Carrenne Purtell found her way to pole dancing in 2022 after having been a group fitness instructor for the past 10 years. She taught Zumba and Turn Up and loved the excitement and energy but was looking for a lower impact dance workout. Carrenne immediately felt connected to the pole, the students and teachers, and the entire pole community. The movements were fun and challenging and so the addiction began! Though still new to pole, Carrenne immediately knew she wanted to become an instructor and work with others to help inspire and guide them along the same journey.

For Carrenne, pole dance has provided a creative outlet and chance to express herself in a new and challenging way.  Pole has been an incredible journey and will continue for her as both a teacher and student. She believes that pole is for everybody and loves to see new skills, tricks, and techniques unlocked for herself and others.

Desiree was born and raised in Rome, Italy. Desiree's passion for dance started as a toddler, she started with hip hop and contemporary and danced throughout her high school years. After high school, Desiree moved to Hawaii and felt as though she lost touch with some of her dance techniques but still continued to dance every chance she got! Desiree went on to get married and have her first child, and she had always admired a friend's pole dancing videos. She always wanted to try but after having her baby she was hesitant. She felt self conscious, as though her body and mind didn't feel secure. Finally one day, she found the courage to take a class and after just one class she fell in love with pole dancing! Desiree immediately felt confident, happy, secure, and she felt as though she was able to bring back her sensuality which she felt had been lost. Desiree states that pole dancing in general helps her escape the hardships of life, pole dancing makes her feel free. She says, "Pole is a great way of letting my true emotions out, it lets me be me!" Desiree started her pole journey in October of 2020 and now that she is here in Santa Rosa she is ecstatic to share her experience of how pole changed her life and helped her become a strong, confident woman. Now, she wants to help her students become the strong, sexy, confident humans that they are!

Jasmyn Hamblin (they/she) is a dancer, choreographer, and artist passionate about playful exploration, community connection, and the cultivation of inclusive art spaces. They received their BFA in Dance from CSU Long Beach and have performed internationally in Mexico, Switzerland, Ecuador, and Italy. After moving back to Sonoma County in 2024, Jasmyn fell in love with pole dancing and the empowerment they feel from the style. They are excited about exploring how their movement backgrounds, including contemporary, improvisation, jazz, and ballet, can blend together with pole dancing.

At the age of 7, Jenna began training in many forms of dance, including ballet, tap and jazz. As a teenager she was a competitive tap dancer, played lead dance roles in local community theaters, and directed and choreographed many local high school musicals. As an adult she received her B.A. in music along with competency certificates in Jazz and Ballet studies. In 2017, she found pole.

“I’ve studied many styles of dance but lyrical jazz has always been a favorite.
When I saw Sergia Louise Anderson dancing on the pole for the first time, it
reminded me so much of lyrical. I fell in love with it at first sight and was
determined to learn this type of dance. Why do lyrical on the ground when you
can fly?!”

Since then Jenna has gone on to compete in many PSO Golden Gate competitions where she took first place in the dramatic category. Today she continues her love for dance by taking classes whenever she can and teaching a variety of classes at The Vertitude Santa Rosa.

Julianna had her eye on pole dancing classes since 2017. After a few years of surfing, she sought something more land-based and finally took up one of those pole classes she had been eyeing. When she joined her first 101 series at The Vertitude in 2022, she was instantly in love. What she discovered was far more than a new form of exercise; she found a vibrant community that reignited her lifelong passion for dance. For her, pole dance is deeply personal - a unique form of movement that allows us to express our stories, our strengths, and artistry in ways that are uniquely our own. Surrounded by the most wonderful community, incredible talent, and the sheer beauty of this art form, Julianna wants nothing more than to spread the love and share this journey with others.

Kristin is a certified dance instructor through Liquid Motion, with a smooth and slinky style and a love for dark and stormy movement. Kristin has competed for the past 4 years collecting Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. She was a featured performer at the 2019 International Pole Convention, and has performed for Flux Vertical Theatre in San Francisco.
Kristin discovered pole dancing in 2014 like many students, taking a class on a whim. Mainly self taught, but has been lucky enough to train with some of the best floor and pole instructors in the industry.

Before pole dancing, Kristin was searching for that perfect creative outlet and also trying to find a form of exercise she enjoyed. She loves how dancing makes her feel: strong, creative, connected with ones self. And now through teaching, she strives to help her students find the same.

Kristin is very honored and proud to be an instructor at the Vertitude Santa Rosa.

Since taking her first official pole class in 2019, Krystle has immersed herself in the pole world seeking to learn anything and everything she can. She has performed at PSO competitions several times and won 1st place in 2020 & 2022 and 3rd in 2023 in her category. 

She's always eager to help her pole friends with anything whether it's technique tips, choreo ideas, conditioning suggestions, or a word of encouragement. One of her favorite things about pole is the infinitely supportive community! 

She's thrilled to start teaching at The Vertitude Santa Rosa where she plans to pass on her passion for pole by creating an environment for her students to grow and explore the pole world in a fun, safe, and supportive manner where they get to be fully themselves. 

Mallory began her pole journey in April 2012 and immediately fell in love.  Later that same year she found her passion while teaching new dancers the joy of pole.  Since then Mallory has performed many times at various student showcases and other events, competed, and continued to teach people of all ages and skill levels.  Mallory has a love for old school pole choreography and often draws on this style of dance in her choreo classes.

Mel is a lifelong dancer! After training in classical ballet for most of her life, Mel was drawn to pole dance as a liberating and empowering art form. She quickly fell in love with the freedom and variety of the sport. As a special educator by day, Mel is committed to curating an accessible and encouraging space in which curiosity and vulnerability are centered and every dancer feels welcome to express themselves through movement.

Melina’s love of pole dance stems from her comprehensive dance background and a passion for all forms of movement and choreography. Since beginning her journey as a pole dance instructor in 2011, she has dedicated herself to sharing this unique art form with others. In addition to her expertise in pole dance, Melina is a certified Pilates, cycle, and pre- and postnatal trainer, reflecting her broad love of all things movement. Her love for teaching is rooted in the joy of helping students discover confidence, self-expression, and a deep appreciation for their bodies and their own personal capabilities. Through her creative approach, technical expertise, and willingness to just have a good old fashioned good time, Melina inspires people to embrace both dance and fitness as transformative practices.

Nicole’s journey back to her musical theater roots took an unexpected turn when she discovered pole dancing. Captivated by its strength and artistry, Nicole quickly fell in love with the sport and went on to win first place at PSO Golden Gate in 2023. Through the ups and downs of life, pole dancing has become a constant—a place that feels like home.

Nicole combines her love for pole dancing and The Vertitude with her background in operations and project management. With experience in the non-profit and public sectors, she handles the administrative side of the studio, ensuring everything runs smoothly so the teachers and students can focus on what they do best. It’s a fulfilling way for Nicole to blend her passion with her professional skills.

Victoria began pole dancing when she turned 18 and it very quickly became both her passion and her therapy.  She wants to bring that same life changing joy to others.  Her goal is for her students to safely build strength, feel sexy, gain confidence, flexibility, and create new friendships all while having the time of their life in a place of comfort.  She believes whether you just want a fun form of exercise or you have dreams of being an international competitor, it all starts with your first class.  One step at a time will lead you to your goals and confidence.

Sergia comes from a lifetime in the dance and performance world. She has been described as as a visual storyteller. A master of character, she suffuses each of her performances with honesty and depth through her richly detailed choreography. Her musicality, spirited movement and crisp, elegant lines sweep the audience along and immerse them in the moment. Sergia brings this personal connection from the performance stage into the classroom, enabling students to find the energy in their own movement. Drawing on her background in salsa, ballet, jazz, contemporary and theater, she provides a firm technical foundation for innovative tricks and transitions, accessible to dancers at all levels.
Her New York Theatre credits are far reaching including working with Broadway director Jerry Zaks in City Center Encores! Bye Bye Birdie. She has also appeared in numerous national commercials including spots for Verizon, Cascade, Chrysler and has co-starred in TV shows 3 lbs. and ABC's The Forgotten, as well as acting in re-ocurring roles on CBS's Guiding Light. Films include the lead in Tony Tango and The Company We Keep.

Sergia found pole while dancing and acting professionally in New York and Los Angeles. The pole became a grounding passion for Sergia and she founded The Vertitude Dance Studio in Los Angeles in 2011. She made an international name for herself with her competition/performance routines, and quickly became one of the most sought after choreographers in the pole world, working with national and international stars to achieve their competition, performance, and pole goals in classes, private lessons, online, and through video conference appointments. Her “Clown” routine that won her the title of US National Pole Champion in 2013 is one of the most widely shared pole videos in the industry demonstrating contemporary theatrical pole performance. Her dance and performance background gave her the ability to chameleon her way through all styles of pole from pole exotic, to pole sport, and was one of the key pioneers of the contemporary pole style, as well as creating an eclectic pole style of her very own. As a pole mama, she has trained and coached many of the great names in the pole industry today.

Sergia has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. She is an Elevated, X-pert, Pilates and Yoga Certified Instructor. Her sponsors include Lupit Pole, and Complete Pole Tutorials. After 6 years of living on the road teaching her signature pole and dance workshops in over 30 countries, she decided to plant her roots in Northern California in 2017 to open a second Vertitude location and is passionate about bringing movement to EVERY BODY. She is a forever seeker of movement, learning, exploration, inclusion and expansion.