Name: Kealey Johnson
Year: Senior
Major: French Studies (Minors in Education and Psychology)
Hometown: Missoula, Montana
Favorite Animal: Giraffe
Favorite Movie: That’s a tough one, but I would probably say The Proposal!
Favorite Day of the Week: Thursday or Saturday
If you could live anywhere in the world where would you live?
I think that I would live in the south of France andI would have vacation homes in Santorini, Greece and Interlaken, Switzerland.
How are you involved on campus?
I am an RA in Kenna Hall, a fitness instructor, the president of French Club, I’m on two intramural volleyball teams, and I am actively involved with Campus Ministry (specifically the Encounter With Christ retreats).
What is Oula?
Oula is a dance fitness class that was founded in my hometown of Missoula, Montana in 2010. It is an hour-long class that is filled with high-energy, calorie burning dance moves set to top-40’s hits. The focus is on how the participant feels, not on how they look, so the aim is to have an hour-long dance party in a judgement-free zone, all while toning your body and burning some calories.
How long have you been teaching Oula?
I became a certified Oula instructor in July of 2013 and I have loved it ever since!
Why should people take an Oula class?
People should take an Oula class because it’s the dance party that they didn’t know they wanted! Oula has made fitness so fun for me and I want to give all of my participants the happiness that I have found since joining the Oula family.
What’s one of you favorite Oula songs?
Oh wow! That is a difficult choice. So many songs have such different memories attached and evoke different emotions for me. I would say that my top 5 favorite Oula songs (in no specific order) are “The Spark” by Afrojack, “Backbeat” by Dagny, “Classic” by MKTO, “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon, and “You Make Me Feel” by Cobra Starship. But ask me next week and I might have a completely different list!
What is something you would tell your freshman self?
I would tell myself to have more self-confidence and to say yes to every opportunity!
What’s the difference between Oula and other dance classes?
I think that there are a few differences between Oula and other dance classes. For one thing, in other dance classes the instructors make up their own dances. However, I learn the dances that the founder of Oula creates (and she creates a new one each week that I learn). This is unique because if you go to an Oula class in Portland it will theoretically have the same dances as a class in Baja, Mexico or Missoula, Montana. I think another main difference is the fact that the dances are to popular songs. This is nice because my participants will then have the opportunity to be in public or their homes and hear an Oula song and sing/dance along. The last thing is that I think because of the community aspect and the idea of “if you feel good, you look amazing” it can truly be empowering if you allow it to be.