We learn about hip-hop technique, rhythm, and musicality, and have lots of fun too!

Available in novice, intermediate, and advanced classes, it’s recommended that students start at the novice level. At higher levels, students are challenged with a faster-paced teaching style and added difficulty in choreography.

Our ballet classes are designed for both Pre-K and beginning dancers with little to no ballet experience. These classes focus on fundamental technique, alignment, strength, flexibility, and basic ballet vocabulary.

As the foundation of all dance, ballet helps dancers grow in skill and artistry, setting them up for success in any style they pursue.

Taught by former collegiate dance and cheer athletes, this class is high energy, challenging, and tons of fun. If your dancer has high energy and passion for dance, this would be a great fit!

In this class, students learn to cheer, stunt, and dance. Poms are a required additional purchase for this class, which will be ordered for each dancer by Aspire.

Click here to learn more about our exhibition and competition dance teams, The Shooting Stars, for our 7+ dancers looking for advanced-level training.

We offer private dance lessons focusing on skill development, choreography, or competition prep. More information for Fall 2025 coming soon.

With over a decade of coaching experience, I am thrilled to call Aspire Total Fitness my full-time job and home away from home. I have taught, managed, choreographed, and coached for several local studios, high school dance teams, and award-winning soloists in the greater Portland area, but nothing compares to Aspire!

Our dancers are passionate, kind, and driven–and I feel so lucky to teach them! With a bachelor’s degree in science of nursing, and years of experience as an in-patient pediatric nurse, I am overjoyed to be applying my education and knowledge towards my true passions: dance and fitness!

I truly love my job and the work I get to do with Aspire Total Fitness. I also love being a mom to my daughter Wrenley, a firefighter’s wife, a friend and auntie, a Disney fan, and an avid snack consumer.

“IN LIFE, AS IN DANCE, GRACE GLIDES ON BLISTERED FEET” - ALICE ABRAMS

Missy has danced since the age of 4 with a little push from Aspire co-owner Erica Knittel, (which to this day she will tell you changed her life for the best).

Growing up, missy was involved in sports ranging from volleyball to cross country, but never gave up her love for dance. Fitness became a huge part of her

Life as she got into high school and realized how important it was to her success in athletics. Teaching around the country with Northwest Dance Company every summer was a quick lesson on how to bring it, even when you’re exhausted and sweaty.

After moving to Arizona Missy became 1 of 3 trainers at Scottsdale’s premier boutique gym BODI and ran the run club there for 3 years. Missy’s career began to take center stage and after moving to Texas, fitness took a backseat momentarily. As Covid hit, home called, and it sounded like Erica and Bexley on the other end asking if I would come and help for a few weeks while the current dance teacher was on maternity leave. Two years later and here I still am!

Brooke’s love of dance started at 10 years old. She started learning fundamentals and techniques at 11. She trained at a couple of studios in the Gresham area but dove in head first to the dance team at Reynolds High School under coach Holly Yeck. It was there she met Sonya Duffin, whom she continued to train and perform with after high school and in her early 20s.

Pure Dance Company is where Brooke got to really appreciate the art of dance and she will forever be grateful for those years of artistry. She also has a huge love for musical theater.

Brooke took about 9 years off of dance, in that time she married her husband Richard and started their family. Brooke has 3 wild toddlers who keep her very busy!

Abby started dancing when she was three years old. When she was young she played soccer and volleyball but no other sport brought her joy quite like dance did. She started dancing competitively in elementary school and continued through middle school. Once in high school, she joined the Clackamas Cavalettes.

After graduating college, she began coaching high school dance. She now has found her way to Aspire and she absolutely loves having the opportunity to build relationships with the kiddos and to watch them grow as dancers.

Micah was raised in Portland and began studying Tap, Jazz, contemporary, and Ballet from an early age.

From 1998-2000 she trained at Oregon Ballet Theater in Ballet, Pointe, Flamenco, and Modern dance styles. She later joined the Jefferson Dancers company in Portland where she performed throughout the Northwest, across the country, and internationally performing in contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop, and African dance.

Later, she began teaching and choreographing. From 2006 to now, she has taught at local studios, helping train and inspire the next generation of dancers.

Outside of dance, Micah is a school counselor in the Clackamas school district and a parent to three kids and three dogs.

Kylie has danced since she was 5 years old. She has been trained in Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. She competed in regional and national competitions with her studio, and even won a national title with her team! 

She began her coaching career right out of high school since she still wanted dance to be a huge part of her life. She has coached ages 3 all the way up to 18! 

When Kylie isn’t dancing, she owns AS A DREAMER, a photography business, and AS A DREAMER Studio, a photography & creative studio in Downtown Gresham. In her free time, she loves traveling, trying new coffee shops, and spending time with her husband and their 2 golden retrievers. 

Dance has always brought her endless joy and sharing it with others is something she never takes for granted!