Meet Chad Dennis and Jennifer Perry of ROAM in Silverlake + Frogtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Dennis and Jennifer Perry.

Established in 2017, ROAM [an acronym for Rivers Oceans And Mountains], is a husband and wife owned boutique yoga studio located in Silverlake and Frogtown. Chad has been practicing yoga for over 30 years and teaching for over 20. Jenn, once considered one of the premier contemporary dancers in the country, has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for 12. Chad’s love of Kinesiology and Anatomy and Jenn’s passion for all things movement makes for a powerful and transformative combination…

ROAM was really born out of necessity. Chad and Jenn wanted/needed a space where they could teach classes based on multiple decades of studying with some of the most respected teachers in the world. ROAM classes pay homage and respect to the East and the past with heavy influences and nods of gratitude to Ashtanga and Iyengar [considered by many to be the two pillars of modern-day yoga]… However, ROAM classes are also exceedingly forward and Western-thinking in their deep appreciation and application of the most cutting-edge concepts revolving around kinesiology, anatomy, exercise physiology and physical therapy. Like all things, yoga ROAM classes attempt to marry/yoke elements of time endured practices with those that look forward into the future. East meets West. Art meets Science.

Over the last two years, Chad and Jenn feel so exceedingly blessed to have been a part of building such an amazing and vibrant community.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like all roads [especially here in LA] opening your own business can be smooth one second and then exceedingly bumpy and filled with potholes the next. Opening a yoga studio in LA is not for the faint of heart. To be a successful business [least of all financially] and to build an authentic organic feeling community takes a tremendous amount of time and energy on the front end. In the last two years my wife and I both left large positions at another yoga studio, took over a building in Silverlake, did significant construction, opened our first location, got pregnant, took over a former Buddhist Meditation Center in Frogtown, did even more significant construction, opened and moved into this center, and had another baby. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. The struggles [I guess if you want to call them that], for me, are really just life. Meaning the struggles and complexities of juggling trying to grow a business that feels community-based and conscious [and everything that comes with that] and trying to be a parent that is fully present for their children [school/activities/nutrition/nurturing etc.] can be deeply challenging on so many levels. I [and I think I can speak for my wife] however wouldn’t give either of these up for the world. Right now it’s just beautiful chaos.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about ROAM – what should we know?
“ROAM, established by husband and wife team Chad Dennis and Jennifer Perry – two of LA’s most sought after and respected yoga teachers – aspires to bring 35 years of combined yoga and movement experience into a small and intimate community setting.

Nestled in the heart and soul of the up-and-coming Virgil Village pocket of Silverlake, we are a yoga and community space for all people, of all faiths, of all colors, of all shapes, of all sizes, creeds, and orientations. To both honor and celebrate this uniqueness, ROAM teachers come from a broad spectrum of lineages and modalities, offering something for everybody and everybody.

We offer a variety of alignment based Vinyasa classes as well as Restorative, Yin, Kirtan, and Meditation. All ROAM classes, basics or advanced, pride themselves in marrying art with science – exquisite sequencing with a deep knowledge of the human body. Allow the soundtrack of your breath to be your guide or practice to beautifully and purposely curated music. Be prepared to be inspired, uplifted and transformed.”

What I am most proud of as a company is that I truly believe that what my wife and I set out to “build” has been realized and then some. To help build a community that welcomes all and to provide a beautiful space where people can not only heal themselves but also help those around them. When someone comes up to me after a class, with tears in their eyes, and says thank you so so much for teaching with such love and intention and for building such a safe space and community my heart literally melts.

What sets us apart from others is our deep, deep attention to detail in the way we teach and construct classes and our very unique yet very anatomically intelligent sequencing. Students often come up after class and say they feel like they just took an amazing journey.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Believe in your vision. Make decisions from your heart more often than from your head. And never react or say things from a place of fear and/or anger.

Contact Info:

• Address: 650 North Hoover
  Los Angeles, CA 90004
• Website: www.roamla.com
• Phone: 323-522-6588
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @roamlosangeles

Image Credit:
Steve Erle – Photographer Extraordinaire

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