Stef (Mrs. S) is from Santa Maria, California and has bounced back and forth from the West Coast to the East Coast. Most of her dance training was in California, where she began training in all the classical styles of dance at the age of three. She grew up performing in numerous recitals, The Nutcracker, and competitions in the L.A. area. She went on to audition and accept an offer with the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine, which is one of the top college dance schools in the nation.

After receiving a bachelor's degree in dance, she cheered for the Patriots and performed at Super Bowl 49 against the Seahawks. She then transitioned from performer to coach, and coached Varsity cheerleading at a local high school near her hometown. This led to an interest in school teaching. She then attended Brandman University, where she received a teacher's license in physical education and health science and taught in the public school setting for several years.

Her love for Zumba started as an after-work hobby that quickly turned into more! She received her ZUMBA license in 2020 and opened her studio shortly after. She operates the studio during the evening hours and you can also catch her making sales for CHAMPION teamwear during the daytime hours, where she primarily designs/sells dance team uniforms, cheer uniforms, and other sports wear. Her most rewarding aspect of her life, though, is being a mother to two baby boys "Irish Twins" (one year apart).

Additional performances and works include the following: host of the Adult Zumba Summer Intensive, Zumba Kids World Tour hosted by Stephanie Sanabria, Encore Dance Academy, Newport Platinum Dance Academy, World Class Cheer, Huntington Beach Playhouse's Seussical the Musical, and freelance choreography for St. Joseph High School Dance Team and Righetti High School Dance Team and JV Cheer.

Hello, my name is Annabella Brown! I am currently going to school to be a hair stylist and am an alumni of Granby Junior Senior High School, where I was a member of the volleyball and lacrosse teams. One of my biggest passions is dance, and I have danced for a total of 12 years. I'm happy to be fostering that passion onto young dancers. I hope dance impacts their lives just as much as it did for me.

I was a top ranking solosit for FITnesse at various dance competitions, and I have traveled to NYC for dance. I was also a member of the dance company at Footloose Dance Studio here in Western Massachusetts. Building friendships and learning from those around me helped me grow into the, now teacher, that I am today. I hope to see you and your kids at FITnesse soon!

Angela was born and raised in Scotland. She grew up with a love of dance; studying ballet, tap, and jazz throughout her childhood. As a teenager, she accompanied her Mum to line dancing classes. This led to her placing in the top 10 of a national choreography competition. She discovered Zumba in 2010 when a friend invited her to work out with her along to a DVD. It was what she had been searching for for a long time, a workout that was fun and energizing that didn't feel like exercise. She continued her journey as a Zumba student, taking Zumba classes internationally, and getting involved in many Zumbathons, until an opportunity presented itself in 2019 to get certified to teach. Without hesitation, she was signed up and ready to take the next step: to bring her passion for Zumba to others.

Soon after becoming certified, gyms started closing due to the pandemic, so she first started teaching through Zoom. As gyms started opening again, she found teaching and subbing opportunities locally. She teaches each week at the Scantic Valley Y, and was delighted to join the FITnesse team in September 2022.

Ready for new challenges, Angela got certified in Aqua Zumba in July 2021, and most recently in Strong Nation in March 2022.

She enjoys nothing more than getting to teach after a long day at the office. She is the office administrator for an Edward Jones Investments branch. She is also mom to 3 boys, a dog and a cat. In her leisure, she enjoys traveling to new places, getting lost in a good book, and exploring nature.

She looks forward to welcoming you to her class Tuesdays at 6:15pm!

Briana is currently studying business at Holyoke Community College. She is an alumni of Belchertown High School, where she played for the Varsity soccer team. Briana has been dancing since the age of 3 and started dancing competitively at the age of 8. She holds a regional dance title with DDA and is a top ranking competitive dance soloist. The last 4 years she has been teaching dance to kids ages 4-10 at a studio in Western Massachusetts. Briana specializes in many different styles of dance, and one of her goals is to own and operate her own dance studio someday. Briana wants to share the passion and excitement she has for dance with her students.   

Marissa is an Evaluation Team Leader at South Hadley Public Schools. She studied Psychology at Lynn University and received her Masters in Childhood and Special Education at Long Island University. She is a mother of two beautiful children and they keep her very busy!! She grew up dancing, was a member of her college dance team, and is a licensed Zumba ZIN. She usually teaches the Thursday night Zumba class here at FITnesse! Reach out to join in on the FUN!