ABOUT KATY YONG

Katy started dancing at the age of 2 and three years later, she was already taking her first dance lesson. Her early training years included Classical Chinese, Peruvian Folkloric, Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Tap dances. She also competed in Rhythmic Gymnastics and Swimming throughout high school.
 
Katy moved to the Bay Area after high school where she studied with renowned choreographers including Anandha Ray, Joan Burkes, Wanda Wilson and Alvin Ailey. She holds a B.A. Degree in World Arts & Cultures from UCLA where she studied with David Rousseve, Liliana de Leon-Torsiello, Ron Brown, Angelina Leung and Nina Martin. She has performed and toured nationally and internationally including the Edinburgh Dance Festival. Katy has performed throughout the Bay Area including the Ethnic Dance and Cuba Caribe Festivals. Clients include Google, Pixar, Facebook, Twitter and Adobe to name a few. Katy is a certified fitness trainer, Barre, Balletone and Pilates instructor.

She has dedicated her life to wellness, fitness, dance and event production. Since her teenage years, she has experienced the impact of intense physical demands that only became more challenging over the years. She also learned that maintaining a strong, balanced and aligned body cannot be separated from mindful movement. For the last 25 years, Katy was the Director of Wellness at the iconic Claremont Club & Spa, (formerly a Fairmont Hotel), where she managed and developed the Fitness and Special Events programs.

WELCOME TO RITMOKÁ!

RitmoKá is the perfect platform to develop fitness and sustainable dancing for all ages and levels.

Learn to walk before you run.

My goal is to provide a strong foundation for your dancing as well as other physical activities you enjoy such as hiking, tennis, biking, or just playing with your children. Learn to move with keen awareness of proper muscle utilization and biomechanics.
 

Short-term and long-term success.

By putting yourself in a position to succeed and prevent injuring yourselves, you will flourish in your dance experience without pain and have fun for a long time.

It’s all about the students.

Since launching RitmoKá over 15 years ago, I have seen my students thrive by improving their technique, sense of musicality, movement interpretation and body awareness. One of my biggest satisfactions is to provide a joyful platform for students to enjoy dance in a safe, fun, non-judgmental and non-competitive environment where they can express themselves as individuals and share their love of dance and movement as a community.

As a teacher, I find it priceless to witness my students’ improvements and success. I encourage all of them to take dance and Functional Barre-lates classes as they complement each other.
 

Dance = FUN

My passion for movement and dance can only be described as the oxygen in my life. After competing and performing for decades, I want to dance for the pure joy of art and movement expression, and create a safe and fun platform for my students to experience dance and movement positively.
 

Sense of Community

The joy of learning new steps and moving to music that speaks to you can only be surpassed by the joy of dancing together in community. When you share an activity you love with others, you find community. Come experience the post-dance euphoria!

HOW TO JOIN RITMOKÁ

RitmoKá is based in the San Francisco East Bay and offers in-person/online classes at the renowned Shawl Anderson Dance Center (SADC) and Berkeley Ballet Theater (BBT) in Berkeley. These studios are extremely clean, outfitted with air filters, air conditioning and fans allowing for optimal air circulation.
 
RitmoKá classes are open to all levels with options to fit individual needs and still get the most of each class.
Whether you need to sweat, practice your dance skills or are looking for a stress release, we invite you to join Club RitmoKá!