WERQ Rep #8 – LORRIE BROOKS – CHICAGO, IL (pictured left)

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Lorrie Brooks to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #8.

Lorrie completed her WERQ Certification in March 2011 and has been teaching WERQ since September 2011. She holds a valid group fitness certification through AFAA and teaches at several fitness facilities in the downtown Chicago area.

Kiley, Lorrie, Bianca, Allison

A native of Nashville, TN, Lorrie has always had a passion for dance and fitness. At age 6 she enrolled in dance classes at a local studio in her hometown where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern and gymnastics. She also joined her middle and high school cheerleading teams.  During her freshman year in college at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville she was accepted into the University of Tennessee Dance Company.  She graduated with a degree in Advertising and moved to Detroit, MI for a year before moving to Chicago.  By day she’s an Advertising Supervisor and by night, a WERQ Instructor.

Lorrie has contributed many songs to the WERQ Choreography Library including Chasing The Sun, Two Of Us, So Good, Lights and more.  Fun fact – Most of her choreography design begins on the Chicago Public Transit System.

WERQ would like to recognize Lorrie for repping WERQ at the highest level and welcome her as a member of the WERQ Choreography QREW. WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.

CONGRATULATIONS LORRIE!

WERQ Rep #7 – BIANCA BERGER – CHICAGO, IL

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Bianca Berger to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #7.

Park City, Utah native Bianca took dance classes in grade school but did not pursue dance in high school because her time was spent training, traveling and competing in snowboarding. Bianca was a professional snowboarder competing in the halfpipe. She was on the US Jr. World Snowboard Team and competed in World Cups and the Olympic trials through 2002.  Bianca has been a certified Group Fitness Instructor for 13 years teaching in Utah, Colorado, NYC and for the past 7 years in Chicago.  Her favorite class to teach was Step because she loved creating challenging choreography…until she discovered WERQ.

Bianca loves to dance, sweat and burn calories so when she took WERQ training in October 2011 she immediately became a WERQaholic.  Bianca’s most famous WERQ Choreo contribution is WERK ME by Hypercrush which has become an anthem in WERQ Fitness classes across the country.

When not WERQing you might find Bianca traveling, recycling or saving the world one low calorie cocktail at a time (her full time job is Midwest Regional Manager for TY KU – a low calorie liquor company).

WERQ would like to recognize Bianca for repping WERQ at the highest level and welcome her as a member of the WERQ Choreography QREW. (WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.

CONGRATULATIONS BIANCA!

WERQ Rep #6 – KIM (KC) RICKENBAKER – SUMMERVILLE, SC

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Kim Rickenbaker to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #6

AAFA Certified Fitness Instructor Kim (KC) Rickenbaker believes she was destined to teach WERQ dance fitness.  ”Sometimes people, just destined, destined to do what they do…” ~Justin Timberlake.

Kim became a certified WERQ instructor in October 2011 and taught South Carolina’s very first WERQ class on January 19th, 2012. That first WERQ class doubled in size by week two and now she teaches five to six WERQ classes per week.  WERQ started at Bold Fitness in Summerville, SC and is now at two YMCA Summerville locations, Contours, East Shore Athletic Club; as well as the YMCA and Anytime Fitness in Greenwood, SC.  Julie’s heading back to SC for the 3rd SC training in April 2013 and as Kim says “This is only the beginning – SC has caught on to the WERQ craze!”

Kim was selected by WERQ Fitness Headquarters to help launch the WERQ Old Skool format. She has been responsible for hundreds of new WERQaholics in SC, is a frequent contributor to the WERQ Fitness Blog, mentors new WERQ Instructors in South Carolina and is constantly looking for ways to grow the brand.  She has contributed several songs of choreography to the WERQ Old Skool library including Tush, Footloose, Like I Love You and Super Freak.

WERQ would like to recognize Kim for repping WERQ at the highest level and welcome her as a member of the WERQ Choreography QREW. (WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.)

CONGRATULATIONS KIM!

WERQ Rep #5 – ALLISON MECHER – CHICAGO, IL

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Allison Mecher to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #5.

Allison spent her childhood as a competitive figure skater and has also had ten years of studio training in jazz, hip hop, and ballet. She was a member of the Primo Dance Troupe at the University of Illinois and continued to take dance classes at various studios in Chicago as she studied at Chicago-Kent School of Law. After starting her career as an attorney and spending most of her day at a desk, Allison craved a fun group dance fitness class and decided to try WERQ with WERQ Master Trainer and Co-Creator, Julie Steffen. She was hooked instantly and the rest is history.

After a few months as a WERQ student, Allison made the leap from student to Instructor and obtained her WERQ certification in October 2011. She also holds a current AFAA Primary Group Fitness Certification.

Allison has co-choreographed several songs in the WERQforce library including Let’s Go, Titanium and Young, Wild and Free, but contributes choreography primarily for the WERQ Old Skool library.

WERQ would like to recognize Allison for repping WERQ at the highest level and welcome her as a member of the WERQ Choreography QREW. (WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.)

CONGRATULATIONS ALLISON!

WERQ Rep #3 – KATE FARLEY – BLOOMINGTON, IL

Kate Farley (pictured left) with her partner in WERQ crime, Pam Morbitzer at afterWERQ in Bloomington, IL.

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Kate Farley to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #3.  Kate became a fitness instructor in early 2006, completed WERQ Instructor training in September 2011 and currently teaches in the Bloomington, IL area.  She holds a valid group fitness certification through AFAA and is studying for her ACE Certified Personal Trainer Certification.

Kate’s video application to WERQ Fitness as part of her WERQ Rep Application was absolutely fierce.  We saw a love of WERQ that came through the camera.  She faced her class and appropriately instructed on her left side so her participants could dance right lead.  We saw appropriate use of WERQ Choreography and appropriate layering used to help her students achieve.  Perhaps most impressive, KATE NEVER MISSED A CUE.  Both her vocal cues and her non-verbal cues were spot on the 2 beat, precise and engaging.

Kate’s known around Bloomington for teaching special 2 hour WERQ classes – this girl just loves to WERQ and WERQ hard.  Some more random trivia about Kate:  She went to Illinois State University, works a full time job at State Farm Insurance, has 2 Great Danes and loves baking and cooking.  [WERQ says:  Good thing she loves to cook - even WERQ Reps must refuel after 2 hour WERQ classes!]

WERQ would like to recognize Kate for repping WERQ at the highest level.

Pam Morbitzer and Kate Farley

WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.

CONGRATULATIONS KATE!

WERQ Rep #2 – KAREN OSBORNE – CHICAGO, IL

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Karen Osborne to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #2.  

Karen completed WERQ Instructor Training in May 2011 and has been teaching in the Bloomington area since June 2011. She holds a valid group fitness certification through AFAA. Karen has been in the fitness industry for over 20 years and teaches countless formats – including, gasp, advanced step.

Karen teaches primarily for 4 Seasons Health and Fitness Clubs in Bloomington but you can also find “Professor Karen” teaching WERQ as a P.E. Credit class at Illinois Wesleyan University.  Karen is a University of Iowa grad, a former Elementary Ed teacher, and a mom of 4 (NinaClaire, Owen, Sophie and Ella). If you follow Karen’s adventures on Facebook, you’ll quickly notice how committed she is to furthering the WERQ brand.  Her inner teacher still appears regularly – she’s known to put WERQ stickers on almost everything including most recently, Champagne glasses filled with Gatorade at a New Years Day event.

Karen has hosted 2 highly successful afterWERQ events in Bloomington bringing WERQ Master Trainer Julie Steffen down from Chicago to WERQ it with 60 people!  She had helped to put together 2 Bloomington trainings and traveled to Las Vegas with WERQ Master Trainer Haley Stone and Julie Steffen to help present WERQ at Club Industry in October 2012. Karen and Julie have worked together on the Choreography for several WERQ songs – most notably Everybody Talks, Heart Skips A Beat, and Beauty and A Beat.

WERQ would like to recognize Karen for repping WERQ at the highest level. (WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.)

CONGRATULATIONS KAREN!

WERQ Rep #1 – KILEY ELFRING – CHICAGO, IL

Mary, Haley (+Baby), Kiley

WERQ Fitness would like to welcome Kiley Elfring to the WERQ Rep Program as WERQ Rep #1.

Kiley completed her WERQ Certification March 20, 2011 and has been teaching WERQ since May 2011.  She holds a valid group fitness certification through AFAA.  Kiley teaches primarily for Mazi Dance Fitness in Chicago, IL’s Bucktown neighborhood but also teaches for Midtown Athletic Club, Cheetah Gyms and ENRGi Fitness.  Kiley has also taught with Haley and Julie at many afterWERQ events in the Chicagoland area over the last 2 years.

Kiley has been dancing since age 4 and has 10 years of training in tap, ballet, jazz and pointe.  She was a member of her high school Pom Squad and also the University of Notre Dame Pom Squad from 2004 to 2008. After graduation and a move to Chicago, Kiley took a full-time job as an architect.

WERQ would like to say a special THANK YOU to Kiley for teaching WERQ at the highest level and for her choreography contributions to the WERQforce library!  We think it is probably safe to say her favorite WERQ genre is Hip Hop.  It’s well known among the WERQ Choreography QREW that Kiley calls dibs on Chris Brown.

WERQ Reps are WERQ Instructors hand-selected by WERQ Fitness due to their commitment to the WERQ format, mastery of cueing and star power.  WERQ Reps must pass a video audition, must pass a written application and must demonstrate a mastery of cueing and the WERQ brand.  To be considered email info@werqfitness.com.

CONGRATULATIONS KILEY!!!!!