Wildfire Instructors

Simone Rees

Simone completed her yoga teacher training in India in 2003, and has been teaching yoga around the world ever since. She has taught classes in the United States, Canada, India, and her native Australia. She was head of the beginner, intermediate and advanced course programs at the Sivananda Yoga center in Los Angeles for two years prior to moving to Colorado. While in L.A., she also taught children’s, senior and prenatal yoga classes and programs.

Henrietta Bauer-Gately

Henrietta started teaching yoga in 2004 after completing a 200 hour Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher Training Program. Her teaching draws from various styles of yoga often incorporating a dynamic and meditative flow using modifications of postures and sequences to accommodate her students. Her classes allow space for personal exploration, empowering students by allowing them to listen to what is suitable for them. She continually encourages her students to deepen their practice through their own awareness, personal strength and intuition. In the summer of 2007 Henrietta will start an additional training in the style of Viniyoga where she hopes to lay a solid foundation for her continued interest in the therapeutic applications of Yoga for individual needs.

Muriel Jelsma

Muriel is a local artist who has exhibited her work internationally and has taught art for the past 10 years.

Richard Bennett

Richard is a fourth degree black belt and chief instructor for the Bennett’s Okinawan Karate Academy based in Erie Colorado, which teaches a traditional form of Okinawan karate known as Uechi Ryu. Richard has been studying Uechi Ryu since he was 4 years old. At 12 years old, he received his junior black belt and then his full black belt at 17. Even before he was a black belt Richard was teaching classes and now has nearly 20 years of Uechi Ryu karate experience, and 15 years teaching experience. Richard continues to be one of the youngest black belts at each rank by testing at every minimum age requirement set in place by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The Karate club in Berthoud is among many schools that the Bennett family has created in Colorado.

Sally Nibbelink

Sally brings a lifetime of dance study to Wildfire. Her early training in ballet and jazz led to modern, followed by contra, swing and ballroom, but tap has been her passion for the past 20 years. “We will challenge our bodies, stretch our brains and sweat a little, but most important, have FUN.” She is currently a student of Gene GeBauer and performs with The Big Noise and Wildfire’s Tap Roots.

Call Sally for more info. 970-532-4387

Randy Downing

Randy was born in southeast Kansas, but grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. He studied Tae Kwon Do and raced dirt bikes all over the country before discovering dance as an adult. He has been a massage therapist since 1988. Randy loves all forms of dance, but has a burning passion for tap.

Randy currently takes tap classes from Gene GeBauer, and performs with The Big Noise. He has been in many dance and musical theatre productions along the front range.