Meet Hannah Carmody | Dance Fitness Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Carmody and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What truly makes me happy is seeing people light up during and after my fitness classes. The energy that fills the room when everyone is moving, laughing, and just being themselves feels like magic. Knowing that I can make a positive impact on someone’s day, help them feel more confident, or provide an outlet for stress relief brings me all the joy in the world.
I believe that happiness is magnified when it’s shared and being part of a supportive community where we uplift each other is a big part of why I do what I do. For me, it’s not just about teaching a class; it’s about creating an experience, setting a vibe with music, and making memories. I’m happiest when I’m pursuing my passions – the ability to share them with others fuels me and keeps me motivated every day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always been drawn to the freedom and self-expression that comes with an entrepreneurial career. From a young age, I loved dancing and finding new ways to express myself through movement. When I discovered teaching group fitness in college, I knew I had found my life passion. What started as teaching on campus classes to 150+ students in a big gymnasium, has turned into a side hustle for over a decade now. I have taught at multiple boutique studios in NYC and CT, to finding my community here in San Diego at Madhouse Dance and Equinox.

As a full-time director of sales in ad tech, fitness has always been my “5-9” life. My drive to work hard in my career comes from staying true to myself. I always want to be part of an environment where I can innovate, explore all of my new ideas and inspire others. Teaching is what gets me up in the morning (sometimes at 5am!) and reminds me every night that I am following my life motto: “do what you love, love what you do.”

Balancing my life with a busy schedule has taught me to importance of finding your rhythm. As a dancer, rhythm is important to me for so many reasons. The definition of rhythm is a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. I love the structure that teaching provides me in my life. You have to listen to your body, mind and emotions to find a balance that works for you. This approach to building my day-to-day makes me more effective in both roles. My creativity and energy levels stay high. Time management is a number one priority.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am from the East Coast so when my best friends fly across the country, I always want to make it special and give them the SoCal experience. Since you already know the itinerary includes my dance cardio classes at Madhouse, I make sure to get them a coffee at Superbloom and hit up Old Town for post-workout tacos. It’s all about balance! My favorite hike to take visitors on is Torrey Pines, followed by an afternoon in Solana Beach: soaking up the sun and shopping. I love being a sunset chaser so I would definitely plan out a few sunset spots for their trip: Sunset Cliffs and Windansea Beach are my two favorites.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Want to give a shoutout to Madhouse Dance! Linked here: https://madhousedance.com/

Madhouse Dance is what made San Diego home for me. Moving across the country was a big change, but finding a dance studio that felt like a dream made me fall in love with the journey. When you find a community that builds you up, you know it is where you are meant to be.

Website: https://linktr.ee/move_with_hannah

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/move_with_hannah/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-carmody/