Founder and Master Trainer
Kyra began dancing in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of four and later moved to Los Angeles to study at the Edge Performing Arts Studio. Kyra has choreographed performances for international musicians, bands, and industrials.
Kyra discovered pole dancing and quickly embraced this form of physical art. Crunch Gym in New York City asked her to develop the pole dance program for their group fitness department. Kyra functioned as the National Pole Fitness Director for Crunch Gym from 2011-2013. She is one of the founding writers and acted as a principal master trainers for X-Pert pole fitness teacher training program from 2010-2012.
Kyra is the co-owner of Body & Pole, an aerial dance school where fitness meets aerial dance, located in the heart of New York City. She is one of the founders and choreographers for ÆRA, an aerial dance company that creates experiential art through aerial movement. Her vision for the art of instruction and performance is her vision for life – Grow, be honest, your story is beautiful; let’s just tell it. She delivers in every moment, on and off the the dance floor.
Related Projects
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Lara Michaels
Lara Michaels first found pole in 2011 through a Groupon. Originally from San Francisco, and a classically trained violinist, she holds two degrees in music performance, a bachelors from the San Francisco Conservatory and a masters from Mannes College in New York. She has a background in ballet and other dance styles. Lara has competed many times, notably with USPDF, Pole Sport Organization, Pole Classic at Pole Expo, US Aerial Championships, Pole Theatre USA, and the Asia Pole Championship. She is an elevatED master trainer and has been teaching at Body & Pole since 2013.
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Zoe Kantor
Zoe first discovered Pole Dance while teaching English in Korea in 2011, and instantly became hooked. Originally from Boston, she has been studying movement and dance since childhood. Zoe is a NASM certified personal trainer, and currently teaches pole dance in New York City at Body & Pole. Zoe is the Aerialympics All Star 2018 Pole Champion, and has competed in numerous domestic and international Pole Competitions. She is motivated by seeing her students progress and utilize their creativity. Becoming an Elevated Master trainer has merged together so many of Zoe's goals. It gives her the opportunity to share her wealth of teaching knowledge with others, spread pole around the world, and teach not only the physicality of pole but also the theoretical side. The Elevated Program merges creative movement with academics with proper technique. Zoe is honored to have the opportunity to teach this one of a kind training around the world.
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Jessi Colon
A native New Yorker, Jessi began her dance career at Jacques D'Amboise's National Dance Institute, later graduating from Steps on Broadway's pre-professional program. Since then, Jessi has performed across four continents with a variety of multidisciplinary artists. In 2013, Jessi became enamored with pole after a decade of teaching and performing grounded dance. It has both reinvigorated and humbled her, lens-shifting her career as both a teacher and an artist. She has performed and competed with Black Girls Pole, AERA, Pole Theatre, PSO and more. She also co-created the pole short film, Lone Signal, which toured the national festival circuit, including the American Dance Festival. Today, Jessi continues to tour the country as both an artist and a teacher, currently teaching at Body & Pole, Sweet Water Dance & Yoga, and National Dance Institute. As a teacher, her greatest honor is creating a space that allows students to celebrate themselves and be present in their minds and bodies. As an ElevatED master trainer, she strives to provide both practical and creative tools to support each participant’s unique teaching goals. She is motivated by working along the growing edge of her students’ and her own creativity and athleticism.
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Michelle Stanek
Michelle Stanek is the 2012 United States Pole Dance Champion and has won 5 out of 6 competitions she has entered. She began cultivating her dance skills from age 8, but it wasn’t until after college, graduate school, professorships and a full-time job in design that Michelle has finally been able to call herself a dancer by profession. And it is because of pole. She has traveled to Dubai, Tokyo, Scandinavia, Europe, Mexico...