Instructors

	[Matthew Addison] One SYNCCYCLING™ class and Matty was hooked on SYNCSTUDIO forever. Growing up as a non-athlete, Matty spent his summers indoors watching daytime talk shows and old movie musicals, eventually finding his passion for performing and television. He became a professional performer, toured in musicals and plays, trained in dance, and did television and commercial work for several years before deciding to take a break for school. While touring, he saw arts enrichment for youth lacking in many areas and school districts, so he started a business designed to provide theatre and physical fitness workshops/summer camps to children of all socio-economic backgrounds. Matty serves as the Manager of SYNCSTUDIO, and dusts off his graphic design skills when he gets a chance. You can catch him on-air during pledge drives on our statewide public television station, UNC-TV. Matty is SYNCCYCLING™ TYRO Certified and CPR/AED Certified. He lives in Chapel Hill with his partner (and fellow SYNCCYCLING™ Instructor) Kyle.
	[Kristin Avitabile] Beginning with dance at the age of 4, Kristin has always had an enthusiasm for physical activity. She was first introduced to cycling and yoga in 2004 and shortly thereafter met her future husband when he was her cycling instructor. Within a couple of years she took up road biking and began to teach cycling. In addition to cycling she continues to practice Vinyasa yoga regularly as she finds it to be the one exercise that consistently frees up both her body and mind. Kristin is very excited to call SYNCSTUDIO her home as a SYNCCYCLING™ ELITE instructor and yoga practitioner. Her classes offer a challenging and well planned workout- don’t be surprised if you hear your favorite rock songs too! When she is not traveling for work or working out, Kristin is at home in Durham with her husband, daughter and 3 dogs.
	[Elise Bruce] Elise took her first cycling class in 1996 at Chelsea Piers in NYC and never looked back! Later, after her first child was born, one of her cycling instructors encouraged her to become an instructor, and in 2005 Elise became Johnny G Spin Certified. Teaching has been a great way to stay committed to her physical fitness, community and mental health. Over the years, as Elise moved back and forth to NY a few times with family, teaching cycling and taking classes were integral to her happiness and wellness through all of the changes. Some of her other favorite ways to challenge herself include, yoga, strength training and barre classes. Elise is SYNCCYCLING™ TYRO certified and has also been teaching at Pure Barre since it opened in Chapel Hill in 2010. Her favorite component of teaching is being part of someone else’s journey to being their best self.
	[James Dymond] Jim took his first cycling class in the style that would later become known as SYNCCYCLING™ in the summer of 2005. Back then, there was no such thing as “The Basics” class! Following the beat and choreography of odd-sounding movements was a total mystery. About half way through that first class, Jim realized that it was entirely possible either his lungs or legs, or both, would fail before class was over. And although he could hardly breathe after that class—or walk the next day—and had no idea what “right leg lead” or “travel” meant, he was addicted! A classic late-bloomer, Jim transitioned from couch potato to fitness enthusiast after discovering a passion for weight training as a teenager. He went on to become a varsity and collegiate club-level athlete in wrestling, volleyball and hockey, and as an adult has remained active with weight training, running, yoga, competitive sports and, of course, as a SYNCCYCLING™ TYRO instructor. When he’s not exercising or at SYNCSTUDIO, Jim enjoys watching movies, being outdoors, learning and trying new things, and hanging out with friends all over the Triangle.
	[Kim Grantham] An active and athletic kid, Kim spent much of the ‘80s dancing, playing soccer, and cheerleading. She learned a lot during the early fitness boom (yes, even from Jane Fonda), but it was in ‘87 during her freshman year at Duke that she first joined a gym and discovered the motivating magic of group exercise. For much of her adult life, Kim enjoyed lifting and aerobics classes, but she ultimately tired of being a gym rat and left the gym in favor of hiking trails with her two labs. In 2008, however, major life changes sent her back to the gym, yearning for energy, encouragement, strength, and an incredible fitness challenge. She found all of those things in the cycling room. After following her favorite instructor, Christine Wall to SYNCSTUDIO, she received her SYNCCYCLING™ TYRO Certification in Spring 2011. She is excited to share with others this ever-evolving and empowering workout experience. Her musical tastes are broad and not what you’d expect, so you’ll always be surprised by what turns up on her playlist. When Kim’s not at SYNCSTUDIO, she’s running to keep up with her 17 and 13 year old daughters, Hannah and Drew, and her puppy, Cooper.
	[Laurissa Griffiths] Laurissa has been physically active from a young age, always involved in sports and exercise. She was a cheerleader in college and worked as a head instructor for the National Cheerleaders Association. Laurissa completed her BS in Exercise Science at Appalachian State University and in 2008 found a passion for indoor cycling and Yoga. She then became Johnny G Certified in the summer of 2010. Laurissa started instructing at SYNCSTUDIO in the fall of 2010 and is currently developing her teaching skills in the SYNCCYCLING™ TYRO Program. As a SYNCCYCLING™ instructor, Laurissa loves to share her energy and enthusiasm with others. Her classes are motivating and you might even forget it’s a workout, hence the nickname her classes have earned: “Club Laurissa.” She enjoys creating fun and interesting playlists with a variety of genres. If you like to dance in your living room then you’ll love dancing on the bike with Laurissa!
	[Ashley Lively] SYNCCYCLING™ ELITE instructor and paper pusher for SYNCSTUDIO, she started her adventure cycling in 2003. A year after stumbling into a cycling class she was subbing and soon became Johnny G Certified. She taught until she moved across the country for college in 2005. However, despite the distance and time away from the saddle while she was in school and living in China, she is back, ready to take on classes and spread her love of cycling and music again! If you are looking for a workout motivated by music, then her class is right for you- she spends hours creating playlists that offer more than your typical Top 40. When Ashley’s not on a bike, yoga mat or in SYNCSTUDIO she is probably drinking coffee at Bean Traders or hanging out in Durham.
	[Jason Van Sant] Jason took his first indoor cycling class in the summer of 2007 and became a certified Spinning instructor through Mad Dogg Athletics in early 2010. After having taught spin for several months, a good friend informed him of this “cycling place in Durham” that he should check out. Being completely oblivious as to what he was about to experience, Jason popped his head into SYNCSTUDIO for his first class and immediately fell in love with the studio, the people, and the entire concept of SYNCCYCLING™. He has since completed the SYNCCYCLING™ TYRO Certification Program and is excited to share his passion for fitness and love of many different genres of music by teaching fun, yet challenging classes with upbeat and diverse playlists. Jason is also a certified personal trainer and enjoys helping his clients meet their goals both on the bike and off! When not on the bike, Jason enjoys just about any outdoor activity as well as cooking meals and watching movies with his best friend and wife Cristy.
	[Christine Wall] Christine is a SYNCCYCLING™ ELITE instructor, as well as Yoga Fusion and Music Power Flow instructor at SYNCSTUDIO. Her journey in the cycling room started in 2003 when she ventured into an intense new cycling class recommended by a friend as an effective alternative to running after serious knee injuries. Two years after her first class Christine became Johnny G Certified and began teaching her own high energy and motivating cycling classes that bring the fun back into working out! She enjoys empowering students in every class with playlists that will keep you moving and forget you are even in a cycling room!
	[Kyle Yamakawa] Kyle found his way to dancing on the bike by way of dancing on the stage. Involved in professional theater and performing in musicals since the age of 6, Kyle found a lifelong zeal for expressing himself through voice and movement. Upon entering the High School Theater Department at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Kyle discovered his passion for fitness through a daily practice of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Pilates, yoga and dance which he continued for 5 years during his further training at the California Institute of the Arts. Kyle’s foray into the world of indoor cycling began when friend and SYNCCYCLING™ mentor, Ashley Lively, introduced him to the high energy world of SYNCCYCLING™. Kyle is honored to be able to share his love of music with his class and his ultimate goal is to fill every hour of SYNCCYCLING™ to the brim with sass, hot jams and panache!