• DivaGirl's Talk

Find Your Inner Goddess… Coming Soon!

Coming February 2011…

The first Find Your Inner Goddess Book, written by DivaGirl Licensee, Jennifer Ettinger.

A complete manual by embracing your body shape, beauty, mind & spirit! Stay tuned for more information on how to purchase your own copy and the DivaGirl/Fit Your Style Goddess Event!

Le Femme- The Sassiest Show this Month!

How to Eat like a Diva Over the Holidays!

If you’re afraid of packing on the pounds and losing control this holiday season, I invite you to park that fear and adopt this pleasurable approach to eating.

So here’s my holiday eating tip for you: Eat like the French!

Allow me to explain. A few months ago, I read the book, “French Women Don’t Get Fat“. After my recent trip to Paris, I was able to witness this French paradox for myself. After being there for a week, I was unable to spot ONE overweight Parisian. To this day, I’m still fascinated. The basic premise of the book is that the French eat with all of their senses, making their dining experience pleasurable so that they feel satisfied eating small amounts of even the most delicious foods. Y’see, if you allow yourself to be truly present while engaging all of your senses during meals, there’s less of a need to go back for seconds. Another bonus to eating this way is that your body will be in a more relaxed state, which means better digestion and nutrient absorption. Great way to prevent bloating and gas too.

Isn’t this approach so much more fun, freeing and aligned with what the holidays are truly all about? I often tell my clients, if you’re going to go ahead and eat a “junky” kind of food, might as well savor every bite and enjoy it!

If you liked this tip, you’ll absolutely LOVE our “7 Divalicious Ways to Create a Thriving Lifestyle Over the Holidays” webinar recording. Go to this link to download it, and kick off your New Year more divalicious than ever!

I’ll end by quoting the wonderful Marc David:

“Once you give yourself the inner permission to feast, something can relax, and it’s easier to feast in a “healthy” way. The more we fear the gorging, the food, and the pleasure of it all, the more we live in fear. And fear is perhaps the most unsavory and anti-nutritious ingredient in any meal.”

To a pleasure-filled & joyous holiday season,

Karla Chin, CHHC, CPC
Holistic Nutrition & Life Coach
Founder of Thriving Lifestyle
www.thrivinglifestyle.com
USA: 856-673-1858
Canada: 416-907-6568

“Made You Look!”

Walking along the sidewalk day in and day out I see the same scenery… Cold, grey concrete blocks stretch across the city. Everything looks the same. Life as a stiletto can get pretty boring… there is so much more to see… Breaking through the clutter of advertising can be difficult but, Made You Look Ads brings a whole other meaning to “standing out!” Made You Look Ads is a media company specializing in providing  advertising spaces throughout high volume foot traffic areas. Their core strength is main entrance advertising at over 30 malls across the county, so they get noticed!  Their unique placements provide new ways to create brand awareness, stimulate purchases and leave pedestrians with high recall rates as they enter and leave our locations. …I walked along the same stretch of sidewalk as I do every day, but today was different! My eyes were drawn to colours and words that were moulded to the shape of the uneven pavement and appeared like a painted surface! It was highly visible, reflective and the colours remained vivid even under intense sunlight! Made You Look Ads is about to make the sidewalk a little more interesting; specializing in clear, impactful and unique placements in high traffic foot areas. Even your shoes will stop to look down!

Our Featured Fall DivaGirl Licensee- Emily Cowan!

We are excited to announce Emily Cowan as our featured fall DivaGirl Licensee!  Here’s your chance to find out why we think Emily is so divalicious!!  Congrats on winning a prize pack valued at $50!  Interested in becoming a DivaGirl and joining the Diva revolution?  Click here for more information.

What are three words that best describe you? funny, kind, hard working Tell us a bit about yourself: the true Diva. I love to dance and have been dancing since the age of three. I have two dogs  named Digby and Dory and a gecko named echo. I teach fitness classes for a living and that is my passion.  I absolutely love teaching and getting to know my participants.  I like to travel, and also just hang out at home and watch a movie after a long week. How did you get into teaching dance/fitness? Tell us about your experiences in the industry. I danced for most of my life at a dance school and competed. My last year of High School, I heard of a course at another school that certified you at the end of the year. So I transferred schools and never looked back. That summer I applied to the local community centre and that’s were I got my start. Since then I have worked all over Durham and now trying to start a business out in Mississauga. I have taught every class from mom and me classes to seniors classes. I love my seniors, they are so outgoing and willing to try anything I throw at them. And they have great sense of humours. Last year I was offered a job teaching college students for one semester on how to teach a cardio class.  It was a challenge at times since  I look younger then most of them, but in the end when they presented their finally exam which was to teach a class and they all succeeded. That was a great moment to see that I taught them how to do that. Why did you decide join DivaGirl? I had taken a course with Laura when she was first starting out and really enjoyed it.  She then asked if I wanted to join her company and be part of a network that supports women and helps them with their fitness career and more. I thought that was a great idea, since there really isn’t any support out there for women and we tend to compete against each other then work and support each other. Tell us a bit about the classes/workshops that you offer to the DivaGirl Community. The classes I am offering at the moment are Zumba, Dance Grooves and Sexy Sweat in both Durham and Mississauga.  I teach the Sexy fitness and Dance Grooves workshops for Divagirl Fitness as a Pro-trainer. Why should women attend your DivaGirl classes/workshops? They should come to my classes not just to get fit, but to have a fun time, meet new ladies and learn some new dance moves. What constitutes you as a Diva? I am confident in my work, I enjoy going out and getting dressed up, and just like having a good time. What are your top three tips to help women get fit, have fun and feel sexy? Drink lots of water, dance whenever you can and dress-up every once in awhile.   Are there any upcoming workshops/events/projects that you are working on, that you would like to share to the DivaGirl community? I am dancing in an indie music video next month, in December I am dancing in a belly dance fundraiser, I am a part of the new DivaGirl DVD that is going to be coming out, in the new year I have some DivaGirl workshops running and of course my classes are always running. Final comments? I enjoy being a diva and believe it’s a great community to be apart of!

 

Featured Prestige Sponsor- Fit Your Style!

DivaGirl is proud to partner with Fit Your Stlye! Read up on this amazing company and see why DivaGirl thinks they are divalicious!

1. What are three words that best describe your organization/company? Authentic, Body Confidence Beautiful

2. What is your organization’s mission and purpose. Since 2006 when Jennifer Ettinger founded Fit Your Style®, she has been dedicated to helping women reclaim and harmonize their lives in the areas of body, beauty, mind and spirit. Jennifer reclaimed her own life after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, relying on healthy eating, exercise and meditation, and she wants to share her experience with others for their best health, wellness and happiness. Fit Your Style® is far from a fad. Built on Jennifer’s stellar credentials in fashion, cosmetics, fitness and health, Fit Your Style® offers true substance on top of what’s trendy. Jennifer holds three degrees from the prestigious New York City Fashion Institute of Technology, including a Master’s Degree. She is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Turbo Kick™ and PiYo™ Instructor, and creator of the GIT FIT! Goddess In Training Program. Inspired by her degree in Museum studies, Jennifer shares her knowledge of women as goddesses throughout art and history, providing a real and lasting image of beauty in contrast to the distortions we’re so used to seeing in the media. Jennifer and her team work with women across the United States and Canada, providing them with the tools they need to re-invent their own lives and get body confidence beautiful. It’s true transformation and not just a quick fix.

Fit Your Style® is a women’s lifestyle company with experience in helping women of all ages find the Goddess in them through Image, Fitness, Beauty and Empowerment services. Jennifer hosts a bi-monthly segment on daytime TV in Ontario’s York Region called “Life and Style with Fit Your Style” and is a part of women’s advocate, nutritionist, weight-loss expert and TV host of “X-Weighted” Crystal Andrus’ DREAM team.

3. Please explain the services that you offer women.

· Certified personal training, how to work out for Your goddess shape

· Image design ( how to dress your goddess shape)

· Goddess in training: A  complete program of our services, how to work out and dress for your goddess shape, beauty boosting foods, goddess affirmations, food plan and so much more!

· Custom Airbrush tanning, organic, anti-aging  formula – no orange peel look!

· Herbal Body Wraps-Always on the lookout for what really works, Fit Your Style brought to Canada, an affordable, all natural body wrap that helps lose inches, tighten, tone and improve skin texture for younger looking skin. This mess-free cloth wrap with a refreshingly cool tingle is infused with special cleansing herbs that work below the skin’s surface to detoxify fatty problem areas. It’s not misleading water loss.

· Powerful slimming results are visible after the first 45-minute application and can continue for months. Visit www.fityourstylewrap.com for amazing before and after photos! For optimum health and beauty results, Fit Your Style carefully researches and test-markets all products.

· FYS color Cosmetic Line

4. Why did you decide to partner with DivaGirl? Great minds think alike – girl power!

5. Please describe your upcoming conferences coming up in Toronto and the GTA.  Why should women attend? Stay tuned for our upcoming book launch! Goddess in Training Manual! Inspired by our live training all in a journey workbook!

As the creator of the GIT FIT program, Fit Your Style says, “Fruit shapes be gone!” No more comparing women’s bodies to apples and pears. Each woman will reclaim her inner goddess, starting with an initial health consultation  She will learn about beauty boosting foods, working out for her individual goddess ID and dressing for her shape. GIT FIT emphasizes self care and love, and even travels through history to discover the importance of goddess by way of art and sculpture. There’s freedom from body image issues and that unattainable idea of perfection. It’s all about boosting confidence through the harmony of Image, Fitness, Beauty and Empowerment services.

6. What constitutes you, the Owner, as a Diva? I am a strong, purpose driven, authentic woman with a passion to help others your top three tips to help women get fit, have fun and feel sexy? Drink your water! Embrace your goddess shape and smile!

7. Final comments? Thank you Diva Girls! It is a honor to work together!

Our Featured Fall 2010 DivaGirl- Terra Snape!

DivaGirl is proud to announce that Terra Snape has been selected as our featured Fall DivaGirl Licensee!  Found out what is fabulous about Terra and why she is so “divalicious…”

1. What are three words that best describe you.
Dedicated, strong, ambitious

2. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’ve been dancing since I was very young, so when it came time to decide upon a career path, dance and fitness seemed like the most obvious choice. As such, I went to Ryerson University and completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Dance. I also love to perform so I work with various entertainment companies, compete in ballroom competitions, and work with dance companies who hire me on for specific shows. More recently I’ve been asked to choreograph as well as perform – my most notable work being “You’ve Gotta Have Friends,” a Bette Midler and Barry Manilow impersonator show at Stage West.

I also enjoy teaching dance and fitness classes. I work at various studios and schools around the GTA including Front and Centre Dance Academy, the Janice Lynn School of Dance, and the Quinte Ballet School of Canada, among others. I’ve also started branching out into the private school sector. In addition to teaching for other studios, I’m opening my own adult drop-in studio at the Lower Ossington Theatre with my partner, Sam Snyders. We’re also starting our own entertainment company, Solid Dance Technique Entertainment.

3. How did you get into teaching dance/fitness? Tell us about your experiences in the industry.
Some of my experiences include performing in Blackpool, England as a Scholarship contestant representing the BATD (British Association of Teachers of Dancing), placing 9^th as a soloist at the World Dance Championships in Riesa, Germany and 4^th in the formation category, working with choreographers such as Holly Small and Vicki St. Denys, as well as performing at Second City in Fever II with Sophie Luxton Productions. I also perform at nightclubs, special corporate events, and weddings with both DivaGirl Entertainment and Diamond Dancers.

In August I participated in a summer dance intensive with ProArteDanza, a hot, fresh modern company centred in downtown Toronto, which ended with a performance of the repertoire we learned throughout the month. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had so far because it gave me the opportunity to experience what dancing in a company fulltime would be like.

4. Why did you decide to join DivaGirl?
I decided to join DivaGirl because I love the idea of being my own boss and being in control of my classes. I love pushing my students as far as they can go so they always leave my classes feeling as though they’ve learned something, they’ve pushed themselves further than they thought they could go, and of course had fun while doing it. The ability to structure classes, build my own schedule, and build my own clientele is something I’ve always wanted, and DivaGirl is definitely a great place to do it. Everyone is so supportive, the resources for promoting and advertising are amazing, and I like the idea of working for a company that creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for women…I know what it’s like to walk into a gym to take a fitness class and feel intimidated by all the men. You can’t push yourself unless you feel good about yourself, and DivaGirl offers this to all of its students.

5. Tell us a bit about the classes/workshops that you offer to the DivaGirl Community.
Right now I’m running a variety of classes.

A) On Sunday evenings from 6-8pm I host Latin ballroom classes that run for 5 week sessions. I bring in teachers that hold titles including Canadian Amateur Champions, Russian Finalists, and Open Professional Champions. They teach beginner classes of Rumba, ChaCha, Samba, and Jive. We’re currently in the middle of a Rumba and ChaCha session, but a new session of Samba and Jive will be starting at the beginning of November. No partner and no experience are required to take these classes. It’s a chance to get out on a Sunday evening and learn some moves you can take to the dance floor! Price: $75/session for one class (ie. $75 for 5 weeks of Rumba)

Front and Centre Dance Academy
875 Eglinton Ave. W.
Units 6-8
**intersection of Bathurst and Eglinton

B) New Jazz and Cardio Fitness classes are starting next week! On Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning October 5^th, my partner and I are running Jazz classes from 7-8:30pm, and Cardio Fitness classes from 8:30-9:30pm at the Lower Ossington Theatre. These classes are great for those people who are in search of a great workout that will strengthen and tone every muscle in your body.

We have a set 1-hour warm-up in the Jazz class that will build strength, increase flexibility, and improve coordination and technique. After that we work on across-the-floor progressions that will teach you how to kick, turn, and jump, followed by a dance combination that is always varying in style. You may be doing Fosse one week and Lyrical the next.

The Cardio Fitness class will fuze kick boxing, step aerobics, pilates, and yoga into one amazing cardiovascular workout. We will also include some stretching exercises in order to increase flexibility, but the main focus will be on cardio and strength training.

Both classes are great for people with no experience, as well as people with prior knowledge. These classes will run regularly every Tuesday and Thursday. Prices vary depending on the package you purchase.

Lower Ossington Theatre
100A Ossington Ave.
**just north of Queen Street on the west side

6. Why should women attend your DivaGirl classes/workshops?
Come on out for a great time!

7. What constitutes you as a Diva?
I’m a Diva because even though I’m confident and consider myself to be good at what I do, I never use that as an excuse to put others down. I only encourage people because I know how hard it is to learn something new that you’re not accustomed to doing. I ooze confidence because that’s what makes a class fun. You want an instructor that’ll yell, scream, laugh, and motivate, not one that’s quiet, shy, and boring. I also take the time to answer questions for students, and if I don’t have an answer, I’ll search it out. I always go the extra mile, which is another reason why I’m a Diva. I love seeing people succeed, so I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen! And I expect people to fall, forget, mess up, etc….I even expect myself to do it when I take classes to stay up-to-date in my training….if we don’t make mistakes, we can’t learn from them. I know I’m a good teacher with a lot of valuable knowledge, and I want to share it with you, that’s why I’m a Diva.

8. What are your top three tips to help women get fit, have fun and feel sexy?
My tips for having fun, getting fit, and feeling sexy are simple…go to class!  The hardest step is getting enough courage to simply walk into the room.  Once you’re there, you forget about why you didn’t want to go, or the fact you were tired, or that you have a million other things to do.  Once you’re there, you’ve committed to taking 60 or 90 minutes out of your day to do something good for yourself.  It’s so important to encourage yourself to go because otherwise you fall into a pattern of making excuses and you fall out of routine.  Set a schedule and do your best to keep it.  You need to take care of yourself to feel good about yourself.  All you need to do is show up; it’s our job as teachers to help you through the rest.

9. Final thoughts?
I’m always trying to start-up new classes so stay tuned to the DivaGirl website for more info. If you’d like to join any of the classes I’ve already mentioned, or if you have questions please feel free to contact me.

(42) Days of Autumn with Nourish!

Create Lasting Changes And Be Your Best You for The Other 323 Days Nour-ish steps things up with the launch of its workshop series (42) Days of Autumn. It’s 6 weeks of bad habit breaking, good habit forming and re-establishing a healthy relationship with food – all under the enthusiastic and knowledgeable guidance of Marina Cortese (RHN). Get your learn on as she goes through the basics like organizing your pantry and what you should actually be loading your shopping cart up with and the not-so-basics like how to break the cycle of addictive eating and ways to properly detoxify your beautiful body. Nour-ish is fuelled by Marina’s passion for food so, like always, there will be food and drinks to nosh on while she educates and entertains. For more information go to: www.nour-ish.ca/workshops.html To register go to: http://42daysofautumn.eventbrite.com

Who Doesn’t Love an Ovation!

Those of you who know me know that dancing has been my life from a young age, and will forever be a part of my life in one way or another. It was only natural that my love for theatre would closely follow. I’ve been training for the stage and to be a working professional for almost my entire life. I’ve had some wonderful experiences as well as some real horror stories, everything from being in studios and schools and being a student, to being the teacher in studios and schools, to performances, auditions and backstage work. I can confidently say I’ve seen a lot in my career so far, and the best (and worse) is yet to come, I’m sure.

This is why I’m really excited to be behind a studio who I believe has real integrity in performance art training. Allow me to present:

OVATION! PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY

Ovation! is a performing arts centre where we not only teach the necessary skills in dance, drama, voice and musical theatre, but the art of performance and how to harness your talent and love for the arts to your peak potential! All the faculty at Ovation either are having or have had successful careers as working professionals in the arts. From classes to private lessons, our faculty will use their unique skills about “the business” to help enrich and encourage students from age 5 to adult to reach their best and have fun!

Make note: We are NOT a competition studio. We will NOT charge ridiculous recital fees or competition fees. There aren’t “manditory” classes or perquisites. Payment plans and discounts on classes are absolutely available. We pride ourselves on being an accessible and affordable dance and theatre training facility. Whether beginner or pro, if you want to haress your potential, Ovation! is the place to be.

Classes offered include:

DRAMA!  Learn to act and react, analyze text, build social skills, flex your imagination and have fun while doing it!

DANCE! So NO to competition and YES to performing! With professionals Motus O Dance Theatre, learn everything from ballet to contact, from tap to jazz, from contemorary and modern dance, and everything in between!! Learn from professionals who work in the industry!

VOICE! Find your song in a unique educational and social experience and sing your little heart out! Classes and private sessions available.

MUSICAL THEATRE! Can’t decide if you want to sing dance or act? Why not do all three!!! Wheather you’re Broadway bound or just love to sing and dance in the shower, this class is for you!

Now here is the exciting news!

DIVA GIRL IS COMING TO OVATION!!!

That’s right! Soon you can shimmy, shake and sweat with the best of them at Ovation! Performing Arts Academy. Just stay tooned for more details!!!

BUT HOW DO I GET THERE? You may ask. Super easy!

Ovations is located at 556 Edward Ave, Unit 60, Richmond Hill, Ontario….just east of Yonge and Elgin Mills. All this excitement could be happening in your own back yard! For more informations visit Ovation at www.ovationarts.ca or call 1-877-229 ARTS (2787)

Stay sharp Divas! I’ll have a lot more news in the weeks to come! You can always contact me here if you need more information!

Want the La Tease Kiss?

Only 5 more days until the sexiest event of the year… hosted by DivaGirl & Shop Socials!

La Tease- Get Your Flirt On!

Do you have YOUR ticket? You can purchase them online by visiting http://latease.eventbrite.com.