BURLESQUERCISE PRESENTS:
The Foxy Tammy Kalenchuk
2009-08-17
Diva Di is the Queen at making a woman feel comfortable in her own skin using her talents of humor and genuine warmth creating a positive and safe environment for women to explore all of the fabulous attributes we all possess! "
Thanks!
(5) Comments
The Foxy Judy Dunsmuir
2009-04-21
Wanted to thank you again for a wonderful class!
I think I might have told you that I've got a bad back...last year I threw my back out 5 or 6 different times with weeks of recovery after each. I have a bad disc in my lower back and I kept reinjuring my back before it was recovered which lengthened my recovery considerably. I have a number of back exercises that I can do when I know things are not quite right but I find it hard to keep them going. Your core strengthening portion of the class has some similar exercises to my physio recommended ones and the other ones have all helped my back strength. I find that my core is slowly but steadily getting stronger.
Your class, with your great attitude and great music and such amazing support for all that we all are has really helped me. I feel stronger both in my body and in my soul...okay, my sexy soul...I didn't think I'd ever move like that in the light...and in a room with a lot of other women! But I just feel more confident in my skin. I was feeling bad because I'm so out of shape and it's always been a struggle to make workouts regular. I was feeling so self conscious to start. Now, I'm looking forward to more practice and to finally showing my hubby what we've all been up to these past six weeks.
So, yes, I still love the honey jar and the sailors who don't speak english, but I also loved the ab work, the dance warmup, the sexifying, the routine and just having something to do that was fun and made me feel better about myself. I've also found myself walking around my office pulling my stomach in to my spine. Makes me feel like I'm helping myself a little bit more every day. I'm also going to set time aside each week to just dance...for fun!
Thank you!
Judy
(0) Comments
The Foxy Beth Larocque
2009-03-30
If you love music, dance moves and want to find the ‘new you’ that’s been hiding inside, Burlesquercise is for you!
In November 2007 I read a newspaper article about an exercise class called Burlesquercise. I was immediately intrigued by the concept and anxious to see what it was all about. It took only one class for me to be convinced that this was what I needed in my life to provide an enjoyable form of exercise and an opportunity to become empowered at the same time. My self-esteem needed some bolstering and support; Di’s class has certainly given reassurance that I am a beautiful human being, able to love myself for who I am and what I believe in.
An exercise program was long overdue in my life. Having tried almost every style out there, I was always searching for one that involved dance and dance music. I have always believed that dance movements, postures and skills provide fantastic basics for strength, balance, poise and self-confidence. Being a shy type I was reluctant to get involved in a realm where others appeared so qualified. Di not only has a high level of skill in dance, she has a personality that makes her students feel valued, supported and good about themselves. I now feel an increased level of confidence and acceptance of self while recognizing that I, too, have very positive qualities. It’s really all about attitude – feeling good and looking great!
The road isn’t always easy --- we work hard!! However, we have tons of fun! The laughter and camaraderie within the group when we are trying to learn those dance steps is truly the best support anyone could get. I look forward to my weekly class on Sunday mornings and always come away feeling rejuvenated, energized and sexy!
Many Thanks, Di, for your commitment to the dance world, ongoing support to your students and great sense of humor that makes it all so much fun.
Sincerely,
Beth Larocque
(9348) Comments
The Foxy Meghan Skeet
2009-03-02
I've been taking Burlesquercise since the beginning!
I came across an advertisement for the class and decided to give it a whirl. I have been hooked ever since.
This class is just pure fun. The workout at the start of the class is a great way to start the morning. It is both challenging and fun at the same time and you feel great afterwards. But of course, my favorite part is the dance routine. The routines Di creates are just amazing. They really unleash the performer in you.
The best part is the confidence you gain. It is such an inspirational environment filled with a bunch of amazing women. There are always lots of laughs, especially when there is an appearance by Deva Dave.
I am really excited to be a part of The Little Vegas Dance Company and look forward to performing and spreading the word about Burlesquercise. After all, God wouldn't have given you Maracas, if he didn't want you to shake them!!
(1) Comments
The Foxy Nancy Situ
2009-02-23
All throughout the tentative and influential years of growing up, I was an outcast by choice.
Accustomed to the idea that standing out more than I already did would make my life a living social hell, I never stepped outside of my little shell -- especially not on a stage. As a part of a volunteering gig, a few friends and I formed a little dance troupe that would perform one number for the volunteer's appreciation dinner. It never went further than that, but the thrill of the audience cheering was exhilarating.
When I started with Di's burlesque class, there was no swanky website, and not even a classy logo for it. I'd heard about the very first class by word of mouth, and that it had been a blast to be a part of. From the second class on, I made sure to take part, and in the span of a year and a half, Di has transformed me. Now, there *is* a logo, a fancy website, even more courses, and a performance dance company! This has caught on so fast and so furiously that classes are always booked up, and the veterans of past sessions recognize each other, and share that knowing look.
I have always loved dance, but I was never formally trained in anything past casual lessons. One of Diana's biggest lessons that stuck most was that there is no right way to be yourself, and you extend that through your movement on the dance floor. Through her sexy (and that means naughty) choreography, I've freed my body from its casually polite movement to something more.
My friends see it in the way I dance to music; my colleagues see it in the way I walk down the halls and through the desks. Di's classes gave me my confidence, the spring and bounce in my step, and has moved my love of expression through movement past that line on the floor between dancing in my room and dancing out in public.
Beware, her classes awaken the little tiger in your cage, and when it starts pawing at the bars, you can feel it.
(41) Comments
The Foxy Janet McIver
2009-01-07
I have been taking Burlesquercise for one year now and it has changed my life, in more ways than I would have ever thought possible. Here I am at 44 years old and I have a whole new attitude on life thanks to Di.
Ever since I was a little girl I was chubby and all I ever heard from my Dad was “you would be so much prettier if you would only lose weight.” I, like many other girls soon learned that food could be comforting when the going got tough. Then when I was 13 years old I slipped on of all things a hardwood floor and tore the ligaments in my right knee. When I was 14 I slipped on ice and cracked all three bones in my right ankle and spent many a year babying my right leg. So when I started having pain in both knees in my thirties, an x-ray showed that I had osteoarthritis in both knees and at 37 I was told that I did not qualify for knee replacement surgery for 13 years. My physical therapist taught me how to do everyday stuff to help but he told me the best form of exercise would be the one that I enjoyed. After trying many different gyms and programs I was ready to give up (when you can’t walk up and down stairs due to pain), then I read an interesting article in the paper about burlesquercise.
Now I have to digress a moment here as when I turned 39 I met an amazing man who told me I was sexy no matter what… however his three stepsons had a thing or two to say to my face about a woman in her 40s who was confident in her sexiness and herself. I found myself digressing in that I didn’t wear the clothes that I wanted to wear and was again unsure of whom I was.
Let’s just say, last January when I started taking Di’s classes (my Dr said why not give them a try), and I have found that I can be sexy and be confident in who I am as a person and if you don’t like it well then tough s*&t ( ok so I did compromise and not wear a bustier in the stepsons’ presence) but I am glad to be back as the person I want to be.
Deva Dave told us we own the sidewalks of Calgary (we pay taxes) and so walk like we do. One of the ladies at work and I were discussing Vegas and I was telling her that I had done the backstage tour of Bally’s Jubilee and had learned how to do the cancan and the showgirl walk. She said show me and I did in the front hallway-and I even threw in the model strut Deva Dave taught us in class (ok so one of the guys caught me and I just laughed ). This is not something the old Janet would have done!
The picture you see of me is my attempt at doing Naughty Nasty Boy (one of the routines we learned in class) for my husband…ok so I couldn’t do the whole thing without giggling halfway through, but I tried and I felt good about doing it. I was confident enough in myself to do it (and I was confident enough with myself to have a picture taken).
Ladies if you want to have some fun exercising and learning about yourself then take Di’s classes. You not only get a good cardio work out and pilates session but you also learn about your body and how to be comfortable with it. I miss my Sunday’s when we don’t have classes… yes I even have to say I miss those crazy 100s. I have to wear bandages on both my knees to do it but I have to say I enjoy it and I can walk up and down the stairs the next day without the pain. I have even learned that there are graceful ways to get up and down off the floor during the routines!
This is not only an exercise class, it is also a confidence booster, a way to show your inner and outer sexiness and it is also a support group in so many ways (does the “circle of sexiness” intrigue you) I laugh at myself and learn at the same time. I have already registered for the chair classes… my knees are saying no but I will be there. I thank Di for being there for us and being who she is as a woman and saying it’s great to be sexy and having the confidence to show it.
Janet
(20) Comments
The Foxy Marie Claude Lafleur
2009-01-04
What an amazing effect these classes have had on me!!
My name is Marie-Claude, I'm an accountant, and you know what they say about accountants… boring, plain and too much down to earth. Well… that was a little bit true for me, until I started taking Di's Burlesque classes. I've also been a ballroom dancer for 18 years, but never have I had the Passion of dancing like the one Di gave me after I started with her. The sexiness, the confidence in yourself and the consciousness of your own abilities without being shy to show them, that's all precious gifts that I received with Di's classes. Thanks Di for inspiring us and for your contagious smile!
Quel effet incroyable ces cours ont eu sur moi!! Mon nom est Marie-Claude, je suis comptable, et vous savez ce qu'ils disent à propos des comptables… ennuyeux, ordinaires et trop terre à terre. Et bien… c'était un peu vrai pour moi, jusqu'à ce que je suive les cours de Diana. J'ai aussi commencé à faire de la danse internationale il y a 18 ans, mais jamais ne n'ai eu la Passion de la danse comme celle que Diana m'a transmise. Être sexy, avoir confiance en soi et être consciente de ses propres habiletés sans être gênée de les montrer, ce sont tous de précieux cadeaux que j'ai reçus par les cours avec Diana. Merci Diana pour nous inspirer et pour ton sourire contagieux!
(2) Comments
The Foxy Sandra Jones
2008-12-26
Congratulations Di!
It is so wonderful to see something be successful! Yes, women need to learn to delight in our differences from men and told it’s okay to be feminine and strong (not aggressive). We have generations of women that need to learn how to feminine without being a doormat.
Thanks Di and best wishes.
Sandra Jones
(2) Comments
The Foxy Cheri Finch
2008-12-01
To those craving the confidence they've always wanted in themselves:
Don't wait... Call Now...Trust me, you will never regret that phone call and you too will become a Diva Di believer.
I have been lucky enough to enjoy Di's various burlesquercise classes for over a year and half now. I started with being a sceptic, being 40 lbs overweight, worrying that someone would see me, and thinking I couldn't do it or I didn't have the time. All that would soon become a thing of the past, and I would be so excited to attend classes weekly and give it my all. I'm now motivated and I've started to take better care of myself not just for me, but for my family also.
You too can gain more confidence in yourself just by stepping through that door; I know I've been there. I have so many memories of leaving class with my sides hurting, not just from exercising but also from laughing and enjoying myself with other ladies that are or have been in similar positions as myself. You will gain a better perspective of yourself, and realize you're beautiful, there's nothing you really can't do no matter what your size. Your home life, work life, personal life, will all improve as you carry yourself with that positive confidence.
I had some friends and my daughter join me whom was not in need of great exercise and they too learned so much about themselves and their capabilities. I found it to be a great mother-daughter outing. Remember if we don't watch our figure, no one else will.
I hope to see you at class in the near future
Sincerely,
C. Finch
Supervisor
Major Calgary Corporation
(55) Comments
