Qualifications: Bachelor's of Arts in Dance Performance and Dance Education. Certified in group fitness by AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America). Reebok Global Fitness Ambassador. Master Trainer, Presenter, Evaluator, and Choreographer for Qignition's QiDance and QiForze programs. IDEA World Fitness Presenter, International Presenter SATS Convention in Sweden, and International Presenter for the Asian Academy of Sports Fitness Professionals in Beijing, China.

Personal History: I grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ where I started dancing at the age of 3. I knew from the start that dance was my path. Right from the beginning I ate, slept, and dreamt dance. I was the kid who never stopped twirling around. I remember getting lost in the aisles of the supermarket because I was too busy leaping through the cereal aisle to realize, that my mom moved on to the freezer section. My parents would get stopped all the time by complete strangers, “Wow, does your kid ever stop dancing?” I was fortunate enough to get top training growing up and to this day, I know that I wouldn’t be the dancer, choreographer, and teacher that I am if it wasn’t for the long hours spent in classes and rehearsals, amazing teachers, and support from my family.
After I got a college degree in Dance Performance and Dance Education, I traveled the US and Caribbean dancing professionally. From there my sister asked me to move to Los Angeles with her where I could pursue the entertainment industry and that is when I had my ultimate “hallelujah” moments: Dance, Exercise, and Choreography all together...I found fitness and ME! When I first got to Los Angeles, I danced in TV, Film, Live Shows, and Videos then I started to audition for Fitness projects. I got to meet and work with Experts who are very well known in the industry and have been around for many many years. They all opened up my eyes on what I could do in the fitness industry and how many opportunities were just at my fingertips. So ... I got certified in Group Fitness and have never looked back. I love that I get to wake up every single day saying, "I transform peoples' lives through dance and fitness. What more could you ask for?" It is a true accomplishment to make a difference in someone's life and that is exactly what I get to do. Once I incorporated fitness into my life and career, everything just seemed right and I continue to feel blessed everyday.

Workout Philosophy: Be the best that you can be and work the hardest that your body allows you to in your fitness journey! Commit from the get go that you will go after all your goals and enjoy the ride while doing it. Realize that fitness is a life change and not just a fad. Let your mind go and just have fun. Challenge yourself to break out of your comfort zone and remember that you are the one person that can do anything that you put your mind to doing. Stand tall, proud, and keep telling yourself, "You CAN do it!" You'll thank me later!

Success Story: Aleen L. from Woodland Hills, CA wrote to me: "My name is Aleen Lodge and I discovered Ilyse in August 2009 and started taking her classes three times a week. In just 13 weeks I had lost close to 50 pounds! It was unbelievable. All my life I struggled with my weight and I hated to exercise. I really tried. I even bought a treadmill which just sits in my home office. I had great plans for that treadmill and my DVR! Thought I'd walk on the treadmill while watching my shows - yeah right...never happened. Then Ilyse and everything changed. First class...I truly thought I was going to puke. I could only last for maybe 10 minutes and then I'd have to stop. Ilyse understood and kept encouraging me to come back and made it so much fun that I didn't realize I was exercising. It wasn't long before I could do 30 minutes without stopping and then 40 minutes and then all of sudden I realized I was dancing for 60 minutes and I felt amazing! No more leg cramps at night, no more back aches, my energy increased, I felt the best I had ever felt and the happy result was the weight loss!"

Testimonials: "I love Ilyse!  She makes every woman feel like they can be the best dancer in the entire world and makes people feel great as they transform themselves into what they really want to be."~LeAnn Rimes