Meet the Ledge's Sweat Shop Instructors!
Amanda Hengesbach (Owner/Cardio Dance Instructor)
Amanda is the proud owner of Ledge's Sweat Shop, which has been in business since August 2016. At Ledge's, she is a Cardio Dance Instructor. Incorporating dance into a super fun workout and sharing her love for dance with so many people is one of the many things Amanda loves about teaching Cardio Dance. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old and teaching dance for over 20 years.
Amanda is a teacher at Grand Ledge High School, where she is also the assistant director and choreographer of the Grand Ledge High School musicals. She also teaches dance at Rising Star Studio of Dance Arts.
This is an incredible and busy journey that Amanda is on and she is extremely thankful for her support team of her friends and family, including her amazing partner, Jeff and her incredible children, Delayne and Ashton! She is also thankful for her wonderful instructors, the Grand Ledge Community, and every single person that walks through Ledge's Sweat Shop's doors!
Jeffrey Belding
(Facilities/Operations Manager)
Jeff has been involved in fitness his whole life. From playing youth and college athletics to coaching a wide range of youth and high school sports, he has engaged in a personal fitness program for too many decades to count. He is proud of the evolution of the Sweat Shop over the last few years, as well as the community service Ledge's engages in. He is especially proud to work side-by-side with his amazing energizer bunny partner, Amanda. His three children, Brittany, Olivia, and Jonah, dance, sing, and sport. Jeff's role at Ledge's Sweat Shop is to do whatever Amanda tells him to do. She is the brains (and beauty); he is the brawn.
Carol Squibb
(Zumba Gold Instructor)
Carol retired in the fall of 2014 and wanted to try different types of exercise. She fell in love with Zumba and became certified as a Zumba Gold instructor in February 2017. Carol joined Ledge's in February of 2018 and loves helping all types of fitness levels enjoy dancing and being fit with music.
Dawn Feighner
(Cardio Dance Instructor)
Dawn began teaching Cardio Dance about a year and a half ago. She was looking for a workout routine that would be enjoyable and help her lead a healthier lifestyle and Cardio Dance has done just that. She has found that Cardio Dance is fun, energetic and doesn’t feel like a workout. She loves being part of the Ledge’s Sweat Shop team.
Dawn works from home in the investment/401k industry. Dawn has a step-daughter Bree and a step-son Blake that she loves and adores as though they were her own. She and her husband Jerry also have two beautiful grandchildren. Granddaughter Kinleigh, grandson Lincoln, and granddaughter Charney are Dawn’s pride and joy and she loves spending as much time as she can being “Mimi” to her three little angels.
Erica Nguyen
(Pound and Trifecta Instructor)
Erica fell in love with POUND after attending her very first class in 2015. She wanted to keep this incredibly fun and unique class available to the community so she faced her biggest fear of being on stage, and became a certified POUND instructor a few months later. Erica loves building confidence in others and helping them reach their goals. She works hard to make sure her classes are enjoyable and effective whether you are a beginner or a regular attender. She is forever grateful for the amazing friends she’s made at Ledge’s Sweat Shop and hopes you will stop in for one of her three weekly classes she teaches there.
Erica enjoys camping and hiking with her three kids. She also loves reading, baking, and puzzles!
Patty Sanchez
(Get Ripped / Step and Sculpt Instructor)
Patty graduated from Michigan State in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in History. She is married and has 4 children. She lives with her family, as well as their two dachshunds and one grumpy cat in Wacousta.
Patty began teaching Group Exercise in 2013 and became a NETA Certified Personal Trainer in 2014. She specializes in high intensity training, injury prevention, and nutrition for athletes. Patty is passionate about helping people reach their goals without being focused on the numbers on the scale. Her motto is, “Go strong, not skinny.” At Ledge’s, Patty teaches Get Ripped and Step and Sculpt.
Sharon Winslow
(Cardio Dance Instructor)
Sharon was given the opportunity to share her love of dance and exercise teaching Cardio Dance in 2016. She enjoys many different forms of exercise and can be found at a variety of classes throughout the week. Sharon also enjoys running and completed her goal of running in a half marathon last year. Sharon has worked at a major insurance company for over 25 years and she has 3 wonderful children and a beautiful grandson! She is grateful for each smiling face that comes in the doors at Ledge's Sweat Shop as we all work to become healthier versions of ourselves!
Esther Brummette
(PiYo / Gentle PiYo / Barre Instructor)
After suffering a very serious and painful leg injury, Esther was forced to rethink her approach to fitness. She attended her first PiYo (Pilates/Yoga) class and was hooked. In 2018, Esther became a certified PiYo instructor. Esther often hears “What the heck is PiYo”? In short, PiYo combines the muscle-sculpting, core-firming benefits of Pilates with the strength and flexibility advantages of Yoga, while turning up the speed to deliver a true fat-burning, low-impact workout. One of the great benefits of PiYo is the ability to modify moves to meet the individual’s fitness level/accommodate a prior injury. Esther believes it is never too late to start on a fitness journey and loves helping people reach their fitness goals.
Esther moved to Grand Ledge in 2008 and lives with her husband Randy and their black Labradors Jelly Bean and Walnut. She enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, wildlife photography, cookie decorating, dog-Halloween costume contests, Stand-up paddle boarding, and visiting adult care facilities with her Therapy-dog Jelly Bean.
Marnie Johnston
(Cardio Kickboxing/Turbo Cardio Kickboxing Instructor)
Marnie graduated from MSU in 2015 with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She taught preschool in Grand Ledge for three years. She recently left teaching and started working at Auto-Owners Insurance Company. Marnie is originally from Grand Ledge, but is currently residing in Dewitt with her husband and their dog, Ruby.
Marnie took an interest in health and fitness after college and has been on her own healthy journey for the past four years. She is currently working towards getting her Personal Training Certification, so she can help people on their healthy journeys. Marnie is also the head coach for the Junior Varsity Grand Ledge High School Pompon Team. She is so excited to share her love of fitness with everyone, no matter where you are at on your journey.
Melissa McKimmy
(Yoga Instructor)
Melissa first began practicing yoga more than 20 years ago. She attended 200 Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga State in East Lansing, and is currently completing an additional 300 Hour Teacher Training at Peoples Yoga. She has been teaching yoga periodically since 2015, and has a background instructing Vinyasa Flow, Restorative Yoga, and Introduction to Yoga.
Melissa has a masters degree in Community Sustainability from Michigan State University. She works full-time as a Program Coordinator with Michigan Energy Options. Melissa and her family live in Delta Township. She's looking forward to connecting with others, having fun, and sharing her passion for yoga.
