Who's Who At Best Foot Forward:
Mariah Gajewski,
Owner and Head Instructor
Best Foot Forward Dance Company was established in 2016 in Stevens Point, WI, by owner and head instructor Mariah Gajewski. Miss Mariah began dance in 1998, and has more than 22 years of dance education and experience.
Miss Mariah loves taking the most fun, unique, and innovative approaches while teaching her students, and takes great care during each student's experience ensuring they receive quality dance education in a nurturing and inspiring atmosphere. Miss Mariah has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, and pointe. She has studied, instructed, choreographed, and competed in large groups, small groups, duets, and solos in tap, jazz, lyrical, ballet, pointe, musical theatre, and hip hop. One of Miss Mariah's favorite parts of dance is creating thoughtful and moving choreography for her students to dance to.
Miss Mariah loves sharing her enthusiasm and passion for dance with her students, and strives to craft a wonderful, wholesome experience for her BFFDC dance families.
Assistant Instructors
- Miss Alissa -
- Miss Abby -
- Miss Nonah -
- Miss Maggie -
- Miss Mary -
- Miss Taylor -
Kara Gunderson, Yoga Instructor
Kara has always been called to move. Growing up on the West Coast, she found great release in dance, roller skating, or even just hanging upside down on her backyard swingset and observing the earth from a different point of view.
As a theater and communications student at UW Stevens Point, she was formally introduced to yoga via a professor. Kara like being guided not only by movements, but also by breath. Yoga helped her challenge herself without being competitive and find the calm she needed to get through life.
While pregnant with her daughter, Kara received her 200-Hour yoga certification at Inner Fire Yoga in Madison, Wisconsin. Four years later, she’s a busy wife and mom, a health secretary at a local elementary school, and teaching yoga throughout the Stevens Point community to people of all ages and backgrounds.
With a firm belief that yoga is for all, she offers all-level classes that encourage exploration and acceptance. Kara says her own personal practice helps her body and mind both be on the same page, and that is what she strives to help those in her class do as well.
