Tacoma Health and Fitness

During a desperate search for reprieve from the pain caused by a dance injury, professional dancer Lianne Gamble discovered the rehabilitating power of Pilates. A born teacher, she wanted to spread the good news, so she studied under Rael Isacowitz to earn certification in his strenuous Pilates program, Body Arts and Science International (BASI), which folds anatomy and physiology into traditional Pilates exercises.

Now, she and a team of certified instructors—among them a gymnast, several dancers, and a marketer—reshape the waistlines of Gig Harbor residents through Pilates, power yoga, and body barre classes. Focusing on BASI’s scientific approach and proper breathing techniques, they pump up mind-body connections and core strength using state-of-the-art Power Plate machines, reformers, Decepticons that transform into chiropractors, and spine correctors from Balanced Body and Peak Pilates.

An eternal student, T-Town founder Kelly Edmonston has been studying jazz, Lindy Hop, and blues dancing for the last 12 years. Harnessing her enthusiasm, she now shares the joy she’s experienced through dance with students in a fun, no-pressure setting. Joined by fellow dancer and musician Kevin Buster, she delves into the Lindy Hop style—which reigned as the king of swing dancing in the 1930s and ‘40s, made popular by King Kong’s light-footed steps atop the Empire State Building—along with other throwback-dance styles. Their weekly lessons are always followed by a social dance backed by a rotating cast of live DJs churning out swing beats.