Cate Kraska (she/her)

I grew up in the Bay Area trying almost every type of dance you can think of! I attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA for my undergrad degree and moved up north to UW for my masters program. I now practice civil engineering in Seattle! I've always loved being active and instantly loved the challenge of Pure Barre and how themes I grew up with in technical dance can be applied to PB classes. Having tried lots of different group fitness classes, I've always loved how an instructor can bring me energy and motivation to start or end my day on the best note. I am now so happy to be a PB instructor and hope that I can bring that same energy for others and help them feel their best physically, mentally, and emotionally! My partner and I have a saying that has become a motto for lots of things in my life including working out - "grilled cheese". It's a combo of other saying like "get that bread" and "get this cheese" and to me it means to work hard, get it done, and do it for yourself! I have shifted my view on working out significantly for the better over the past few years and have found a sweet spot where I truly do it for myself to better myself and not for others. So when I need some motivation, I tell myself to get that "grilled cheese"! From my classes, I hope people can gain strength to carry along with them for the rest of their day whether that be physical strength and/or emotional strength! I know for me, physical activity can completely flip my mood, make a bad day turn into a good one, and clear my head to make problems seem manageable. I hope I can bring energy and motivation for people to leave my classes feeling empowered! I love the theme of body positivity the most at Pure Barre. I love being surrounded by so many people (also LOVE the PB community for this) that just want to lift up others and empower others to do what is best for their bodies by learning to listen to your body. --- Mindful, Dynamic, Encouraging