Meet Danielle Vardakas-Ducko

Teacher Feature of the Month: Danielle Vardakas-Ducko

Danielle’s Classes:
Chakra Yoga Series: Mondays, 5:45-7:15 pm ( pre-registration only) | Vinyasa: Sundays: 4:30-6 pm | Danielle teaches Wed. Community Class at 4:30 (Starting June 2010).

1.  EVO: how did you find yoga?
Danielle: I began practicing at 14 or 15 to cross train while dancing with a Junior ballet company in Philadelphia. The director of the company said it would help us gain strength and flexibility and improve our breathing during intense performances. It did and I continued to call on Ujjayi breath during performances and competitions for the length of my performing career.

2.  EVO: how do your dance and yoga backgrounds overlap?
Danielle: During college I became very interested in modern dance. After breaking my left foot while rehearsing Martha Graham’s Night Journey at age 20, I began to focus on yoga alignment and felt a connection to styles and teachers that projected that. After this accident and healing I began to professionally bgirl(radiance) and hip hop dance and choreograph. I realize the alignment that I gained it my practice was a perfect counter balance to my breakin. It also made me stronger for more complex movements and balances (freezes). One dance studio I was teaching for at the time of my injury found out through conversation that I practiced yoga and encouraged me to get certified so I could begin teaching yoga there. That was when I received my first certification and found I really loved to teach.  I also began the female hip hop/ breakin company at this time with a few other Philly dancers.

A year passed and I went for another flow training and then moved to AZ. After my hubby finished school we moved back east and I knew it was time to take it further with yoga. I had been teaching & performing hip hop six days a week in AZ as well as traveling to LA once a month to train. During this crazy time I still taught several yoga classes per week and had a wonderful home practice but I knew I had to take it further. This is when I found Verge and decided to take the 200 hour ytt. Before finishing I was asked to teach at the studio and after completion I became a daily teacher there. This quickly lead to my yoga alliance E-RYT and less dance teaching but still performing with my company B-tru which now was mostly a group of yoginis that preformed hip hop as background dancers for emcees and deejays.

3.  EVO:  how does yoga inspire you as an individual and as a new-mother?
Danielle: It inspires every moment from the food I eat ( I became vegetarian soon after I began practicing and vegan shortly after that), the way I feel and breath the air, the way to sit stand interact and the list goes on! As a mother it helps posture how I hold Garnet but also how we interact together. He is a loving and calm child that always is considerate of others. He is my blessing. I feel his old soul already understands and came to me to teach me ! He is my Guru! Honest and profound my life has new meaning and a new awaking of the present moment.

4. EVO: what is one thing you want your students to know about you they might not already know?
Danielle: I am planning to Begin my 500 hour yoga teacher training once Garnet weens himself. I trained the Villanova and St Joes University sports teams in yoga when I lived outside Philadelphia and had lots of private clients. If you are interested in a private lesson to cater to your own personal needs let me know.
Namaste
In bliss, Danielle

Watch a video with Danielle to learn more!