Welcome Oulakins to  Can I Get a Connection? - a quarterly publication for Oulakins in the know. 

For me, Oula has always been about connection. I crossed paths with Oula about eight years ago after my cousin, Christina, invited me to attend one of her classes while I was in town visiting. I had no idea what to expect. Upon arrival, I said “hi” to my cousin and made a beeline to the back of the room. I fumbled my way through the class but left with that “Oula high” – choreographing routines in my head to the songs on the radio on the drive home. Unfortunately, Oula was not in my area. I tried to remember the Oula routines and dance at home, longing for an opportunity to rejoin a class.

Roughly a year later, I moved back to Los Angeles and learned of an Oula class in my area through my cousin. I was an unknown in this community as I was a newbie. But I was welcomed. It didn’t matter how I moved, if I was on beat. I was present and allowed to take up space, allowed to be me. 

It was through the mutual adoration of Oula that I had an immediate connection with the other participants. What started out as acquaintances during class, grew over time. Now some of my closest friends and support system are people I met through Oula. These friendships hold so much value for me and have gotten me through so much, including an isolating pandemic.

Oula connects people. To each other, to music, to movement, to oneself. Dancing next to someone, sharing a smile as we bust a move while shouting lyrics creates an incredible bond. We have our amazing communities across the country, even the world, where we can dance and express ourselves with the comfort of knowing we are in safe spaces. This newsletter is an extension of those class connections. We want to bridge the geographical gap between communities and share our stories about our wonderful group, which means we want to hear from you! Share your Oula story by emailingconnection@oulafitness.com.

Aside from building connections,Can I Get a Connection? will bring you up-to-date news and information from Oula HQ – upcoming events and trainings, Oula affirmations and more! Here is what to expect in this and future newsletters:

1. "Authenticity & Affirmation" – This section will highlight the new quarterly affirmation and its meaning and showcase the new Oula merch associated with the affirmation.
2. "That Oula Magic" – We want you to share your stories on what "Oula Magic" is to you –  tell us what makes our community and Oula so special.
3. "The Latest" – Learn about upcoming events, releases, retreats and more!
4. "Check Out the Online Studio" – We will feature recent online classes available in the online library.

I’m extremely excited to be part of the team working to bring you this publication. Through this newsletter, I am able to bridge my professional work in communications/media relations/marketing with my passion for Oula and dancing. I look forward to learning about my fellow Oulakins and using the tools I’ve developed as a communications specialist to bring our unique stories to light. Please email any questions, comments and story ideas to connection@oulafitness.com

Stay tuned and happy reading!

xo,
Kelly Vail