ANNA
I’ve never been shy about being the first one on the dance floor if I’m feelin’ the music! Learning actual choreo though and remembering it? Nope – not my strongpoint.
I did one season of dance in high school and I’ve always wanted to take dance classes, but never got into it. I’m an ex-yogi, so all my extra time went to yoga. I started taking dance classes in February, when I moved to San Francisco, and now that’s all I wanna do on my free time! Dance is a time for me to just let loose, feel sexy, and have fun! I got inspired to dance because I wanted to try something new. Lee Pazmino was my favorite teacher 😦 I like his style — it’s sexy and looks effortless.
Kathryn Martin!
- Sexy and fun choreo
- She’s a hella good dancer, yet humble AF and never makes me feel dumb for not getting it right away.
- She’s a serious teacher, but has a laid back style of teaching!
LOVE popn’ dance cherries! Honestly, I was soooo intimidated by Kim in class cause she’s so beautiful, an amazing dancer, and has rad style! One of the things I love about her brand is that “you. keep. it. fucking. real.” It’s raw, vulnerable, badass. I love that you’re all about being your true self, and are about trying something new – getting out of your comfort zone.
My personal goals are to start taking sexy ass heels classes! I’m moving to Oakland so will start exploring new teachers, studios. I want to work on refining my moves and just growing in general. I really just want to continue to feel sexy and have with badass bitches while I dance — not really looking to perform.
Love you, Kim, my beautiful Leo Sweat Sisterrrrrrr!!!!!! xoxoxoxoooo
EMILY
I realized that I enjoyed performing at a very young age. When I was little, I dreamed of being a singer/dancer/actor – walking around with my cassette player + microphone. It wasn’t until the 8th grade that I started taking hip-hop classes. I lived for the weekly class some of my friends and I attended at a studio in my neighborhood.
My freshman year of high school, I auditioned to be a part of one of my dance instructor’s competitive groups and also tried out for my high school’s cheerleading squad. When faced with choosing which I was going to dedicate my time to, I went with cheerleading. During my 3.5 years with the team, I choreographed numerous hip-hop routines, both collaboratively and on my own. This was also when I met Adriana & Liliana, whom I had the pleasure of sharing the title of “Captain” with at separate times.
After high school, I didn’t make much time to continue dancing but stayed in touch with both Adri and Lily. The frequency of our contact was few and far between, but we always talked about how much we’d love to get back into a regular dance routine. About a year ago, they invited me to sign up for a class at Dogpatch Dance – my first class in years. Since then, I’ve been pushing myself out of my comfort zone, trying new forms of dance, different instructors, and meeting some of the most amazing, positive and supportive individuals.
I have much respect and appreciation for all the instructors I’ve taken classes with, but I’ve really been drawn to Lee Pazmino’s style. If you’re looking for someone to challenge you by pushing you to try new things and perfect your technique, I highly suggest signing up for one of his classes. One thing that is consistent with his classes is that they’re always fun and challenging.
So far, I’ve gotten to learn 2 of Kathryn Martin’s dance routines. I love that her choreo is hip-hop, but with an added flirty spice. Kat is not only an amazing dancer, but a wonderful human being. Her energy is infectious and her middle name might as well be “fun”. She has a loving nature and encourages other dancers to truly just let go and get loose! If she decided to start teaching a class on a regular basis, I would sign my ass up – every week, 1st on the list.
popn’ dance cherries is a reflection of Kim’s personality: open, honest, inspiring, silly, and a little naughty. It’s about trying new things, meeting new people, and sharing the bond of dance with anyone who is open to it. Kim is a prime example for MAKING TIME to dance. Everyone can live busy lives and have priorities, but her brand is proof that you can make your passion a priority, as well.
My future dance goals include trying new styles of dance, but also finding a regular class that I can enjoy on an weekly basis. I’ve found that I’m not comfortable with styles outside of hip-hop, but I know that jazz, contemporary, ballet and modern would help me improve with things like control and isolation – and if I could manage to do multiple turns without falling over, that would be pretty sweet, too!
Meanwhile, more performances, workshops, projects, and videos.
KATHRYN
To learn more about the beautiful Kathryn Martin, view my previous post here.
ADRIANA
I have always loved to dance. When my sister and I were kids, we would watch music videos and try to learn the dances. Once I got into high school, I joined the cheerleading squad and was able to share my passion with other young females and perform. It was the best! However, I never got to the point where I was ever truly comfortable with performing.
High school ended, as it should, and life goes on. I stopped dancing with the exception of going out and moved on with college and then working. A little more than a year ago I saw a Groupon for Dogpatch Dance and Yoga and thought “why not?”. It was really close to my spot and who doesn’t love a great Groupon deal, am I right? My sister and I tried one class and gradually started becoming regulars, even inviting some friend to come. I have yet to find another studio with such a great sense of community and inclusiveness.
In the past year I have significantly improved in my ability to adjust to choreo based on counts vs lyrics vs the beats of a song. I would like to continue to work on this in addition to my dance facial expressions. Even though I am not exactly where I want to be, I am ready to go onto the next step which is… performing! I will be participating in one of Popstar Bootycamp’s next sessions in which you learn a dance for 7 weeks then perform at a venue. I could not be more excited and hope this is the first of many to come.
At this point in my life, I feel more at ease with myself and in my body than ever. I would even say I feel more comfortable now than I did when I was younger. My goal is to start performing to feel some redemption for those high school performances that could have been better but mainly, I just want to be happy. Dancing makes me happy and will be a part of my life forever. I truly believe dance is therapeutic.
My favorite dance styles are hip hop, dance hall, and twerk. It’s so hard to choose one!
My favorite teacher is James Bowen. He really challenges me with his fast choreography and I love that he encourages us to make his dance class an opportunity to get into character and be someone else. It is so fun!
Kathryn Martin has such a fluid and feminine dance style. I love her dances and wish she would start a regular class of her own! In addition, she has a fun and positive personality which really makes for a great vibe!
popn’ dance cherries has been great for new and returning dancers. I like how it highlights the growth in dance journeys but particularly how it is okay not to feel great about every class. Sometimes you have off days, sometimes you may seem like the least experienced dancer, but you should stay true to your passion and realize that the dance community is a lot more supportive than you would think!
LILIANA
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved dancing and singing. At age 5, my sister and I began taking Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Chinese Lion Dancing, and we learned to play Chinese instruments. If it weren’t for those activities, I don’t think we would be able to stay on beat or follow routines as well as we do now!
In middle school, I began choreographing routines and performing at school talent shows. But high school was when I really had the chance to showcase my skills. I was captain of the cheer-leading team, I was in Belly Dancing Club, Hip Hop, and Tahitian. But overall, I think creating Hip Hop routines was my expertise. In 2011, I Go-Go danced for a year and a half. It was fun, reminded me how much I love to perform, but the schedules were just wait too late for me.
If you asked what my style would be, I would say that it really depends on my mood. Sometimes I’m feeling like making a subtle liquid inspired Hip Hop routine, or a soulful song may make me want to break out in a contemporary jazz piece. Some days I feel like twerking, and other days I just want to go out and salsa dance. I love dancing, it has always been the perfect outlet for me. Dance gives me that physical release I need, and it makes life so much better!
Three things I love about Kathryn Martin would be her energy, style, and creativity. From the first time I met her at Body Beatz, I saw that she was an amazing hype woman! When Lee would teach, she would always encourage everyone by saying, “Yea girl!” or “Okayyyy!”. Khat is a smooth dancer, and you can tell by watching her lead warm ups. Every stretch is followed by a seductive transition, she makes it so fun and sexy! Finally, Khat is super creative. I’ve learned a few dances from her and I can’t wait to learn more.
I just want to take the time to thank Kim for including me in this fantastic project, I think it is wonderful what she is doing with her blog. I now have a warm sense of community and a group of ladies that share the same passion as me. We are all hopping back into dance after “Adulting”, and it feels great knowing I have dance friends who are in the same boat as me.
My future goals pertaining to dance would be to learn routines faster, master my dance face, get back into performing, and just maintain a healthy outlook on life. I use dance as a type of therapy, and although I want to push and challenge myself physically, my main reason for dancing is to just have fun.
What started out as a passion project is now evolving into something more. I’m excited to share these NEW opportunities with you very, very soon! If you’re interested in dancing, doing videos, having loads of fun, learning a ton, and being surrounded by judgment-free good vibes, send me your email at popndancecherries@gmail.com . I’ll share details of what’s to come soon. Can’t wait to share this journey with you!
Catch ya on the dance floor.
All Love,
popn’ dance cherries
popn' cherries 
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