gives awesome “high-fives” to students who are giving a little extra, doing the moves correctly, or who are just plain having fun. When you get a high-five, you can’t help but smile and feel a sense of accomplishment.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts

Experience Level: Recommended for beginners to intermediate.

• Gina welcomes people of all levels. Her class is fantastic for beginners looking to jump in and challenge their minds to work cohesively with their body. But, it’s also great for intermediate level dancers who want a good sweat through a fun dance.

Music:

• Hip-hop / Rap
• Reggae

Size of Class:

• Monday’s at 6:30pm: Full. Can feel like 30-40 people. There is still room to dance without feeling overcrowded.
• Thursday’s at 6:30pm: **NEW SCHEDULE. GINA WILL START TEACHING. Will report back with a review.

Waitlist:

• Surprisingly never had to sign up for a waitlist because her class can feel full. I’d keep an eye out and be proactive by scheduling ahead if you want to take her class. I imagine a waitlist popping up in the near future.

Attendance:

• Required only a few sub-instructors for her Monday evening class. Excited for her newly added Friday class!
• Arrives early and will greet clients as a group at the start of class.

Video Recording:

• Yes, Gina is open to video recording. If you ask her, she will join in as well. Never have I heard her formally ask the class if they are interested in doing a video. But, if you and others are interested, she is happy to record your amazing-ness.

Why I’m addicted:

• Love that her style is hard-hitting and unisex, rather than favoring more feminine or masculine movements. For example, if the movement is a “sexy” move, you can interpret that to whatever that feels for you, whether that’s smooth and seductive or powerful and hard.
• Her class always leaves me with a good sweat and a smile at the end. She makes cardio and dancing super fun.

Cons:

• Only one that I could think of right off the bat was that she only taught once a week. But now she’s added on Friday’s, so problem and con solved!

Recommendation:

• Get to her class early if you want to get in the front row.
• Even if you’re a beginner, challenge yourself and make it to the front. You will be able to see her easier and, if she incorporates the intricate fingers/hands/arms movements, you will learn the movements faster.