Danielle

Turn Up Dance Fitness Instructor

Hello Everyone,

My name is Danielle and I am a Turn Up Fitness Instructor, who believes we can achieve better health in dance.

What is Turn Up Dance Fitness?

Turn Up Dance Fitness is a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) inspired dance fitness workout. You will Work, Shake, Flex, and Slay your way through a fun, challenging workout that will get you results.

Even though it had always been my dream to operate my own dance studio, it was a dream that simply remained a wish for many years. In 2009, I found myself extremely unhappy and working a stressful job which left little time for dance. As a result, I developed poor eating habits, became overweight, suffered from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and pre-diabetes, and I always felt stressed. I hated the way I felt and the way I looked. When my doctor recommended medication for my mounting health issues, I decided it was time to make room for what I loved – DANCE; my natural stress reliever! By making time for dance again, I was finally motivated to take control of my health.

Realizing how hard it was to find a single facility that offered affordable, effective, fun, quality dance and fitness classes and provided a sense of community, my love for dance was born.

Jennifer Graham

Jennifer is a 4th generation dancer

Jennifer is a 4th generation dancer who has been teaching children and adults for over 30 years.

She began her career as a dancer,

working with local South Jersey groups such as:

The Young Entertainers, The Atlantic City Dance Co-op and was a cheerleader for the

Atlantic City Card Sharks.

Jennifer’s dancers have performed her choreography in the Miss America Parades, Disney, Carnegie Hall and London, the latter during the 2016 Olympics. She has taught classes in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Tap and some Irish dancing.  She has used that knowledge to transition into fitness.

Jennifer is certified with AAIISMA in Group Fitness, Step and Mat Pilates. She was a fitness instructor in South Jersey before moving to Sussex County in 2021. Where she was teaching ca variety of formats: Step, Cardio Kickboxing, TRX, Strength Training, Pilates, Aerobics, Circuit Training and more.

Alice Nash

Yoga Instructor

Alice discovered yoga years ago, but really recognized the amazing benefits when she found relief from professional and personal stresses in her life. During the pandemic, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a yoga instructor. As an RYT 200 yoga teacher, she has taught community yoga, and chair yoga, and offered private instruction. She continues to study yoga to deepen her knowledge and practice. 

She enjoys nature and has always been interested in health and wellness. In addition to yoga, Alice enjoys hiking, playing pickleball, attending dance fitness classes, and participating in orienteering events. One fun fact about Alice is that she has appeared as an extra in a few TV shows. She previously worked as a school counselor for many years and currently works part-time for Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. She also loves spending time with her 4 grandchildren! 

She believes yoga is a personal journey that includes flexibility, strength, breathing, meditation, and finding your inner peace. Her classes include some Vinyasa flow and are open to all. Every Body can benefit from yoga!

Cruzita Carrillo

Owner/ Lead Instructor

I am a Health and Wellness coach with a love for dance and music. I believe the movement of the body is important to physical and spiritual well-being.

Music brings us all together and lifts our spirits so for me dance perfectly combines movement, fitness, and spiritual upliftment we all need in life. My primary musical influences are old-school hip-hop, R&B, Motown, the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90’s. I trained with celebrity choreographers and movement coaches including, Jenzi Russell, Kim Hunter, and Katie Moore. My other interests include singing and music performance.

I have always loved dancing. We lacked the resources to formally allow me to train when I was younger, but that did not stop me. Growing up in the 80s allowed me to study dance through the television, which I did avidly in my living room. I was always dancing and often won the talent shows at school for my dance moves. Later, when I sought a singing career, I had the opportunity to study with a private Choreographer which again allowed my love of dance to shine.

Vanessa Ramos

VXN Dance

Vanessa Ramos has over a decade of experience in the world of fitness. Throughout her career, she has worked in several different capacities, ranging from intimate one-to-one sessions to larger group classes.

During her introductory years, she worked as a personal trainer at a well-known gym facility, where her main focus was weight training.  While she enjoyed the intimacy of personal strength training, she soon became drawn to other aspects of fitness.  She began to teach classes such as Spin and Zumba.  With a longstanding background as a dancer, it’s no surprise Vanessa gravitated towards classes which combined two of her major passions: fitness and dance. Her latest endeavor, VXN, began around 2014.

VXN is a performance-inspired dance-fitness and lifestyle brand that is designed to invigorate all who engage with it.  Vanessa is a firm believer in the brand’s ability to strengthen both one’s physical and mental well-being.  She is passionate about empowering people and inspiring them to be the best version of themselves, mind body and soul.

These days, Vanessa is happily married and is a mother of two.  While her home life certainly keeps her busy, she will always find time to expand her horizons.  So, when she is not busy teaching and emboldening her children, you can find Vanessa front-and-center of a class or pursuing a new fitness certification.  Vanessa believes personal growth is a never-ending process. And, she is here to encourage you as you embark on your own personal-growth journey.

Julie Reese

Grit N Grace Pregnant and Postpartum Fitness Total Body Functional Training Class Personal Trainer

I am a certified personal trainer with a passion for helping people fall in love with movement. I was a dancer from the age of 3 to 21. After that, I started kickboxing and loved how empowered it made me feel. I even became a Professional Boxer for a short time.

In 2011 I was introduced to CrossFit. It became a new passion to train and Coach in this sport, with certifications in CrossFit (Levels 1 & 2), Kettlebell, Strongman, Olympic lifting, Scaling and Anatomy I have coached full-time and part-time ever since. In 2019, I had my first son and experienced pregnancy and postpartum for the first time.

Having such an athletic background, I was still unprepared for the setbacks and recovery. This inspired me to become a Pregnant and Postpartum Certified Coach. In my classes I want you to feel confident in your own body no matter what season of life you are in. I want you to feel proud of what you can accomplish. Most importantly, I want you to have fun doing it.