Meet Yaya Oke | Afrobeat Dance Fitness Instructor

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

Hi Yaya, how do you think about risk?
If you don’t take risks, how will you ever get to where you want to be? If I decided that me teaching Afrobeat was not going to be anything and because others are teaching it no one will need me or my style of dance, then I wouldn’t be here. I took the chance on starting Yayafitness and It’s taken me to places I never thought I would go and allowed me to meet people, and make friendships that I’ve held onto till today.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Professionally/Corporate America, I’m a full time recruiter in the Engineering devision. But I also consider dance as part of my professional life because it has allowed me the freedom to express myself and tell a story with my body and movement. I’ve always had a passion for dancing. My best friend  and I created a dance group when we were in high school and from there we had the opportunity to travel for performances. As we got older and started college, dance seemed like something I would have to revisit at a later time. Lucky for me I was VP of my ASA (African Student Association) group in school and also in charge of our performances. That left the door open for me to continue dancing. While in college I started teaching dance classes on and off. After college I moved to GA and decided that I was going to continue dancing and began teaching at Piedmont Park until I found a studio (Cosmic Energy Fitness Studio). Fast forward to a few years later and I’m still teaching dance and have had the opportunity to teach at Google, VMWare and other companies. I’ve been fortunate to work with different dancers on set of commercials and music videos. I also have a pie business called @Yayaspies and an 8 month old  who takes up a lot of my time but I’m still making time to teach in person private one on one sessions and also weekly group sessions via Zoom. None of this was easy, deciding to continue dancing while I was pregnant, hosting other dancers from different states and also working a full time corporate job. If it was easy, I wouldn’t have as much fun doing it. I just count my blessings that I’m able to do it all together. I’ve learned that if you truly want something you have to go for it no matter what and that’s what Yayafitness is for me.

If you meet me in person, you will see that I’m an extreme extrovert but I’m also an introvert who loves to relax at home and only come out for important events.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a fan of the belt line, Atlantic station and anywhere in GA that you can grab a bite to eat, shop and enjoy the beauty the city has to offer. My favorite places to eat are Ikes Cafe for the African dishes. I also love @SmokeySundayz, which is a small family owned business without a restaurant but the food is delicious and FingerhotATL.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my friends who continue to encourage me to keep doing my dance even after I had my son.

Instagram: @YayaFitness