OUR TEAM
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT IN MARCH 2020, KATE AND KARA JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THEIR FITNESS EXPERTISE TO LIFE UNDER THEIR OWN FITNESS PLATFORM, KKSWEAT, AFTER A COMBINED 25+ YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY. IN A MATTER OF 48 HOURS, KKSWEAT WAS UP AND RUNNING FROM THEIR BROOKLYN APARTMENT — THE FIRST OF THE ZOOM WORKOUTS TO HIT THE SCREENS. 2 YEARS LATER, THEY BUILT OUT AN EXPANSIVE ON DEMAND LIBRARY OF OVER 500 WORKOUTS AND OPENED THEIR FIRST PHYSICAL NYC STUDIO IN FLATIRON. TOGETHER, WITH CLIENTS OF OVER 10+ YEARS AND NEW FRIENDS WHO’VE JOINED ALONG THE WAY, KATE & KARA HAVE CREATED AN AMAZING COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE KILLER WORKOUTS THAT ARE ENERGIZING, MOTIVATIONAL, AND CHALLENGING.
KARA LIOTTA
CO-FOUNDER OF KKSWEAT, KARA IS ALSO A POWERHOUSE CELEBRITY TRAINER, MASTER INSTRUCTOR, AND FITNESS MODEL BASED IN NYC. SHE BRINGS HER 12 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE KK BRAND — STUDIO CLASSES, LIVESTREAM, AND ON DEMAND.
BEFORE LAUNCHING KKSWEAT, SHE WAS INFLUENTIAL IN THE GROWTH, EXPANSION AND SUCCESS OF FLYWHEEL SPORTS' FLYBARRE PROGRAM AS THE VP OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR. SHE LED ALL CONTENT DEVELOPMENT, BOTH IN-STUDIO AND DIGITAL, IS A NASM CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, PRE/POST NATAL TRAINING SPECIALIST AND 200-HR VINYASA YOGA INSTRUCTOR.
ADDITIONALLY, KARA HAS BEEN SIGNED WITH WILHELMINA MODELS FOR 10 YEARS, REPRESENTING TOP BRANDS LIKE NIKE, UNDER ARMOUR, REEBOK, WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE, SELF MAGAZINE AND SHAPE MAGAZINE.
KATE HICKL
KATE HAS BEEN A LEADING FITNESS INSTRUCTOR IN NYC FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS. AS A CERTIFIED 500-HR YOGA INSTRUCTOR, MASTER INDOOR CYCLING INSTRUCTOR AND NASM CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, KATE HAS DEDICATED HER LIFE’S WORK TO HELPING OTHERS IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. HER PASSION FOR FITNESS DATES BACK TO AN EARLY AGE — SOCCER, SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL, TRACK — IF THE SPORT WAS IN SEASON, SHE WAS A PART OF IT! FROM HER ACTIVE CHILDHOOD IN TEXAS THROUGHOUT HER EARLY ADVERTISING CAREER IN NYC, KATE ALWAYS KEPT SPORTS, FITNESS AND WELLNESS TOP OF MIND. SO MUCH SO, SHE NATURALLY FOUND HERSELF SHIFTING HER FOCUS, AND, ULTIMATELY HER CAREER TO ALL- THINGS FITNESS BACK IN 2007. FROM YOGAWORKS TO SOUL CYCLE TO BEING THE FOUNDING INSTRUCTOR OF FLYWHEEL SPORTS IN 2010, KATE HAS BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE BOOMING NYC BOUTIQUE FITNESS SCENE FOR OVER A DECADE AND HAS NO PLANS TO SLOW DOWN ANYTIME SOON. SHE RECENTLY CO-FOUNDED KKSWEAT ALONGSIDE HER FIANCÉ AND FITNESS POWERHOUSE, KARA LIOTTA.
Natalie
Ortiz
NATALIE ORTIZ IS ORIGINALLY FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY TO PURSUE HER DREAMS OF BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL DANCER. SOME OF THE ARTISTS AND PROJECTS NATALIE PERFORMED WITH ARE: THE ROLLING STONES, MADONNA, SARA BAREILLES, PHARRELL, KANYE WEST, ALICIA KEYS, TELEVISION SHOWS LIKE GLEE, AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON AND EVEN ON THE BIG SCREEN IN MOVIE MUSICAL “IN THE HEIGHTS”. IN 2014 NATALIE JOINED FLYWHEEL SPORTS AS AN INDOOR CYCLING INSTRUCTOR. SHE WAS AWARDED THE FIRST EVER “INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR” AWARD FOR FLYWHEEL FROM THE NATIONWIDE ROSTER OF OVER 500 INSTRUCTORS. THE GREATEST BONUS OF ALL WAS GETTING HER FIRST INTRODUCTION TO KATE HICKL AND KARA LIOTTA WHO MADE AN INDELIBLE IMPACT ON HER FITNESS CAREER. MORE RECENTLY, NATALIE WAS VICE PRESIDENT OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND FOUNDING INSTRUCTOR FOR SWERVE FITNESS WHERE SHE BROUGHT HER YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO TEACH AND DEVELOPMENT THEIR TALENT AND LIVE-STREAMING GAMIFIED INDOOR CYCLING EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN NOW FIND HER ON THE BIKE AT CYCLEBAR NOHO.
NATALIE HAS BEEN A PART OF THE KKSWEAT COMMUNITY FROM THE INFANCY OF THEIR LIVE STREAMING EXPERIENCE IN EARLY 2020. THE SENSE OF CAMARADERIE IS UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY SHE NEVER IMAGINED BEING ABLE TO BRING HER DANCER ROOTS AND EXPERIENCE FROM ON THE BIKE TO THE MAT WHERE SHE CAN CONTINUE TO BLEND HER LOVE OF ATHLETICISM, MOVEMENT AND MUSIC WITH HER PASSION AND KNOWLEDGE FOR FITNESS. SHE CAN’T WAIT TO BRING YOU A WORKOUT THAT IS AS ENTERTAINING AS IT IS EFFECTIVE.
Kyla Bartholomeusz
KYLA BARTHOLOMEUSZ IS A NYC-BASED DANCER, SINGER, AND PERFORMER. THIS NATIVE AUSTRALIAN HAS OVER A DECADE OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL STADIUM TOURS, MAJOR BRAND CAMPAIGNS, AND MOST RECENTLY, PERFORMING ON BROADWAY IN THE TONY AND PULITZER PRIZE - WINNING HIT MUSICAL, HAMILTON.
THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: HAMILTON (BROADWAY), HAMILTON (INTERNATIONAL TOUR) – DC/SWING/COVER PEGGY/MARIA, HAMILTON (ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN COMPANY), CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (AUSTRALIAN TOUR), DIRTY DANCING (AUSTRALIAN TOUR), WE WILL ROCK YOU (AUSTRALIAN TOUR), AMERICAN IDIOT (DANCE CAPTAIN, AUSTRALIAN TOUR).
TV APPEARANCES INCLUDE: THE VOICE, DANCING WITH THE STARS, THE MASKED SINGER, AUSTRALIA’S GOT TALENT.
TOURS: COSENTINO’S ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE NATIONAL TOUR (FRONTIER TOURING); CO-CHOREOGRAPHER FOR IMMERSIVE CINEMA’S DIRTY DANCING (MUSHROOM GROUP).
KYLA IS EXCITED TO BRING HER EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN DANCE AND THEATRE TO KKSWEAT! LET’S MOVE :)
Mary Wolff
ORIGINALLY FROM THE MIDWEST, MARY HAS BEEN AN ATHLETE AND A MOVER HER ENTIRE LIFE. SHE BEGAN DANCING AT AGE 2 AND WENT ON TO COMPETE AND LATER TEACH WITH THE NATIONAL DANCE ASSOCIATION, EVENTUALLY SERVING AS A HEAD INSTRUCTOR FOR SEVEN YEARS. OVER 13 YEARS AGO, SHE MOVED TO NEW YORK TO PURSUE A PROFESSIONAL DANCE CAREER, PERFORMING WITH VARIOUS MODERN COMPANIES AND SHOWS.
WHILE TRAINING FOR HALF MARATHONS, MARY DISCOVERED A PASSION FOR CROSS-TRAINING AND THE ENERGY OF THE GROWING FITNESS INDUSTRY. SHE BEGAN TEACHING AT CYC FITNESS IN 2015, FOLLOWED BY FLEX STUDIOS IN 2017, WHERE SHE LED REFORMER AND HEATED PILATES CLASSES. IN 2018, SHE JOINED OBÉ FITNESS AS A FOUNDING TRAINER, TEACHING HIIT, PILATES, DANCE, AND REBOUNDING TO THOUSANDS NATIONWIDE.
MARY BRINGS HER DANCE BACKGROUND, LOVE OF MUSIC, AND DEEP FITNESS EXPERIENCE OF OVER 10 YEARS TO KKSWEAT! HER CLASSES LEAVE YOU FEELING STRONG, ENERGIZED, AND RIDING AN ELECTRIC HIGH THAT LASTS LONG AFTER THE WORKOUT ENDS.
Emily O’Connell
EMILY MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY IN 2006 TO ATTEND FORDHAM UNIVERSITY AND PURSUE A PROFESSIONAL DANCE CAREER. AFTER GRADUATING AND SPENDING SEVERAL YEARS PERFORMING, SHE FOUND A NEW PASSION FOR FITNESS THROUGH FLYBARRE AT FLYWHEEL SPORTS. EMILY WENT FROM BEING A LONGTIME REGULAR CLIENT TO TRAINING AS AN INSTRUCTOR UNDER KARA’S MENTORSHIP. SHE WENT ON TO TEACH FLYBARRE IN NEW YORK CITY, THE HAMPTONS, AND THE SEATTLE REGION, AS WELL AS TRAVELING AS A GUEST INSTRUCTOR TO VARIOUS STUDIOS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND HELPING TO TRAIN NEW INSTRUCTORS.
EMILY NOW LIVES IN THE SEATTLE AREA WITH HER HUSBAND AND TWO KIDS, BUT SHE HAS KEPT HER CONNECTION TO THE NYC FITNESS SCENE AS A DAILY KKSWEAT LIVESTREAM PARTICIPANT. SHE IS SO EXCITED TO GET BACK ON THE INSTRUCTOR MAT AND TO WORK WITH KATE AND KARA AGAIN.
EMILY’S CLASS IS KNOWN FOR BEING CHALLENGING AND HIGH-ENERGY — AND WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING STRONG AND ACCOMPLISHED!
WHAT OUR CLIENTS
ARE SAYING
Unmatched energy, instructor, and community, all under one roof, with Kara Liotta at KKSWEAT. Everything you could ever dream of to keep you motivated, accountable, and strong!
– ELIZABETH T.
“
KKSWEAT is the absolute best workout in NYC. It’s my go to at least 5x a week. The workout is both intense and super fun at the same time. Kara and Kate have built a community like no other.
– HEATHER Y.
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Being a regular at KKSWEAT is life changing. Not only have I gotten stronger, I’m part of an amazing community. Having KKSWEAT as part of my day makes everything better.
– SANDY G.
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I have been working out with Kate and Kara for over 12 years now. They magically manage to challenge and entertain me on a daily basis! At KKSWEAT they have created a warm, welcoming and supportive environment/community, where you will have fun while working harder then you imagined every time!
– JOJO R.
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KKSWEAT is my happy sweaty joyful place — the fact that I am in the best shape of my life is second to how much I love the classes and community.
– GINA H.