Fast-Growing local pole dancing studio showcases its talents at the p remier of S ex an the City 2

Tease Dance and Fitness of Naperville, has experienced record breaking success in spite of the still shaky economy. They expect the new June 13th session to break even more records! Tease has expanded to open a third studio adjacent to their current location. "This larger studio will house their new class additions such as Burlesque, "booty" camp, Hot L atin Dance, and Sensual Bellydancing. "Although we are primarily a pole fitness studio, we are branching out into other forms of sensual and sexy forms of exercise" says owner, Kristin Hubbard.

"We've hired 6 new instructors who each have their own specialty. The classes will compliment each other and we anticipate that the students will take more than one weekly class as we are currently promoting a $99 add-a-class special."

Tease Dance and Fitness showcased its classes as well as its signature pole class at The Hollywood Palms theater for the premier of Sex and the City 2 last night. "The instructors and students entertained and warmed up the crowd from 9pm to midnight right before the movie premiered," said Karrie Sullivan, a new instructor at Tease. According to Hubbard, the instructors and students did pole demonstrations and gave the audience a chance to give the pole a "spin." The group also did a flash mob demonstration of one of its newest classes, Burlesque.

Ladies' night Tease dance studio demonstrates at 'Sex and City' premiere in Naperville By JOSH LARSEN jlarsen@stmedianetwork.com/Naperville Sun

Instructors from Tease Dance and Fitness will be demonstrating pole dancing at Hollywood Palms Wednesday leading up to the midnight premiere of "Sex and the City 2," but it's not as if the Naperville studio needs the extra attention. Tease has been growing at a steady rate since opening its first studio in 2007 with only a handful of instructors. Today they have 12 in all, along with new classes such as burlesque and sensual belly dancing. On June 13, the business will expand into a third studio at 1831 Wehrli Road."We started in the basement in my house and then moved to my garage and eventually to a studio," said owner and instructor Kristin Hubbard. "Now we are expanding into another studio. We just keep knocking down walls." How has this specialized service managed to not only survive, but thrive, during the recession? Hubbard said that "women taking care of themselves" is one thing people weren't willing to cut from their budgets. "They'll let go of kids' piano lessons before they let go of their 'me' time," she said. "They need that. After taking care of everybody else, they need that 'me' time." When Hollywood Palms approached Hubbard about being part of the "Sex and the City" premiere, the event seemed like a natural fit. Hubbard said her studio stresses three things ó exercise, self-empowerment and female friendships ó and that the last two elements are a big part of the "Sex and the City" phenomenon. "(The series' appeal lies in) the friendships between the women and the way their personalities come together," said Hubbard, who counts herself among the many fans. "We really encourage that (at Tease) ó friendships between the students and the teachers and students." The challenge Wednesday will be to translate that atmosphere to a movie theater lobby. "The theater expects women to come pouring in to the pre-party around 9 p.m.," said Karrie Sullivan, a new instructor at Tease. "The instructors and students will be entertaining and warming up the crowd from 9 p.m. to midnight when the movie premieres." Those who really embrace the demonstration will even have a chance to get in on the action. "We'll let girls try the pole if they want to," Hubbard said. "Just the kind of hipper kind of women who would see the movie are the same clientele that I have."

May 25, 2010 By DENISE CROSBY

Oh, what a difference three years can make. When I interviewed Kristin Hubbard in April of 2007, her pole dancing business was just getting off the ground -- so to speak -- as she worked out of her basement, but harbored loftier goals.

Today, her Tease Studio in Naperville is so popular, the 38-year-old mother has now opened her third dance floor just to keep up with the demand. A lot can happen in three years. And no one knows that better than yours truly. After writing the column about this sexy new fitness trend, I actually wanted to buy my own pole and start doing a little swinging and swaying in the privacy of my garage. I was newly single, still limber and only had to touch up the gray at my temples a couple times a year. That was back in the day. And speaking of ... "I've got lots of pain in the lower spine," I whine to my doctor later that same year, hoping he'd declare my problems could all be cured by a few visits to a good chiropractor. Instead, he orders me to walk a few steps away from him, analyzes the movement, then announces it's nothing more than arthritis. "You're getting older," he tells me matter-of-factly. "We're all getting older."

Eighteen months later, the good news only continues; beginning stage s of osteoporosis. Somehow, I think my days of dancing with the poles are over, even before they begin. And I've got more than mere physical ailments holding me down. It's not that I've turned flabby. But the hard reality is, I'm just not that hip anymore. Two years ago when the first "Sex and the City" came out, I gladly photo-shopped my mug into the middle of a publicity shot of Carrie and Company we ran in the paper. I dragged my significant other to the hit movie. I eve n threw on a clingy dress, bought a pair of gladiator pumps and dined at the same swanky Manhattan restaurant where Carrie Bradshaw's rehearsal dinner was filmed. But just as it takes effort to keep in shape, it takes work to stay hip. You have to keep bu ilding your posse of cool girlfriends, pretend to enjoy alcohol-laden fruit and/or fruit-laden alcohol, watch the "Bachelorette," read "Twilight" novels and stay up later than 10 p.m. on weekends. So what do I blame -- bad back or no hip? When I ca ught up this week with the still-perky Hubbard, she was adamant I'm not too far gone on either front. The certified fitness expert says she's had lots of clients with back pain who have seen dramatic improvements because pole dancing is so effective at strengthening the all-important core. Plenty of women "your age" are climbing the pole and having a ball, she insists. Plus, Hubbard claims, many of her students come in shy, uncertain, with no idea who Robert Pattinson is, and "I've seen them change 100 percent." OK, so maybe there's hope for the hip after all. I'm not rushing out to buy a pole, but I tell Hubbard I'll consider a class or two. Even if it's a swing and a miss, at least I can say I was in the game.

Pole dancing in Naperville... a workout to remember. April 28, 2009 By Nicki Anderson For The Sun

I must admit, when I decided to explore pole dancing for my column, I had no idea what to expect. I went in to this assignment with a bit of skepticism, after all, pole dancing? A common reaction, but I quickly changed my attitude once I met Kristin Hubbard, owner of Tease Dance and Fitness in Naperville and experienced a class. The fitness industry has never been stifled when it comes to exercise innovation, and pole dancing is no exception. A classically trained dancer, Kristin found herself seeking the right kind of fitness program shortly after delivering her first child. Like every other new mom, Kristin wanted to find someplace to recover her pre-baby body. She happened upon a Fitness Pole Dancing class in Los Angeles (where she lived at the time), and fell in love with it. When she and her family relocated to Naperville, she couldn't find pole dancing classes locally, so she started her own. Being certified through Cooper Clinic as a Personal Trainer, Kristin decided to teach pole dancing classes for friends and family and that passion for dancing has evolved into a thriving business. "Tease is three things combined," Hubbard says. "Finding your bliss through your body, a challenging but really fun workout, and the 'Tease sisterhood.' These three elements come together and create an incredibly powerful experience for each woman, which is what makes each class so special." When you enter the Tease studio, what little light there is comes from two sources, candles and a single chandelier which hangs from a "tent like" ceiling in the center of the room. The studio includes four dance poles and while the instructor sits below the brightest light in the room, the students are placed around the perimeter of the room where there is less light. This is done intentionally to help students feel more comfortable and less self-conscious. As a student, I appreciated that, given my personal trepidation . The class begins with a 45-minute floor stretching sequence including some yoga and Pilates moves.

From there it's on to the pole. Kristin taught movements that, although you wouldn't practice them everyday - though she encourages you to - the various movements challenged my body. With climbs and spins, my upper body was working overtime. Even with the challenge, Kristin did a great job of making the class fun. However, Kristin told me that she kicked up the level of the class for my benefit; I think I appreciated that. K ristin says, "Pole dancing is a big step out of the bo x for most women. But when these women come into their own ... it's a force of nature. Pole dancing has an interesting past that most people don't even know about. It began in the circus; men and women would dance on the poles that held up the tents. It wasn't until the 1980's that the pole came to gentlemen's clubs. But that's what people know." What people don't know is that it's certainly a workout , 90 minutes of stretching and strengthening. For me, I must confess, I was pleasantly surprised and appropriately challenged. So, is pole dancing for you? I would encourage you to check out a class, if you're looking for something very different. Tease offers classes Level 1 through Level 7 - something for everyone. For more information visit www.teasedanceandfitness.com or you can call 630-901-9697.

Tease Dance and Fitness is at 1841 Wherli Road in Naperville. New classes begin Sunday.