Balance, dance and flip out: Three Park Hill studios to keep you and the kids fit this winter
By Rebecca Voll & Erin Vanderberg
Find your balance! At Sacred i Yoga, 2212 Kearney
Connor McBryde had no interest in ever trying yoga. When it came to fitness, the Park Hill physician was more than happy to stick to his passion, cycling. His wife, Karrie, however, loved the way yoga made her feel and the sense of community at the local yoga studio, Sacred i, and she persistently urged him to join her for a class. Connor was an instant convert. “If you don’t know down dog from downtown,” he says, “you’re still very welcome there.
Sacred i is Park Hill’s very own yoga hub, tucked into the heart of the Kearney Street businesses. The space is warm and intimate and the classes and workshops offered cater to everyone from children to seniors. As owner Jane Koszowski puts it, “It’s a studio as diverse as the Park Hill population.” Classes range in intensity from gentle yoga for beginners to i-sweat, a yoga-bootcamp hybrid that provides an exhilarating workout. Classes can be purchased on a drop-in basis or in packages, and the prices are kept lower than at comparable studios.
Sacred i offers eight classes per week with free babysitting, making the benefits of yoga accessible to stay-at-home and work-from-home parents. While parents stretch and breathe on the mat, the children play outside the studio or inside Cake Crumbs on inclement days. Babysitters earn free yoga, and often bring their own children along.
While some yoga studios focus on a single “brand” of yoga, Sacred i has a wide variety of offerings, and Koszowski says she envisions it becoming a “complete wellness center with yoga as its backbone.” Instructors come from a wide variety of backgrounds including power, Anusara, yoga therapy, Ashtanga, and martial arts. Neighborhood yoga luminary, author, and life coach Diane Sieg offers workshops and retreats in addition to her weekly classes. Writer Michelle Marchildon’s class is known for her focus on humor. Mark Genco, who holds a Master’s degree from Naropa, presents talks on Buddhism. Friday evenings feature a light-hearted and fast-paced Zumba class.
Koszowski, who has owned the studio since July, is looking forward to making Sacred i an even more diverse and consistent
place. She is excited to add more classes to appeal to a wider audience, and perhaps add healing arts such as reiki and massage. The studio has gone through some ownership changes in the past, but Koszowski says she’s in it for the long haul.
For those who have never tried yoga, Eliana Caplan makes starting easy with her i-begin class, but all of the teachers are prepared and qualified to help newbies get into the swing (or stretch!) of things. People with physical limitations or injuries can take advantage of therapeutic yoga in Carolyn Midland Valdez’s i-heal class. Valdez explains: “I-heal opens the door to allow students to explore the connection with their body and mind and how it is speaking to them through physical pain.”
Sacred i’s community feel comes from being a connecting place for neighbors. Not only do most of the students live in Park Hill, so do many of the teachers. Tina Porter and Jane Burdette, for example, are not only teachers with devoted followings, they are well known in the community as friends and neighbors. And as Karrie McBryde says, “The students are so welcoming and supportive of each other. Yoga does not feel like a fashion or skill contest like at some studios.”
For more information, visit mysacredi.com or call 303-355-5856.
Dance to the Music! At Colorado Contemporary Dance Arts, 2230 Oneida
Founded by Katrina Lairsmith and Erica Vansky (sisters) in 2006, the CCDA moved from Stapleton to Park Hill last January. The CCDA offers classes in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, Preschool and Hip-hop – including an all-boys Hip-hop class – to students ranging in age from 2-years-old to professional adults. Their preschool teacher “Miss Sadie” is exceptional with young children.
Their winter schedule will include classes for all ages. Preschool classes are a combo of Ballet, Tap and Jazz for ages 2-5; Mini Hip-hop, Ballet and Jazz for ages 5-9; Intermediate Jazz and Contemporary and Ballet for ages 10 and up; and advanced programs for experienced dancers. They will also offer Yoga on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m.
For more information, visit coloradocontemporarydancearts.net or call 303-257-5049.
Flip Out! At Dardano’s School of Gymnastics, 2250 Kearney
Founded in 1983 by owner Larry Dardano, Dardano’s teaches artistic gymnastics and competitive girls & boys teams for ages “walking” to 18-years-old.
This winter, their competitive girls are finishing up their season, while the boys and advanced girls teams will be starting competitions. Dardano’s also hosts a Drop & Shop for preschoolers and an Open Gym for ages 6+ during the holidays.
Why gymnastics? According to Director Gina Dardano, “Not only does gymnastics provide a foundation for every sport, it aids in development of muscle coordination, strength, flexibility, movement/spacial awareness and helps build self confidence. Most of all gymnastics is fun!”
For more information, visit dardanosgym.com or call 303-355-0080.