Our series of profiles on our team of movement teachers here at Hustle and Flow continues this week with Samantha Rispoli, a teacher who is as warm and funny as she is professional and dedicated. As a new mom, Sam brings perspective on fitting a movement practice into the business of daily duties with a baby as well as responding to the shifts in a woman’s body after she gives birth.
Check out Sam’s classes below and read on for more info on this inspiring Hustle and Flow teacher!
Teacher Spotlight: Samantha Rispoli
Teaches: Yang Bang Express, Booty Camp
How did you come to teach at Hustle and Flow?
I began teaching at Hustle and Flow a few years ago, shortly after Steph opened the studio. I had been taking Buti classes with Carla for a few years at that point, basically following her wherever she taught! Steph, Jamie and I all took our certification together but I didn’t have the guts to start instructing classes until about another year and a half later after I completed my 200-hour RYT. My first-time slot was Friday at noon and I’m still teaching that class!
What informs your movement practice and what influences do you consider key to your practice?
Music, muscle memory, and breathwork are all key components to my movement practice. I spent half my life (literally) as a cheerleader, reliant on counts and choreography and repetition in movement. Breathwork is a component that came much later in life after I began practicing yoga. Once I learned to use breath to drop deeper into my body and move through physical or mental “discomfort”, I felt something click with my body. It was this missing link to how my body made sense of movement.
What do you do to prepare for class?
Listening to music is a major part of my class preparation. It drives my energy and movement. I discover new songs and compile them into a big playlist before cherry picking my top favorites into a new list for each class. I do my most creative thinking/planning while listening to music in my car to and from work when I’m alone. I finalize my music about an hour before class and it’s pretty dependent on my mood, believe it or not.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your classes – what can we expect when we’re in the room with you, what do you hope for us to take away from your class, or what kind of music or movements are you into right now? Or anything else you’d like to tell us about your life, hobbies or interests!
I would say my classes are fun and challenging these days. After having my daughter Stella via cesarean section 8 months ago, I’ve noticed my body craving more intense, strength building movement. It’s quite a change from what how my practice looked before, which was reliant on deep stretching and flexibility (probably because it came easy to me- thank you pregnancy hormones!).
You can expect me to be a little out of breath and swearing a bit in class. I like to keep things real with you. I LOVE the way I feel when I move, sweat and work new muscles, and I’m pretty vocal about it when we’re in the thick of it. I encourage students to meet me where they are in their movement practice by offering modifications as well as more advanced options in each exercise.
Besides the intensity burst movement In my classes, I’ve been loving using resistance bands and drawing inspiration from my Barre and Pilates days. I’m rediscovering deep muscle activation in my body as it continues to recover from carrying a baby so I’m incorporating that into classes as well.
Sweat with Sam Thursday nights at 5:30 pm in Yang Bang, Fridays at Noon in Yang Bang Express and Sundays at 8:30 am in Booty Camp!
Check out the schedule to join Sam for a class this week – we’ll see you in the orange room soon!