DivaFit Pole Dancing Studio opened three years ago in Ashburn and is now expanding classes to Herndon, in a new studio at 317 Sunset Park Drive, opening on Nov. 9. DivaFit is the Northern Virginia's first and only pole dance fitness studio whose clients are suburban women who start in Level 1, often barely able to do a pushup and move up to Level 6 where they hold themselves upside down on the pole. In the three years since owner Lisa Peklo started DivaFit, the company has doubled its Ashburn space, opened a studio in Chantilly, and had an instructor selected as a finalist for the United States Pole Dance Federation's East Coast Competition.
In addition to pole dance fitness classes, DivaFit has a new partnership with Artisan Athletics, an aerial acrobatics and fitness instruction company. Artisan Athletics specializes in aerial fabric (or "silks") instruction. The apparatus — a silky, curtain-like fabric — are used in shows such as Cirque du Soleil and using them provides for an upper body and core workout while students dance, turn and roll through the air.
Robin Berry is the owner/principal performer for Artisan Athletics, and has been instructing aerial fabric at TSNY (Trapeze School of New York), D.C. branch since June. Berry has been training and performing aerial arts, including silks, trapeze, Spanish web and rope, for several years. She has performed recently at Rocktoberfest, the D.C. Arts on Foot Festival, Club Med and at Walt Disney World in Florida. Prior to moving to D.C. earlier this year, she trained with an Orlando-based company called Anti-Gravity.
In the past year, Berry studied with Serenity Smith-Forchion of Nimble Arts and debuted her latest performance piece, "Tango Que Mysterio" at the TSNY Staff Spectacular in September. Berry is also a certified personal trainer and creator of a fitness program utilizing silks as the primary strength-building tool.
The Herndon studio will offer silks classes, exotic dance classes, spinning pole workshops, and pole dance fitness classes. More information about DivaFit can be found at www.divafitonline.com.