Brenna Mirae, Owner/Artistic Director, Pole Instructor
Dance has been a big part of my life ever since I was a child. My mother saw my potential and nurtured this obvious love of movement. I’m fortunate to have a childhood full of traditional dance and gymnastics experience, from jazz to ballet, modern and belly dance, I have studied many styles.
Dance is all I ever wanted to do, so it was natural for me to transition to the clubs. I began my journey as a pole dancer in 1999 in Tucson, Arizona. From the beginning, I saw pole dance as the beautiful and graceful art form it is.
In 2007, I decided that more than anything I wanted to teach dance—and pole dance especially. It was my hope to help this kind of dance leave the clubs, where it was stigmatized and looked down upon, and help it find legitimacy in the dance world.
I truly believe that pole changes lives, and that in connecting to this art form people are better able to connect with their bodies and find strength and power inside, and as a Licensed Massage Therapist of fifteen years, helping people connect with their bodies is a lifelong passion of mine. At Kinetic Arts Tucson, I am able to blend my knowledge and of anatomy and kinesiology, to create unique offerings that help to empower people to build confidence and to improve their lives.
Rori Chacon, Pole Instructor
Rori’s love of fitness came at an early age. From doing Richard Simmons videos and “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” with her mom, to rock climbing and surfing, she always loved to stay active. This busy mama of two runs a food truck, an aspiring graphic design business, and teaches little ones to swim. Her favorite part of the day though? Pole class, of course! If you could wear hats while hanging upside down, Rori would be wearing them all!
Knowledgeable, personable, and full of energy, Rori has a passion for helping people to realize their goals and stay optimistic despite any obstacles that may come their way. When she’s not spotting a student, creating a campaign, or helping our wonderful clients, you can find her crafting magical creations, watching her husband and son on the baseball field, or choreographing cool pole routines with her daughter.
Anna Mirocha, Pole Instructor
Anna was born and raised in Tucson, which she loves and will always come home to, no matter where she might travel. Her biggest passions are the environment, writing, biking, animals, art … and of course pole, which she started in 2015 and has been hopelessly addicted to ever since.
Anna loves meeting new people and spreading the word about how pole has changed her life. Building strength and flexibility through this art and sport (and learning tricks she’d have thought were impossible when she started!) has made her infinitely more confident in general and more comfortable with her body.
Anna is excited about exploring the sensual side of pole and loves showing students how amazing it can be to explore exotic pole with a fun teacher and encouraging fellow students. In the studio, she’s either barefoot or in 8-inch heels.
Pole has also helped her physically and psychologically recover from an accident in which her left leg was run over by a semi-truck. When she sometimes still has pain in that leg, pole lets her rise above it.
Anna’s still learning a lot about the different sides aspects of pole, but that’s one of the best things about it, in her opinion: “You never stop growing because pole is a process, a never-ending story that’s usually exciting, sometimes hard, almost always fun, and fulfilling without fail.” Join her on her journey by starting your own.
Katie Ottley, Dance and Fitness Instructor
Katie developed a love of dance as a teenager after reading about the life and career of the famed dancer, Martha Graham. Her love of dance transformed into a passion for performing as she danced with a local troupe as a young adult. Expression through movement became a life-long focus.
In 2010, Katie found a new niche as a fitness instructor. She took her dance experience into the fitness industry as a cardio dance instructor. As a certified personal trainer, Katie spent the next several years helping people improve their strength and overall fitness level leading group fitness and cardio dance classes.
In 2014, Katie discovered a form of fitness which allowed her to combine her passion for dance and performance with her love of fitness after taking her first pole class. From there, she began to also train on the aerial hoop (Lyra) which quickly became her favorite aerial apparatus. Today, she continues to train as an aerial artist. Katie is excited to share her passion and knowledge with students at Kinetic Arts Tucson.
Shawn Calendine, Gymnastics Instructor
Shawn Calendine has enjoyed a lifetime of athletics participating in an array of sports such as baseball, wrestling, diving, and running. However, Shawn’s most notable athletic endeavor was gymnastics. During three seasons with Coach Yoichi Tomita at Gym World in Tucson, Arizona, Shawn learned the process of success through rigorous training and self-determination. In 1987, Shawn won the Arizona State Championship for gymnastics and went on to compete at nationals. Following his competitive years, Shawn developed a love of coaching and spent the next 15 years as a competitive woman’s gymnastics coach and USGS judge. Many of Shawn’s teams and gymnasts went on to win state and regional championships.
In 2009, Shawn’s daughter Sage introduced him to the sport synchronized swimming. Seeing the connection between synchronized swimming and gymnastics, he began working with the girls on strength training and basic gymnastics skills that would improve their performance in the water. Shawn then went on to become a figures judge and levels judge and now judges synchronized swimming events in the state of Arizona.
Professionally, Shawn studied Environmental Science and Biology at Northern Arizona University and Portland State University before beginning a career in the geosciences.
“My goal is to instill others with self-motivational skills, promote acceptance and respect for all people and support ideas that make the world a better place.”
– Shawn Calendine