Exploring Life & Business with Monica Bumatay of GYROTONIC® South Bay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Bumatay.

Monica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
As a kid, ballet was my life. I even went to the Orange County High School of the Arts (now OCSA), but once I was in high school, I wasn’t sure how much time I really wanted to dedicate to dance. I ended up moving to technical theater and working in various local theaters and small student films throughout high school and early college. Even with all that theater and film work, dance worked its way back into my life in the form of modern/contemporary dance. I was suddenly entranced with Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham, and companies like Pilobolus and Diavolo. This led me to a dance performance/dance choreography degree from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). It was there that I had the opportunity to work with amazing dance educators and choreographers, and where I first took serious anatomy and kinesiology classes and found that I had a knack for analyzing movement. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I thought I would be auditioning for companies or maybe teaching dance at a college level, but all that came to a halt when I found out at 22 that I had a heart condition. My doctors advised me to stop dancing, and I wasn’t sure what would come next. I had been doing Pilates through my dance curriculum since 1995, and it helped me through some injuries, so I decided to get certified in 2000. That first day of my Pilates teacher training was also the first day I saw The GYROTONIC® Method. There were dancers strapped to giant machines going through a ballet barre workout. I was immediately intrigued, but I had to stay focused because I was there to start the Pilates training. I waited another 2 years before I finally felt ready and got the okay from my doctors to start the GYROTONIC® teacher training, and I’ve been continuously training all these years. I became a Master Trainer in 2011 and now regularly train others to become instructors. The many movement possibilities of the GYROTONIC® Expansion System with all of its many pieces of equipment have made this former dancer feel like I’m not missing out on what I used to do. I may not be able to perform anymore, but it was never the performance that I was working toward; it was always the feeling of freedom and expression that was the real reward. 

As you know, we’re big fans of GYROTONIC® South Bay. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
In 2016, I opened GYROTONIC® South Bay in Manhattan Beach with Christina Yi, and in 2019, we opened a second location in Redondo Beach. The studios managed to Zoom through the long and nerve-wracking lockdown and come out on the other side bigger and better. We mainly offer GYROTONIC® private sessions, classes, and teacher trainings, but we also have Pilates privates, massage therapy, and infrared sauna sessions. We also offer hybrid classes in The GYROKINESIS® Method, meaning you can attend in person or online live or as a recording. We are proud to be the only studio in the South Bay area to offer GYROTONIC® classes and teacher trainings. We often host other Master Trainers and physical therapists from around the world that come to keep us updated on the latest research and movement modalities. 

The question I get asked the most is the obvious one – What are The GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Methods, and what can they do for me? The system was developed by Juliu Horvath, a dancer originally from Romania, while he was dancing and rehabbing from injuries. It incorporates moves from dance, swimming, tai chi, and even kundalini. The GYROTONIC® equipment is designed to help the user move through their entire range of motion while maintaining equal tension throughout, allowing for slow, smooth, sustained strength or fast, aerobic motions that flow like a dance. It stimulates energy pathways, invigorates the nervous system, and creates a non-compressive way to emphasize balance, strength, flexibility, and breath all at once. The GYROKINESIS® Method is usually taught in a class format and performed without any equipment. The continuous flow of a class begins seated on a stool before moving to the floor and finishing with a standing sequence. These classes range from motions anyone can do to extreme movements, not unlike yoga, that resembles a dance in its flow. 

It’s no wonder that professional/pre-professional dancers and athletes are coming to our studio and others like it around the world. Even celebrities are finding their way to this system. The possibilities of movement are endless, making The GYROTONIC® Method as unique as the user. 

How do you think about luck?
It really was a stroke of luck that I met Christina Yi when I did. I was already a Master Trainer teaching at 2 – 3 studios, dreaming of the day that I could have my own studio with enough space to have classes and teacher trainings. She came to one of my classes, and we immediately connected on how much The GYROTONIC® Method had changed our lives and how we wanted to bring that excitement to our community. When I told her what I was planning, she jumped at the chance to be a part of it. We barely knew each other, but we grew close as we forged ahead, planning a business together. At the time there were no other GYROTONIC® studios offering what we were planning from Santa Monica to Long Beach. It took us 2 years to find a suitable location in the South Bay and another year to clear the way to finally open in Manhattan Beach and eventually add another studio in Redondo Beach. 

While she has recently made the decision to step away from the business, I couldn’t be more grateful for all she has done to bring this dream to life. So many people have come to our studio and have found a home and community that supports their movement journey, from the elite movers to those that are recovering from injuries and illness. We have clients from 7 – 92 years old. They come from all walks of life, but they have all benefited from the vast movement sequences that The GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Methods offer. Whether they come in person for privates or take our hybrid GYROKINESIS® classes from far away, our clients have become like family, with many of them having been with us for 20+ years, long before the studios themselves. I have Christina to thank for that. She is truly my angel. 

Pricing:

• Private Sessions range from $95 – $1200
• Master Trainer Sessions range from $145 – $1300
• GYROTONIC® classes range from $40 – $400
• GYROKINESIS® classes range from $30 – $300

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gyrotonicsouthbay.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gyrotonicsouthbay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gyrotonicsouthbay

Image Credits
Tim Denin