Valerie Immore

Valerie Immore has been with Sundance Yoga Studio and the Anusara community since 2001. Valerie's journey has always been one of health and fitness and she has a strong background in many facets of the health industry beginning as early as 1985.  As soon as she found Yoga, it became her heart's ambition to teach it and enhance the lives of others with this practice as much as yoga has blessed her own life. She began her full time teaching career with children's yoga and with the faculty and staff of Alvin Independent School District on a therapeutic, gentle approach. Her yoga programs have included private classes, businesses, fitness centers and has maintained an ongoing connection to Sundance as one of the primary teachers and staff. Her training has come from several different styles of vinyasa Yoga but primarily from John Friend's Anusara Yoga. Valerie has come into the community of Sundance with the to teach and to share the beauty of yoga, and all that it reveals to us, all that it reveals within us, one beautiful moment at a time.

info@sundanceyoga.com

Instructors

Avril Forster Alex Merkowitsch Shelby Cefaratti Becky Lee Lisa Cropper

Jennifer Allen Anne Bendixen Debra Kerr Pat Kidwell Cami Hewett

Tonya Money Scott Newsom Korin Brody

Katie Dearwater John Bethscheider Heather Lewis

Avril Forster
Instructor

Avril started taking yoga at the beginning of 2002 and from the first day she was hooked!  Sundance is the only studio she has been exposed to and fortunately for her it's Anusara - Vinyasa style truly fits her needs.  After her third year of learning yoga, a lot of "ah ha" moments started to occur.  One particular moment was a growing desire to want to give back in some way, especially to the studio.  With the constant support and enthusiasm from Valerie the owner, her journey into teaching yoga began in 2005.  All the teachers at Sundance have unique styles and strengths that are brought to the studio.  She feels her "hands on" style helps you achieve your pose or go further into it with assistance. Whether it's micro movements to level out your hips or help you release tight muscles after the work day is through, the best part she has been told is the neck massage she gives each student in Savasana!

Alex Merkowitsch
Instructor

I came to the path of yoga through nudging from my therapist 4 years ago. The moment I stepped into Sundance Yoga Studio my transformation to live a more fully integrated life began. My perception of the world softened, my physical body got stronger & more flexible, my mind calmer & more balanced, and my spiritual heart opened. Yogic principles bring peace and awareness to my life that I wish to share with our students. I have studied with teachers from the Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar and Bikram traditions, though my heart & interest draw me to the Anusara method. I have attended specialty workshops in prenatal yoga, Principle based Partner Yoga, Thai Massage & yoga therapy and am committed to continue my education in the holistic health field. My main teacher and dear friend Valerie Immore, Director and Owner of Sundance Yoga Studios, paved the path into teaching with love, humor and unwavering support in every aspect of my life & teaching development. I received my teaching certification through SYS and am a registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. My objective when teaching is to ‘pay it forward’ in the hopes that each student will receive what he or she needs to live a more integrated, and present life. May your yogic journey bring you peace & happiness on and off the mat. Namaste ~

Shelby Cefaratti
Instructor

Yoga had been something that Shelby had wanted to try for quite a while… She started taking yoga classes at the gym. Within no time she was hooked and looked for a place that taught yoga exclusively. That’s when she found Yoga Institute and Raye Lynn. She attended every class that she could and soon she was taking a class almost every day. On the days without class, she enjoyed yoga at home. Her body and brain were addicted to this “new” discovery that she had made; quite obviously this was something that she needed in her life. She began to read and take workshops learning whatever she could. In doing so began to know herself on a deeper level.
She started teaching at Yoga Institute in December 2001, and is working towards her Anusara certification. Aside from teaching at YI, she also had the opportunity to teach yoga to the drama department of the local high school as well as teaching a class “Yoga for Fiber Artists” in April 2003 at the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Biennial Conference. As a teacher, she hopes to inspire her students with a playful, lighthearted, honest approach. She strives to share the lessons she has learned while opening herself to the numerous lessons her students continually teach her. Yoga is fun, challenging, rewarding, stimulating, play! It’s not rocket science, but if practiced with an open heart it can send you soaring to new heights.
Simply said, yoga for Shelby is like eating salad, reading a good book, flying a kite, creating artwork. Life wouldn't end without it, but it certainly makes her a happier, healthier person. Like the balance of Muscular and Organic Energy, as her body becomes stronger from the outside in, her spirit can grow exponentially filling my inner self with grace.

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Jennifer Allen
Instructor

Jennifer has been involved in physical fitness her whole life, but not until she found Sundance, did fitness become most important for her mind and soul. Jennifer started her yogic path in Chicago as a way to find an avenue for stress release and fitness after having a baby in 2002. After moving to Texas and becoming pregnant with her second child she found Sundance in 2006. Jennifer knew Sundance’s focus on a heart led practice was the perfect pairing with her desire to honor her physical practice.
Jennifer’s goal as a teacher is pure. She hopes to reach people’s heart. If her students receive even a small portion of the peace and clarity that yoga has brought to her life, she will feel blessed to have served the community. Jennifer traveled to Costa Rica in 2006 to complete her teachers training program and is Yoga Alliance Certified. Jennifer continues her education by attending various workshops. In October 2007 she was blessed to receive a wonderful birthday gift that took her to an Anusara/John Friend workshop in San Francisco. Jennifer is grateful to her mom, who continues to support her and make her dreams possible, as well as the rest of her family.
In October 2007 Jennifer paired up with Valerie to make Valerie’s long time dream (which soon became Jennifer’s dream) of opening a yoga studio in Pearland. Together, they look forward to serving their new community.

Lisa Cropper
Instructor

Lisa discovered Yoga in 2005 when she was looking for something to help with stress and provide some exercise. She found more than she was looking for. Lisa remembers coming home from class and telling her husband how she felt both energized and relaxed. It was truly awesome the changes it made in her, both physical and emotionally. Lisa has Rheumatoid Arthritis & Fibromyalgia and what she loves about yoga is that she can do it without judgment. Lisa realizes there are poses she will never be able to do and that is ok. If she is tired or hurting there are always modifications that she can do. Lisa's flexibility has become amazing and her Dr is really pleased with the change in her! Lisa became a teacher because she wants share with other the benefits that yoga has given her.

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Becky Lee
Instructor

Beginning her first taste of yoga in 2002, Becky has since developed a passion for sharing her love of her yoga practice with others. After completing the year long teacher training with Robert Boustany in 2006, she is now taking on his 2007 Advanced Teacher Training. In addition, Becky has also studied with teachers such as David Williams, Doug Swenson, Ana Forrest, and Julie Byrd. Becky also enjoys other activities which bring the power of pure presence including dancing tango, rock climbing, playing guitar, bike riding, Tai Chi, and Chi Kung, and Reiki. She is also continuing her studies on a consistent basis in energetics, meditation, applied kinesiology, nutrition, and yoga philosophy. Each class is tailored for the group attending, and the strength of each individual is challenged in a positive light. Classes are intuitively guided to focus on developing your openness and awareness, and sometimes involve being silly and having fun. Please come and enjoy the power of your own strength! You are worth it!

Anne Bendixen
Instructor

Anne started enjoying the benefits of Yoga in 2005, after marathons and triathlons took a toll on her body. After enjoying the healing affects of Yoga, she enrolled in a teacher-training program. Along with her Yoga education she is also a certified AFAA Pilates Instructor, Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Trainer.
Before coming to Sundance, Anne followed her passion for personal fitness by teaching Adventure Bootcamp outdoors and almost every format at 24 hour Fitness—Indoor Cycling, Pilates, Bootcamp, Step and Power Sculpt; She has done it all!
Anne found her background in fitness training and Yoga to be the perfect fit for Sundance Yoga Bootcamp.
After just a few disciplined weeks you will increase strength and flexibility; build muscle and decrease your body fat percentage.
All fitness levels will be encouraged and challenged. Come join the early morning fun!

Debra Kerr
Instructor

Debra was first introduced to meditation and yoga through a friend 20 years ago.     10 years ago she realized yoga was an integral part of her life and needed to make it a priority.  While living in Dallas, Debra gravitated towards Hatha and Ashtanga style yoga.  After moving to Pearland, in 2006, she found her home at Sundance Yoga and the Anusuara style of yoga.  Applying the Anusara principles of alignment and Open to Grace Philosophy to her daily life has helped her to alleviate chronic back and hip pain as well as deepen her spiritual beliefs.  Debra felt a calling to help women during their pregnancies with Pre-Natal yoga and help others grow their love for yoga inspiring her to fulfill her desire to teach.  In 2009 Debra completed what will be her first of many teacher training's and joined the staff at Sundance Yoga, “I love having the opportunity to serve the students in this amazing community and to give back from the teachers that have helped to guide me on my own journey”.

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Pat Kidwell, RYT
Instructor

Pat considers himself a student of yoga first, and his approach to teaching is centered on the care and cultivation of the yoga students he serves.  His teaching style emphasizes integration of the breath with proper body alignment, and experiencing the higher aspects of every pose.

Pat first stepped onto the yoga mat in 2000.  He practiced Hatha yoga for one year at Sundance before he began practicing the Anusara system of Hatha yoga with Moses Brown in 2001, while living in Maryland.  Since returning to Texas in 2002, Pat has been a student of Kelly Griswold and Valerie Immore at Sundance.  He became a registered yoga teacher (200 hours) with Yoga Alliance in 2009, and has completed dozens more hours of training with various prenatal and Anusara yoga teachers.  Currently, Pat practices and studies Anusara-Inspired yoga with his teacher, Valerie Immore.

The more I study yoga, the more I can glimpse how much there is to learn—and that prospect thrills me. It’s what keeps me practicing week after week. When I wandered into my first yoga class over eleven years ago, many of the postures instantly became mine: they fit right in with my background in martial arts and gymnastics. While I was in graduate school, I’d shuffle tiredly into my evening yoga class, worried about deadlines. As I glided out after practice, my eyes found encouragement in the moonlight and my breath came easier.

That’s why I’ve been teaching for over seven years—because yoga consistently heals and enlivens me. My training is in Vinyasa (flow yoga) and Ashtanga (power yoga), and in class we playfully approach the postures with humor and individual insight.

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Tonya Money
Instructor

I was introduced to yoga as part of a marathon training program. It was such an enjoyable experience, I continued practicing yoga after the running program ended. After a few years of practice, I felt drawn to teaching gentle yoga to help others reap the benefits of a regular yoga practice. I received my teaching certification in 2010 and Sundance expanded gentle yoga classes to the Pearland studio. What I love about gentle yoga is it can be modified for the individual so everyone can enjoy their practice.

Katie Dearwater
Instructor

Katie dabbled in yoga for a few years before finding her kula at Sundance Yoga. She has been a student here for 3 years and decided (with some much appreciated encouragement) to pursue her teaching certification last year. She loves the beauty of the practice and experiencing the dance between breath and body. In class she hopes to pass on some of what she has learned in her short time as an instructor and her passion for the practice to any fellow yogis who walk the path with her.

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Scott Newsom, Ph.D.,
RYT 200
Instructor

Scott Newsom, Ph.D., RYT-200. Dr. Newsom, a licensed psychologist, began his practice of Yoga on New Year’s Day 2008 while recovering from a series of surgeries that left him out of shape, over weight and not feeling so great about much of anything. He quickly fell in love with the practice and experienced a transformation in mind, body and spirit that called him to take his practice to a higher level. In 2010 he completed Yoga Teacher Training in the Anusara-inspired tradition with Valerie Immore at the Sundance Yoga Studios. Following his yoga teacher training, he sought to further immerse himself in yoga, spending 10 days at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. He found that Kripalu and Anusara styles of Yoga are at heart, one Yoga. He remains devoted to both styles and enjoys incorporating wisdom from many yoga traditions into his practice.

Dr. Newsom teaches Beginner Level Yoga and Yoga for Weight Loss as well as seeing clients individually for a variety of issues. He is fascinated by the potential of yoga for transformation applied to all aspects of human functioning. As a teacher, he inspires his students to take ownership of their Yoga practice by connecting with their own inner teacher. Likewise, when he sees clients seeking transformation in their lives, he supports their journey rather than prescribing one for them.

John Bethscheider
Instructor

John came to Sundance Yoga in 2005 when his wife gave him a membership as a gift. Having competed in competitive tennis, racquetball, running, cycling, and back-packing, his body was in need of healing. Yoga provided the needed recovery and healing from years of overuse injuries. As an avid cyclist he discovered that yoga improved his balance, breathing and strength on the bicycle. Taking his yoga practice to the next level, with Valerie’s encouragement, he completed the teachers training at Sundance. In the fall of 2008 he began teaching yoga to employees at Alvin Community College. The program became an immediate success and is offered to beginning and intermediate students. John’s philosophy of yoga is to teach not only the universal principles of alignment, but to instill in each student an appreciation of the culture and history of yoga and to practice yoga not only on the mat but in their daily lives. He encourages his students to recognize that their physical yoga practice, when engaging the breath, can lead to self-awareness and change. A sense of humor and a desire to create a peaceful atmosphere guide his instructional method. John is a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour Registered Teacher and Provost/Dean of Instruction at Alvin Community College.

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Heather Lewis
Instructor

I have always been on a journey with yoga (whether I knew it or not); however, my path has just continued to change. I was introduced to yoga during college. Since this time, I have journeyed in and out of the practice, until about 8 years ago when I found an instant connection at Sundance. The space, the words, the people, the energy, everything, spoke to me. I found the spiritual and physical practice I had been looking for. About 3 years ago, I decided I would like to share yoga with others. I began my teacher training with another style of yoga, but when Valerie and Kelly scheduled a teacher training in 2010, I knew I wanted to take part. I completed my 200 hour RYT in June 2010.

Yoga is a deeply spiritual practice for me. I find beauty in nature and have a passion for animals. Yoga aligns perfectly for me as I believe all things are connected. As I connect deeper to self, I connect deeper to all living things. I hope to share this connection with others as they discover their own bodies and find their own practice. While I love the challenge of an advanced pose, I find a true mindfulness in feeling the alignment of the body, honoring that individual alignment, and surrendering to the breath in a slow flow style. Someone once told me, “An advanced practitioner is not a person who can do advanced poses, but someone who has great body awareness.” I believe this to be true and I believe that yoga is available to anyone. I have guided healthy adults and children, pregnant women, handicapped children, and adults with special health issues through their yoga practice and I am grateful to be afforded such opportunities.

Korin Brody
Instructor

When I started practicing yoga in 1997, my paradigm for exercise and relaxation began to shift.  I started to move in and out of different poses with intention and not just toward a goal.  I learned how to breathe fully and focused more on how I was feeling, instead of what I looked like or was thinking.  For me, yoga has been pivotal in finding peace with myself and with others.  Each day I tell myself, “Quiet your mind and open your heart.” 

We need to search and take time to deeply understand what makes us tick, thrive, and be happy.  These key lessons are achieved when you take what you feel and do on the mat and apply them to your daily life.  But this complicated process is ongoing and takes patience.  Yoga is not merely a means to an end; it is a lifelong journey – one that enriches all aspects of our days.

After enjoying a variety of yoga classes and workshops throughout the years, I completed the Radiant Child Yoga Training™ Levels 1 & 2 with Shakta Kaur Khalsa in Miami in Sept. 2007.  In 2008, I became a Registered Yoga Teacher® through the 200-hour National Teacher Training course at The Yoga Institute in Houston with Lex Gillan.  I completed the 200-hour Teacher Training at Sundance Yoga in Friendswood, TX with Valerie Immore and Kelly Griswold in July 2010.  Through additional hours of training and teaching, I recently received the 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT®) designation through the Yoga Alliance.
My intention as a teacher is to simply provide a framework for the many magical experiences that yoga can bring.

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