Raissa Simpson
Administrative Director

Raissa Simpson is an independent dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Push Dance Company. She has administrated for dance studios, coordinated satellite programs to preschools, and worked heavily in marketing for a local real estate professionals since 1995. Before relocating back to the Bay Area, Raissa trained at prestigious schools such as Dance Theater of Harlem, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Paul Taylor School. She received her Bachelors degree from the State University of New York, Purchase Conservatory of Dance.

An award-winning dancer, she has danced & toured extensively with Robert Moses’ Kin (2002-2007) and currently with Zaccho Dance Theater, among many others. Her master teaching in modern dance technique includes UC Santa Cruz, Berkley High School, and Western Ballet. Simpson has been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine, the Village Voice, the SF Chronicle, and the New York Times. She currently serves as the administrative director, grahic and web designer for Fitness In Transit.

Terese Hoibye
Financial Manager

Terese Hoibye holds a BFA in dance education from the Norwegian Ballet College. After college she continued her dance studies in New York at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Peridance Center. She started dancing when she was 7, performed extensively since the age of 10, and has appeared on Norwegian National TV and at the Norwegian National Theatre. She spent 4 years in New York where she danced with Jodi Liss Dance/Ideas and produced Dancing Planet International Dance Festival. Since moving to the Bay Area she danced with Anima Mundi Dance Company, The Lively Foundation, HerPic Performances, and performed and presented her own work at the Norwayday Festival in San Francisco. She recently performed in Mariposa Studio’s Cassandra at Mission Creek, Women on the Way festival with HerPic Performances, and was commissioned to choreograph for Argentina Dances by Tango and More.

Terese has taught for over 10 years in Norway, New York and the Bay Area.  Her teaching experience ranges from young children through adult in both Ballet and Contemporary. Recently, she served as Program Director and Ballet Mistress for CTA in Walnut Creek for 3 years. She is currently teaching at Conservatory of Classical Ballet in San Leandro, California Academy of Ballet in Martinez, DLOC in Pleasant Hill, and ODC Youth Program in San Francisco.

Kate Law
Instructor

Kate Law has always had a love of movement, some called it hyperactivity, but she knew this energy had a higher purpose and so began her launch into dance at the ripe age of 4. Kate has been teaching for Fitness In Transit since the fall of 2005, and also works as a professional modern and aerial dancer and a certified yoga instructor. Before moving to San Francisco Kate worked for the Salt Lake City School District teaching movement and choreography programs to elementary schools district wide. She also wrote a grant supported research paper on integrated arts education and the ability of dance to help at-risk urban youth which was supported by a fellowship at an integrated arts preschool and kindergarten and culminated with a teaching series at the Boys and Girls Club in Tacoma, WA. Kate was an active board member and choreographer for Reparatory Dance Group (RDG) at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA and danced for the Tacoma City Ballet while earning a Bachelors Degree in International Political Economy and French.

Hannah Hogan
Instructor

Hannah has enjoyed teaching gymnastics, creative movement, circus arts and martial arts with Fitness in Transit for three years. She is a playful soul and a big kid at heart, so working with children has always been an important and joyful part of her life. In the past she's worked at Model School Preschool, Monkey Business Day Camp and with the children martial arts program at Studio Naga in Oakland. Hannah studied gymnastics and dance through her childhood and early adult life. Five years ago she began studying Poekoelan Tjmindie Tulen, an Indonesian martial art, and has since devoted her movement studies to developing herself as a martial artist.

Sara Pfeifle
Instructor

Sara Pfeifle is a Bay Area dance teacher, choreographer, and performer. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Montana, and has taught a variety of dance forms and movement skills to children and adults throughout the Northwestern United States. Since moving to San Francisco in 2005, Sara has had the pleasure of working with Leyya Tawil's Dance Elixir, Pappas and Dancers, and continues to perform with Kelly Kemp & Company and Aura Fischbeck. Most recently, she has started her own company, The Pfeifle Dance Project. In addition to teaching for F.I.T., Sara teaches for Performing Arts Workshop and Roco Dance and Fitness.

Melecio Estrella
Instructor

Melecio Estrella is a bay area native. As a youth he was immersed in the world of competitive gymnastics. From this foundation, he has grown into the worlds of dance and performance. He currently tours nationally and internationally as a performer with Project Bandaloop and the Joe Goode Perfomance Group. Melecio has been teaching gymnastics for 9 years, as well as creative movement, theater arts and preschool yoga. Melecio's teaching style celebrates children in their inherent creativity and joy for movement, while providing lessons that will safely challenge them to expand their movement capabilities. SAFETY is always the top priority, followed by Fun, Fascination and Playful Physicality.

Katie Polanshek
Instructor

Katie is a 2007 graduate of Point Park University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. While attending Point Park, Katie was featured in numerous performances, including one at American College Dance Festival in Buffalo, NY. Sherecently moved to the Bay Area from Illinois. Katie has taught all levels and genres of dance for seven years and currently teaches gymnastics and creative movement for F.I.T.

Marina Karadjieva
Instructor

Marina Karadjieva is originally from Bulgaria, and holds a degree in Languages from the Sofia University. She now resides in Berkeley, California, where has studied aerial arts for the past seven years and has performed for numerous festivals, corporate events, clubs and fund raisers including Circus of Love with Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara Kids Film Festival, Sarah House AIDS Foundation, and Think13 Life.

In 2003 Marina and her husband founded a performance art production company called Cirque Destino, specializing in organizing circus-related events and responsible for booking and contracting artists for corporate events, fund-raisers, etc.

Marina is currently an Acrobalance/Gymnastics and Circus instructor for kids and adults. She aims to continue to expand on her acrobatic circus skills and to perform in a wide variety of venues.

Martina Oskarsson
Instructor

Martina moved to America in 2000, after she finished her degree in children’s growth and development in Sweden. She was living in Portland, OR, teaching yoga and creative movement with Fuego, a youth organization for at risk teenagers. She was enrolled in Do Jump and there studying Acrobalance and trapeze art. In Portland she was really involved with the art and performance community, performed in a variety of shows including a collaboration with Alex Grey and at the annual Time Based Art festival. She has since 2002 been practicing Yoga and through that found a deep love for movement arts.

She has been teaching workshops in circus arts, acro-yoga and physical theater.
Martina came to the bay area in October 2007, after she has finished the 1 year Professional Training at Dell Arte International School of Physical theater. And have now been working with F.I.T since December 2007.

Kay Ceridwen Bachman
Instructor

Kay Ceridwen Bachman holds a Masters degree in Transformative Arts from JFK University (2006). She has co-created and performed over a dozen of her own works. Her mediums include dance, video and text.  She has created a number of site-specific performances, which is her first love when it comes to performance.