She has been trained in various styles of dance and fitness. She competed in multiple dance competitions as a child and teen and continued her dance training by earning a BFA in Dance from George Mason University. For the past 10 years, Keri has been teaching kids and adults from ages 3 to 85. She’s worked with competitive athletes, those new to movement, those with injuries and even some special education students as well.
She is also a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and a Certified Group Fitness instructor through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Her focus in everything she does is on re-aligning the body to prevent injury and reduce stress. She also focuses on teaching her students how to utilize their core strength in everyday activities. She firmly believes a strong core results in a body that will move better and be resistant to injury -- at any age and any fitness level.
Don’t worry if you’ve never danced or worked out before, Keri is confident she can help you succeed! She will instill in you a love of exercise and movement that will improve your health, your body composition, and your attitude about exercise.
There's nothing she enjoys more than seeing people meet their health and fitness goals while having fun and learning something new. She truly believes that ANYONE can learn how to dance. It just takes a little patience and time.
“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.”
- Martha Graham
Read more about Keri and her thoughts on eMotion in her Leading Ladies Interview here.
Tito has been dancing since he was very young. It was always a part of his family traditions, but only recently has he decided to take his passion for salsa to the next level. He's currently a member of the salsa dance group Latin Motion and has trained with various teachers from around the world. Tito describes salsa as simply fun and feels that anyone regardless of age, height, weight, or ethnicity can dance. He is excited about the opportunity to share his experience and knowledge of salsa to those who also love to dance.
Mel has always had a passion for helping others. So, when Life redirected her on a different course than where she thought she was headed, she ended up at eMotion. At this turning point, she asked the right question, "Why not?" Thank goodness!! She fell in love with Keri's Cardio Hip Hop class along with a host of others. With her amazing energy, kind heart and great dance moves, Mel began training with Keri and in 2013 was asked to start teaching at the studio.
Mel sees dance as freedom, universally understood, a release, therapeutic, connection & love in the most natural form. It is her belief - that ANYBODY can learn to dance, have fun, and get fit at the same time. In addition to teaching dance fitness, she is working towards becoming a Certified Life Coach and her YogaFit Certification.
She is truly honored & grateful to give back by teaching/coaching others in building confidence in themselves, gain a better appreciation for their hard-working beautiful body, and bring a little more joy into their lives. Mel lives in Northern VA with her teen & tween & dog (& a few other critters).
"When you learn, teach. When you get, give." - Maya Angelou
Vera started dancing at the age 5 and was classically trained in St. Petersburg Russia and Kiev, at the age of 9. Vera’s first job as a professional dancer occurred at age 16 when she was selected to join the National Russian Dance Company in the Kremlin (Moscow). This led to later appearances dancing on television and in several movies. At age 21 she started dancing as a soloist in the Moscow government Performing Art Association. Her celebrated performances all over the Soviet Union, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, India and Cuba led to winning the All Soviet Union competition as the best soloist dancer on stage in 1983. While completing her degree, Vera had the privilege to participate in seminars conducted by world renowned choreographers, most notable being Alvin Ailey.
In 1991, Vera started working in theater in Athens, Greece and became an assistant choreographer of large stage productions and television shows. She gained experience from and working with other choreographers from England, Italy and the United States. In 2001 Vera became the exclusive choreographer for a National Folk Dance Company which performed in traditional folk villages for seven years. Since 1992, Vera has also taught ballet schools students of different ages and different abilities. Recently Vera has moved to the USA and has been giving seminars at George Mason University.