Beginning to dance at age 3, she took dance classes from one teacher (until she retired) and did performance in recitals, store openings, state fairs, private clubs, hotels, etc in Portland.  She focused on ballet, tap, toe, hula, and acrobatic. 
Kristi was on the gymnastics team in junior high and high school

Age 17 to 23 - she trained in classical ballet at a school that was oriented to training students for NY ballet companies.  During this time she spent 6 months training with dancers and dance companies in France.

Age 18 to 29 various dance classes, many in college classes, modern, jazz, ballroom of all types, dance aerobics, disco and partner disco, etc.

Age 19 to 23 yo belly dance with one teacher (from Iran), some performance, then began to teach belly dance in medical school in the rec center to a class of med students and to a class of nurses.

Moved to Phoenix in 1987, did Equestrian for 12 years (hunter jumper) and continued with her dance classes. She has been heavily involved in martials arts for the last 7 working her way up to teaching martial arts for the last 5 years and has a 2nd degree black belt and plans to test in April for 3rd degree black belt .

Kristi began taking pole dance with Pussycats Pole Dance about 3 years ago and after learning all the material and showing great dedication to the education and safety of pole dance, she started to train to become an instructor. Pole Cat Power Instructors are trained over the course of a year and are required to teach assist with an instructor for 6 months before we allow them to teach on their own. We do not turn out instructors with a "weekend certification." Learning to teach pole dance properly takes alot of patience and skill to prevent injuries and to ensure the instructor has developed the ability to recognize improper form and correct it, formulate modifications based on an individuals needs or limitations, and learn effective spotting techniques.