After months of bugging my friends, I finally got them to come with me to Beast House. The Pole and Aerial Dance Studio located in Kapitolyo opened in June 2014 and has quickly become home to some of the fittest and strongest ladies in the Metro.
Partners Jamaica Jornacion, Kristel de Catalina and Gia Gapay began as teachers in different studios. All with extensive backgrounds in pole and different genres of dance, they found themselves longing for a place where they can train for shows and competitions without having to worry about a venue to do so. With several years of experience and international awards under their belts, there was no reason for these ladies not to take on the challenge of putting up a place where they can share their talents with students.
If you had absolutely no idea what Beast House offered, you would probably imagine a military bootcamp. But what I love about the name is how it entails strength and still exude femininity through their logo and their classes. We are all too familiar with the popular expression “Beast Mode” which means going all out in trainings or exercise. Beast House is a place where you can “beast out” but still be in a comfortable, encouraging environment with a positive and fun ambiance—a great way to unwind after a long day or week at work.
But with a handful of gyms, studios and fitness facilities opening to the public each month, it’s a wonder how the Beast Fam manages to set themselves apart from competition. The quality of classes is maintained by hiring only well-trained teachers. Safety is a priority too, “We use thick crash mats and Pole and Aerial Equipment that are brought in from the US”, Jamaica says. “We also have a variety of classes and programs that suit everyone. From Heels and Tease to Contempole to Pole Fitness to Zumba. We cater to the different needs of our students. If they wanna feel sexy, we encourage them to attend Heels and Tease which will teach them to embrace their sexuality and sensuality. Some do Pole for fitness. Those who are not comfortable with Pole opt to take Aerial Silk, which is a very challenging and fun workout too. We respect their reasons and so we design classes that are perfect for them”, she adds.
And speaking of sexy, we went on to take the Beast Fam’s advice in embracing our sexuality by attending the Heels and Tease class led by one of their amazing teachers, Lance Santiago.
There were eight of us in class that afternoon and for a class that required a lot of space to move, the floor was only able to accommodate 4 women at once. We were split into two groups as we went through the routine. If it were for another class, I’m sure the space could have taken more but long legs moving up and out plus pointy heels proved to be a dangerous combination.
Here’s a short clip of how our first class went:
Notice how the shoe strap on my right foot seemed a little darker in the video? That’s because my strappy shoes gave during the class. One of the girls came up to me when that happened and told me she experienced the same thing before. Her hack? Use my ponytail to put the shoe together and voila! But heels or no heels, I was determined to keep dancing. Haha
This leads me to one more thing I’d like to point out. I don’t know about you, but I expected girls in sports bras and shorts in a pole studio to be intimidating. They were, however, really nice and welcomed newcomers like old friends. When asked what she had to say about the Beast House community, Jamaica says “They’re family. They are very encouraging, they respect each other. They enjoy being challenged and feeling accomplished in class. Ladies keep coming back not only because of the quality of services that we give them but also because of the relationships that have been built both in and out of the studio.” Because of all these things, there’s no doubt that my girls and I will be back. Maybe for beginners’ pole next time (watch out for the second blog entry). 😉
The studio will be celebrating their first anniversary in June and will be holding Summer Workshops that lead up to a recital on June 6 at the Music Museum. The show is entitled “Divas, Legends and Rockstars”. Classes include Pole Dance (Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced), Sexy Heels Fitness, Zumba, Aerial Silk, Aerial Lyra, Belly Dance and many more. Slots are limited so be sure to check them out.
Beast House is located at 2F D’Ace Plaza, United st. cor. Brixton st. Kapitolyo. Call or text for inquiries through: 0915 618 6002 or follow them on Instagram: @beasthouseph
Stilts on Featured Image found on Etsy.com
