Misfitstudio

Before there was Spynga (spinning and yoga), Barreworks (ballet and pilates), Hip-Hop yoga or any of the multitude of hybrid fitness classes that exist in Toronto, Amber Joliat was deep in a creative process that would yield a visionary new fusion of movement practices.

Professional dancer, intuitive teacher, inspired artist, nonconformist and free spirit, Amber is an authentic misfit in the best possible sense of the word. “Dance was the first thing that I took on as a human; it was my first means of experiencing and understanding the world,” she says, adding that dance led her to discovering yoga, which in turn led her to Pilates. “I began to the integrate multiple methods of movement that I loved and started integrating music into my classes, which was not happening at that time, and I even broke through the restrictions of the mat, inviting people to move their hands and feet onto the floor.”

At the time, there was nothing like this in Toronto, and soon people began to gravitate to Amber’s original offerings to experience a class unlike anything else. Thus began the evolution of the MISFIT method, a practice Amber describes as “rooted in yoga, informed by Pilates and inspired by dance,” and then eventually the birth of MISFITSTUDIO.