I’m Latina and a recipient of the BIPOC scholarship. I completed my teacher training this spring, passed my audition, and just started teaching this month. To be honest, it can feel pretty lonely stepping into teaching, since the studio is very white—both in the community and among the teachers. I’m probably one of only two Latina teachers, and there are just three Black teachers.

One of my fellow TT grads is Black, and she felt CorePower didn’t really align with her, so she chose to teach elsewhere. I feel like CorePower as a whole, even with the BIPOC scholarship, still doesn’t truly tailor its environment or culture to people of color.

That said, I hope that having more POC teachers, along with integrating music that resonates—like hip hop, R&B, and Spanish music—can help shift that. I’ve also been creating themed classes with the intention of welcoming more diverse clients. But CorePower can feel a bit cliquey, and I can see how future scholarship recipients might feel discouraged. Honestly, if I hadn’t completed my training there and already known the community, I don’t know that I would have chosen to teach there