Zakia (she/her)

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Zakia’s passion for dance and athletics has shaped both a personal and professional journey. A former member of the University of Oregon Acrobatics & Tumbling team, Zakia is a 4-time National Champion and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology while competing at the collegiate level.

Passionate about creating a positive, high-energy environment, Zakia helps athletes and dancers build confidence, develop skills, and reach their full potential. Get ready for a fun class with smooth and swaggy vibes.

Gabriela G. (she/her)

Gabriela is a proud East Bay native who has been dancing in one form or another since she was three years old. Whether it’s ballet, salsa, lyrical or jazz, dance has always been a major part of her life. In college, she was a member of the Cal Band and the Cal Dance Team, attending the university at a time when the Bears’ football and basketball teams were among the elite programs in the nation. Her fondest college memories involve the good times spent spreading school spirit at sporting events throughout the conference—and, indeed, across the country in post-season and bowl games. She still cheers on the Cal football team and performs at halftime once a year at alumni events.

Gabriela’s love for movement and dance led her to Hipline in 2012, where she started as a client, later became a member of the crew, and is now thrilled to take on the role of instructor. Hipline has not only deepened her connection to dance but it has also helped her rediscover the power of community. As an instructor, her goal is to guide you through movement that will make you feel stronger, more confident and empowered.

Emma (she/her)

Emma (she/her) started gymnastics at the age of 4 and fell in love with dance (mostly hip hop) and musical theater through the following years. She was in her high school's theater company and was dance team captain, and with the exception of learning TikTok dances during the pandemic, had lost touch with her passion for teaching and performing over the past decade. She credits Hipline for bringing her closer to her love of movement and music, and is absolutely thrilled to be part of this inclusive community. Her favorite things include delicious Asian food, comedy, live music, and exploring a new national park or foreign city. Emma was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada and moved to the Bay Area in 2014 to pursue a career in marketing and events. Check out Emma's K-pop class playlist here!

Tammy (she/her)

Tammy grew up in Ohio and moved to the Bay Area to explore nutrition, capoeira, and life! Teaching others to get in touch with their bodies: both through movement and nutrition is a passion that continues to grow and expand. She currently runs a private nutrition practice called The Nourished Belly and runs Capoeira Brasil East Bay in Oakland.

Nadiah (she/her)

Nadiah began training as a gymnast at the young age of 5, which gave her the confidence to try many sports and pursue dance. She has explored jazz, tap, and hip hop, but she found her calling in Salvador Bahia Brazil in 2008 when she tried Capoeira, Afro-Brazilian dance and Samba for the first time. She has been training capoeira for over 9 year has been pursuing her passion for Samba since 2012. Nadia has invested countless hours taking classes both here in the United States and in Brazil and all of that hard work paid off when she competed in 2017 at the USA national Samba King and Queen competition where she came in 3rd place winning the title of Diva Do Samba USA 2017/2018. Along with dancing weekly at Hipline, Nadiah also teaches Samba Classes and is the assistant director of the Bay Area’s very own Samba Sensation, Brazilian Dance Entertainment Group. She had the honor of Parading in Brazil’s Carnaval in 2018 and looks forward to returning every year that she can!

Em (he/she/they)

Em (he/she/they) didn't discover dance until 2016, when they first stepped foot on the Hipline dance floor and found their life forever changed. Dance was a way to fuse their lifelong loves of music, creative expression and physicality and share them with the community. Em fuses Jamaican dancehall, bellydance and contemporary dance into a unique movement vocabulary with equal room for play and catharsis and prioritizes music from queer and gender non-conforming artists in their playlist. They want their class to leave you feeling like you just got out of the pit at a concert for your favorite band: sweaty, covered in glitter, and with new friends and fun stories.

LOVE CLUB

Hipline is committed to ensuring everyone feels welcome on its premises regardless of economic status. If our class pass pricing is a barrier to joining, please consider applying for our Love Club Membership. Love Club Membership qualifies a Hipliner to purchase classes at the rate of $12 per class for one year.

If you would like to participate in LOVE CLUB, click here.

iso (they/them)

iso was born and raised in Oakland and is a proud first-generation immigrant.

After studying dance at Oakland School for the Arts, iso found Hipline in 2016 and began teaching in 2019. Their classes are rooted in the belief that movement is medicine, not punishment. Come ready to shake ass, get a little slutty, very flirty, breathe deep, and release!

Things miiiight get a little deeper than you expected, but that’s what happens when you spend an hour getting sweaty and inhabiting your body with other people! If you leave feeling a little more at home in yourself and a little more connected to the people around you, then mission accomplished ;)

global change starts locally!!

Stacy (she/her/hers)

Stacy eagerly started dance classes at age 3, falling in love with tap, ballet, jazz and eventually bellydance (thanks Hipline!) She stayed active with tennis, track and dance team in high school, and continued her pursuit of dance and choreography in college, including 2 years as a Tap teaching assistant in the UC Berkeley PE dept. She found Hipline in early 2009 and was inspired by the amazing classes and supportive environment. After a 6 year move to NYC she returned to the Bay Area and into the open shimmy embrace of Hipline in 2016 and never looked back. She's excited to share her love of movement with this community she so dearly loves.

Shaylee (she/her)

Born and raised in the midwest, Shaylee discovered her passion for dance in Iowa and continued to cultivate her craft in Indiana. She first fell in love with movement at the age of 7 in a hip hop class and hasn’t stopped dancing since. Over the years, she expanded her training to include ballet, modern and jazz. Shaylee was a member of Patchwork Dance Company at Debbie Werbrouck’s School of Dance and had the opportunity to perform alongside Evidence, the company of renowned choreographer Ronald K. Brown, in 2015. Her curiosity and enthusiasm for movement also led her to explore belly dance and ballroom, where she competed in “Dancing with the Stars” inspired competitions.

In addition to dance, Shaylee has a strong background in competitive cheerleading, which she began in second grade and pursued through high school. While attending Arizona State University, where she majored in fashion and minored in dance, she discovered a passion for group fitness and community centered movement. After graduating, Shaylee launched her own high energy classes, Twerk Werkz, before bringing her vibrant style to Oakland. She is deeply committed to creating an inclusive, empowering space where people can connect, move, and have fun. For Shaylee, dance is more than movement, it’s about community, confidence, and joy. She can’t wait to twerk-it-out with you under the disco ball!

Ariel (she/her)

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Ariel’s dance journey began when she took her first tap class at the age of 5. As she grew so did her love for dance, so she joined her high school dance team and her church’s praise dance team. After graduating, Ariel went straight into becoming the Captain of her church’s dance team, and a full time dance teacher at a studio for children. She also is part of a Bay Area hip hop group based out of Oakland where she serves as the Assistant Choreographer.

Dalia (she/her/ella)

Dalia grew up in a household where dancing was always a celebration of being alive. Her mamá taught her from a young age that even dancing with your thumbs at good news was a way to gozar! Dalia’s formal relationship with dance began with her love of musical theater at a young age and has since expanded into including modern dance and finding any opportunity to be on a dance floor with her pals. She invites you to bring your silliest, bravest, most dramatic selves to the dance floor!

Dalia creció en un hogar en que bailando siempre era una celebración de estar viva. Su mamá le enseñó que hasta bailando con sus pulgares a buenas noticias es una manera de gozar. La relación formal que Dalia desarrolló con baile empezó con su amor por el teatro musical en su niñez y ha expandido a incluir danza moderna y buscando cualquier oportunidad para bailar con sus amigues. ¡Ella te invita a llevar tu versión más creativo, valiente, y dramática a la pista de baile!

Blair (she/her)

Blair (she/her) grew up in Detroit, Michigan where she began her first ballet class at 7 years old through a program at her childhood church. This inspired an upbringing of opportunities in expressive movement leading to minoring in dance in college and studying at The Ailey School in NYC. With training in Modern dance (Graham, Horton), West & Central African, Ballet, Jazz, Improvisation, Methods in Teaching, and Creative Dance – she has continued dancing till today and is thrilled to share her love for freedom in dance with you.

Tiffany (she/her)

Dance is and has always been a great joy in my life. Movement, my instructors and coaches, and fellow dancers have shaped me into the person I am today. From jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, pom/cheerleading, and belly dance - these dance forms have made lasting impressions in my body and mind, building upon each other, making me fall in love again and again. I'm super excited and honored to share my love of dance and strength training with the Hipline community!

Emily (she/her)

Emily fell in love with dance while growing up in her home state of Hawai‘i. After moving to the Bay Area in 2021, her search for a movement community led her to Hipline, and the welcoming community and grounded energy instantly felt like home. Her classes bring together her background in yoga, strength training, and love for a middle school dance floor throwback -- all with the intention of caring for the nervous system and celebrating the joy of movement. In Emily’s classes, you’ll find beat drops, lots of two counts, pulses, and juicy cool downs.

Alicia (she/her)

Alicia Langlais is a Bay Area Dancer, instructor, and dance inspiration coach. Hailing from Bronx, NY, Hip-Hop and Caribbean culture were apart of her household and community which informed her passion for movement and dance, even as she began ballet training at the age of seven. In addition to over 15 years of dance training, teaching, and performing in New York and the Bay Area, Alicia also has a Master's of Education Degree in School Counseling and Master's of Art Degree in Transpersonal Psychology. Her M.A. degree concentration in Creative Expression with studies and research focused on Dance Therapy allows Alicia to meld her dance training, personal experience with dance trauma, and mental wellness backgrounds to help students slay dance related insecurities or trauma, which she calls "Dance Dragons."

Katie (she/her)

Movement has always been an important part of Katie’s life — from lifeguarding and synchronized swimming to circus arts and through-hiking the Camino de Santiago. But growing up, the dance studio was her happy place. Now a Personal Trainer and Functional Fitness Coach, Katie is thrilled to be part of Hipline, which has reignited her love for dance and expression through movement. She hopes everyone in her class leaves feeling strong, powerful, and capable, while carving out space to reconnect with themselves, honor their bodies, and practice self-care. Her playlists are eclectic and playful — perfect for laughing, letting go, and dancing through the hard work.

Vision. Mission. Values.

PURPOSE To cultivate a joyful, inclusive space where movement, self-expression, and community converge, empowering people to connect deeply with themselves, each other, and the larger human experience through dance and fitness.

MISSION Hipline reimagines dance and fitness by cultivating a brave, body-affirming, and gender-expansive space. Through intentional leadership and dynamic classes, we foster a vibrant community where everyone feels strong, seen, and inspired to embrace the joy of Movement. Est. 2008 | Women of color owned.

VISION Hipline envisions a world where every person, regardless of body type, gender identity, or fitness level, feels at home in their body, free to express themselves fully, and empowered to connect with others. Through the practice of dance, Hipline joins in solidarity with broader movements for human connection, contributing to a shared effort to create a world rooted in inclusivity, compassion, and collective well-being.

Evie (she/her)

Evie (she/her) has had a lifelong love of creative movement, including gymnastics, circus aerials, lumberjack sports, Latin partner dance, and martial arts, which led to getting certified as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor through the American Council on Exercise. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she moved to Oakland in 2023 and immediately fell in love with the Hipline community! In Evie’s classes you’ll find eclectic playlists, lots of core work, and an invitation to appreciate what your body can do.

Gabriela N. (she/her)

There are so many reasons I love teaching at Hipline, but at the heart of it is the deep sense of purpose I feel stewarding this space, creating room to play, find respite, and discover joy within ourselves, on the dance floor, and with the people who show up for that one hour together. 18 years in and it still fills me up!

I was born and raised in the Bay, under the love and care of immigrant parents (yes, E-40 and Too $hort had a hand in raising me). Growing up, we traveled back to our homelands and along the way explored other countries. That exposure to music across cultures combined with long nights in the Bay's club scene and rave culture, shapes every playlist I build and the energy I bring into the room. I love the idea of connecting ourselves to dance floors and people across the world.

The room I cultivate isn't about perfection. If you're breathing, moving a little, and feeling yourself, you're doing it right!

Let's dance!

Kat (she/they)

Kat (she/they) is from Alabama, and has been in Oakland for 10+ years. She’s trained, taught, and performed dance her whole life, but believes anyone can dance, regardless of ability, size, shape, age, race, or gender. Kat is known for her Body Empowerment work at Hipline, and her fat-positive pop-up, Big Thick Energy. Kat knows dance spaces can be harsh on bodies, and wants to tap into the side of dance that is pleasure and empowerment. Her classes are low impact on joints, but high energy and expression. Kat is a full-time Arts Administrator, a Fat Liberation community organizer, a proud "childless cat lady" and aspiring mermaid. She’s currently completing her Body TrustⓇ professional certification.

Community Commitments

BODY EMPOWERMENT / We are committing to embracing bodies of all shapes & sizes. We challenge anti-fat bias and body hierarchy, and we leave diet talk & negative body talk at the door.

GENDER / We are committing to not assuming anyone’s gender. We serve women (cis & trans), nonbinary, transmasculine, & gender expansive folks.

Our community uses varying pronouns- if you are unsure of someone’s pronouns please ask or use gender neutral language.

BIPGM / We are committing to cultivating a space where Black, Indigenous, & Peoples of the Global Majority are celebrated & supported. We ask all community members to engage with care & curiosity and to help us collectively uphold this shared value in our space.

ACCESS / We are committing to continuously improving accessibility. Together, we practice supporting one another across ages, abilities, & needs—so no one is expected to move, look, or participate in only one “right” way. Service dogs are welcome.

Lisha (she/her)

Lisha Yates is a Virginia native and gymnast-turned-dancer. She has performed and choreographed contemporary, jazz, and hip hop styles over the years for her college dance team and several adult dance companies on the East Coast. After 3.5 years in the Bay Area, she has finally gotten her dance groove back and loves shimmying with the Hipline community!

Childcare

Hipline offers childcare onsite. Check our class schedule for current days and times. See FAQ page for more details.

Maddie (she/her)

Maddie (she/her) was born and raised in the Bay Area, but spent most of her adult life in Southern California before moving back to Oakland in 2023. Her homecoming was not just a return to the place she was raised, but also a return to dance. Maddie grew up doing tap and jazz, then fell in love with hip hop in her teens. She was a member of a number of competitive dance companies throughout high school and college until she reached her mid-20s when work and life got in the way. It wasn’t until she returned to Oakland and saw the Hipline sign shining down like a beacon as she exited Trader Joe’s that she realized what a massive hole had been in her life for the past decade without dance. Hipline has reinvigorated her love of dance, provided a beautiful community that she is so grateful to be a part of, and sparked immense amounts of creativity and joy that she is so excited to share with you. Maddie’s class and playlist has a little something for everyone with a vibe that shifts from groovy to sassy to sexy and everywhere in between, but the overarching theme is confidence and feeling good in your own skin—so go ahead and flirt with yourself in the mirror ;-)