Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Espinoza
Hi Gabriela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My dance story started as far back as I can remember, attending family gatherings and school performances. But I most connected to dance attending gym classes when the influence of Brazilian pop culture surged through Latin America’s dance scene. This style of dance had an element of choreography linked to the lyrics of the song. It was sort of instructional in some ways and was mixed with Samba footwork and fun hip isolations. My sister and I were naturally inclined to this style and started leading classes at various gyms and dance studios in Bolivia.
Fast forward to us moving to the United States and unable to find anything similar to what we had discovered, we decided to bring it to the gyms of the DMV (DC Maryland Virginia) area ourselves by customizing the class into a high-energy cardio dance class injected with elements of the dance style we loved back home.
And that’s how Sensazao (sen-suh-zow) was born. My sister Jazmin and I co-taught and spread our love for dance and well-being. Our brand grew to the point we opened our own Sensazao Studio, and our classes popularity grew enormously over the years.
As we spent our days dancing, we saw the powerful effects of our Sensazao classes on people’s lives, and that gave us the drive to make people happier by expanding our small team. So, we certified instructors to teach our classes in the DMV, created an online studio so people could dance from home or from far away outside of the physical studio. In fact, years later, we eventually closed our brick-and-mortar studio so we could spread our brand further online and in person in other cities. Our instructors still teach at gyms and studios in both America and other countries around the world.
So, I moved to LA, where I currently teach twice a week at LA DanceFit Studio in Westwood. This class is quickly growing, and I have started certifying Sensazao instructors who love and believe in Sensazao as much as we do. Everyone is welcome, and your first class is free. So come check us out!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. We are still trying to figure out many things as a small business in a very competitive fitness world. We are very fortunate to have found passionate people that helped us keep Sensazao alive and strong. It also helps that we get to dance and inspire along the way.
We’ve been impressed with Sensazao, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sensazao means Sensation in Portuguese. What you can expect when you come to class is a follow-along format. We start with Baile Funk (Brazilian Hip Hop kind of) basic groove steps, then we raise our heart rate with cardio exercises while blasting EDM mixes, and finally, we go over Samba footwork basics through fun choreographies. We also add Reggaeton, twerking, and full-body isolations.
We are proud to have created a class where you can get a great cardio workout and, at the same time, learn choreographies that are fun. We repeat about 80% of the choreographies in every class so as to master it and really find joy in them. But we also add new ones to keep our memory and coordination skills sharp.
Our in-person classes are one of kind, but because we have followers who cannot make it. We offer our online studio that gives you unlimited access to various options of our class. We have themed classes by artists, such as Anitta and Major Lazer, in formats such as “Low-Impact” and “Isolations” and more!
What makes you happy?
Dance makes me really happy. Teaching, learning and sharing dance is such a gift I am grateful for.
Pricing:
- Your 1st class at LA danceFit!
- Online Studio Subscription $19.99
- Use code “SSZO24” to try 15 online classes for free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sensazao.com/gboss
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielaet77/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensazaoDanceFitness/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sensazao
Image Credits
Christina Russo
