Roller Dance
Fitness Class

Firstly, we are LGBTQ+-affirming and anti-racist. Anyone who embodies kindness and respect is welcome in this space. For skating qualifications, this class is for quad skaters only. Sorry inline / Rollerblade folks! All skaters should be able to skate forward and backward with pretty good stability, and have the ability to stop in a controlled manner. Above, that, it's up to you. We teach some pretty advanced stuff, but I'm always willing to meet skaters at their level and modify moves when needed.

Every week is different, and I glean moves from a multitude of regional roller dance styles, but some of the moves I like to teach, drill, and polish include: • single foot drills • dribbling • crazy legs • zero • downtown • manuals • spins • grapevine • pivots • KC Slide (AKA ATL Slide) • groundwork (breaking)

I stay true to my own roots when I skate. I grew up skating every weekend at Anderson Roll Arena in Anderson, Indiana, back in the late 90's. We toe-jammed (a local name for crazy legs) and shuffle skated to hip-hop, then backward skated holding hands with our crush during the soul / R&B slow set. We felt the music in our souls and moved our bodies to the beat for hours, sometimes at all night skating sessions, until the sun came up. If you like skating to top 40, disco, whatever else, that's great. But if you want to know why my own skating roots are so important to me, I invite you to watch the 2018 HBO documentary United Skates. Warning: Some of the music we skate to in my classes will contain explicit lyrics. If that's not your thing, another class might be more enjoyable for you.

Unfortunately I do not have skates that I can rent out. I know that owning a pair of roller skates can feel like a big investment, but it's so worth it! There's nothing like lacing up your very own skates and customizing them to your own unique personality and skating style. I recommend checking Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill, Arc, and Play It Again Sports for deals on used roller skates before making the jump to a brand new setup. And feel free to e-mail me if you need help knowing what to look for. cait@soul-skate.com(mailto:cait@soul-skate.com)

Please bring your own roller skates. I do not have rentals available. Skates should be in good-working, clean condition, ready to roll on a nice indoor floor. Skates should have either toe stops or jam plugs. REQUIRED safety gear: wrist guards. Optional safety gear: helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, literally any pads you want, we won't judge.

Sorry. I believe that progress videos are important tools for success and confidence-building, and digital content can be a great way to share skate love with the community. Most skating rinks reserve the right to take / post / share pictures and videos, and I do the same.

I grew up quad skating, took a 20 year break, then got back into it in April of 2024. I started taking learn-to-skate classes, practiced often, progressed quickly, and found that I really loved helping my fellow classmates hone their skills. Before I knew it, I was teaching the class officially. Gradually, I started adding roller dance moves to my teaching repertoire, and found that my students and I were all wanting more time to devote JUST to roller dance. And now here we are! I'm still learning, and I haven't mastered every skill that I teach. But I feel that gives me a unique perspective as a skate coach. And Soul Skate is about fun, not perfection. We're all learning together, and there is always a new move out there waiting to be invented or discovered. And in case anyone cares, I am also SafeSport certified. :)

Soul Skate is all about sharing skate love with others, especially family. If you have a teen who wants to skate with you, I'm all about that. They must be accompanied by an adult who is also taking the class, and they must already have the required skills of skating forward and backward with balance, and stopping with good control. No small children though. My music can be explicit and I would feel bad with sensitive little ears in the room!

No, sorry. Everyone in the room needs to be part of the class. It can be a big distraction for myself and the other students to have folks on the sidelines watching.

Purchasing a class pack is a bit cheaper than buying one class at a time. If you are still finding it hard to participate due to cost, PLEASE let me know via e-mail. I won't ask embarrassing questions or get all in your business. But I might be able to help. I want everybody to be able skate, even when money is tight. Together we'll figure something out. I can be reached confidentially at Cait@soul-skate.com (mailto:Cait@soul-skate.com).