Get to Know Our Instructors

Hello! I’m Val, owner of Ascending Studio! I’m thrilled to welcome you to Ascending Studio, where I am passionate about sharing the transformative gift of movement with everyone who walks through our doors. From a young age, I was captivated by the beauty of dance and movement, cultivating a lifelong love for fitness, health, and well-being.

My journey took a significant turn during my six years in the Air Force, where I discovered my true passion for helping others achieve their fitness goals. This experience deepened my commitment to wellness and ignited my desire to empower individuals on their personal fitness journeys.

After the joyous arrival of my son, I embarked on my own postpartum recovery, which led me to the incredible world of Pilates. In 2019, I took the exciting step of becoming certified in Reformer Pilates to share this life-changing practice with others. Shortly thereafter, I encountered Buti Yoga, a practice that resonated so deeply with me that I consider it my soulmate workout. Since then, I have expanded my expertise by earning certifications in 200-hour Yoga, Barre, Aerial Yoga, and Deep by Buti, a restorative practice that I love. Most recently, I completed advanced BUTI Yoga training, enriching my ability to guide and inspire others through this powerful practice.

Currently, I am furthering my education with STOTT Pilates and pursuing additional certifications in various Pilates equipment to enhance my offerings at Ascending Studio.

My mission in starting Ascending Studio is to help others discover the joy of health and fitness. Pilates and Yoga have profoundly transformed my life, both physically and mentally, and I am devoted to helping others experience the same empowerment and happiness. Let’s embark on this journey together!

Denise found yoga via a path similar that many followed in the mid-80’s. It was a great way to get flexible and hang out with cool people. Years of fad exercise crazes, clumsiness, motorcycle and snowmobile adventures in addition to corporate life stress resulted in spine and disk damage that ultimately required surgery. Yoga was a key element in a speedy recovery and restoring full mobility with less pain.

In 2019 Denise completed her first Yoga Teachers Training through Yoga and Wellness of Blue Ridge. That experience spurned a desire to dig deeper into the 8 limbs of Yoga and how a physical practice can impact mind, body and spirit. In 2021 she completed 300 hours in Advanced Yoga studies programs through Asheville Yoga Center. These classes included subjects Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga, Anatomy, Breathwork, Subtle Body, and Chakras to name a few. Now registered with Yoga Alliance as RYT-500, Denise leads classes including Gentle Flow, Yin, Basic, Chair and even Goat Yoga classes.

I believe that the recipe for a happy life is to keep active through healthy movement, eat well, and to have a strong emotional support network. I’m Vicci Lefort, a recently retired healthcare professional, mother, grandmother and fitness lover. I have always been active and have trained in a variety of sports.  I started as a gymnast and cheerleader, moved to running and cycling and on to weightlifting. I have practiced a variety of yoga styles. I landed in Pilates about five years ago. The personal benefits that I experienced with Pilates inspired me to complete the Stott® Reformer and Mat teaching courses. I have a science degree and have worked in research for most of my professional career, including a stint at Kennedy Space Centerworking with a muscle physiologist studying how space travelaffects the human body. 

I love understanding the chemistry and biomechanics of how the body functions and how we can optimize our health through exercise and nutrition. I think that it is imperative that exercise is done correctly matching each body style to ensure optimization of the benefits and to not exacerbate any functional misalignments. My goal as a Pilates teacher is to share my passion, experience and knowledge aiding my clients to achieve their personal goals resulting in a happy, healthy and productive life.

Brooke’s yoga journey began 23 years ago as a young mother taking a Parks and Rec class, which gave her a sense of coming back to her body. In 2014, she deepened her practice, finding yoga essential for her emotional and spiritual growth. She became passionate about helping others discover its benefits, saying, “Come to the mat for the physical, leave with the spiritual; come for the spiritual, leave with the physical.”  

After completing her 200-hour training in 2021, Brooke briefly studied under Todd Roderick at Ashtanga Atlanta (direct student of Sri Pattabhi Jois), reinforcing her belief in the importance of alignment and sequencing. Her classes blend asana, mindfulness, meditation, and breathwork, with a focus on safety and making everyone feel at ease. 

Outside of yoga, Brooke is married to her husband of 18 years, a mom of two teens and one adult and lots of dogs, and is a self-described river rat, enjoys gardening, dancing, cooking delicious meals with friends, and is always seeking outdoor adventures.

Reformer Pilates