Kaleena Hurlburt
GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Trainer · Movement Educator · Birth Support Professional
20+ years devoted to movement and embodied practice
Trusted by seniors, athletes, dancers and growing families
A practice grounded in care, clarity and long-term vitality
A grounded, intuitive, and highly skilled approach to movement
“Movement is the place where strength, breath, and intuition meet.”
Kaleena blends technical precision with a warm, supportive presence. Her background in professional dance gives her a deep understanding of alignment, flow, and the subtle language of the body. As a Gyrotonic Master Trainer, she brings a level of expertise rarely found outside major cities. And as a doula and childbirth educator, she supports clients in navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with confidence and care.
Her work is not about pushing harder. It’s about helping each person feel safe, seen, and capable — whether you come to her for mobility, strength, recovery, or birth support.
A lifelong journey in movement, teaching, and support
Kaleena’s story spans years of training, performing, studying the body, and supporting others. This timeline highlights the key moments that shaped her work today.
Early Years
Professional Dance Career
Discovering GYROTONIC®
GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Certifications
Trains and performs as a professional dancer, developing a refined understanding of alignment, coordination, rhythm, and the demands placed on the body over time.
Encounters the GYROTONIC® method and recognizes it as a system that supports strength, mobility, and longevity while respecting the intelligence of the body.
Completes professional training in both GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS®, and begins teaching private sessions that integrate technical precision, intuitive cueing, breath, and full-body movement.
Works in boutique studio settings, supporting a wide range of clients including seniors, athletes, dancers, and individuals recovering from injury or managing chronic pain.
Drawn to the connection between movement, embodiment, and the birth process, Kaleena begins training in birth support and education.
Completes professional training as a birth doula and childbirth educator, allowing her to support families with both physical preparation and emotional care.
Launches Vitality & Waves to bring her movement and birth work together under one practice, grounded in vitality, trust, and individualized support.
Today, Kaleena continues to work with diverse clients while pursuing ongoing education to refine her skills and deepen the care she offers through movement and birth support.
Years teaching Movements
Beginning Birth Work
Doula & Childbirth Educator Certification
Founding Vitality & Waves
Current work & Continuing Education
An early connection to movement and the body begins to take shape, laying the foundation for a lifelong curiosity about how we move, feel, and function.
Ready to work with Kaleena?
About Kaleena
The Dancer
Originally from Seaside, Kaleena Hurlburt danced in the Bay Area for over 10 years. After training extensively with Richard Gibson and Zory Karah at the Academy of Ballet in San Francisco, Kaleena performed with Smuin Ballet, and Amy Seiwert’s Imagery. The majority of her career was with (the former) Ballet San Jose. Resumé highlights from her time in the company include many of Dennis Nahat’s original works with featured roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and a Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as works by George Balanchine and Anthony Tudor. In addition, Kaleena collaborated with Dalia Rawson in several original works for Rawson Dance. Kaleena was drawn to the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® while dancing professionally because of the elegant manner with which it strengthens, mobilizes, and conditions the body.
The Trainer
The Gyrotonic journey began in 2009. Still dancing professionally at the time, Kaleena found herself wanting and needing more from her body. After studying extensively with Master Trainer and studio owner of San Francisco GYROTONIC®, Debra Rose, she quickly became certified and began her teaching career. There, she trained people of all levels of fitness. She worked extensively with aspiring professional dancers in both the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program and Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA at Dominican University as well as company members of San Francisco Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Her extensive continuing education credentials includes courses with master trainers Nora Heiber, Elizabeth Dawson, Alicia Head, Leda Franklin, and Domini Anne.
For more information on training with me in The Gyrotonic® Method, click here.
Kaleena is certified on all pieces of Specialized Equipment and both Level 2 Programs, as well as being a newly certified GYROKINESIS® Pre Trainer. She has also completed the following courses: GYROTONIC® Applications for Juliu’s Wrapping System, GYROTONIC® Prenatal and Postnatal Applications, GYROTONIC® Applications for the Shoulder Girdle, GYROTONIC® Applications for the Pelvic Girdle, GYROTONIC® Psoas Principles, and GYROTONIC® Applications for Dancers. Additional GYROKINESIS® Certifications include: GYROKINESIS® Breathing Course Intensive, GYROKINESIS® Happy Moves Course, GYROKINESIS® Lotus Blossom Program 1 Course, and GYROKINESIS® Level 2 Beginner.
The Doula
It was after the ecstatic home births of both my children that I furthered my curiosity into the depths of Pre and Post Natal studies of The Gyrotonic® Method. I was simultaneously honored to be invited to two of my girlfriend’s births, and it was then I realized that I had to be a part of the birth world! Under the wing of Midwife Heather Schwarz of the Monterey Birth and Wellness Center, I completed my formal Saltwater Birth and Post Partum Doula Training in 2019. I believe that every birthing person deserves to be supported during this transformative event in their life, and it is an honor to be invited into the birth space. Combining the Pre and Post Natal GYROTONIC® Training with my Doula Services is an incredible way to nourish a Pregnant Person’s body and journey to parenthood. For more information on my birth services click here!
The Childbirth Educator
After becoming a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, and to further my education, I began the journey of becoming a Childbirth Educator. Combining my love for teaching and all things birth, I delved deep into Birth Chemistry® and its extensive curriculum in 2020. Birth Chemistry® is an evidence based curriculum encompassing all aspects of birth. I am passionate about sharing information that we may not even realize we need to make informed decisions about the birthing process. This is a major life event that deserves adequate time and preparation, just as we would prepare for any other life changing milestones. For more information click here.
The Mommy
Often people ask working parents, “How do you balance it all?” My answer is, “I don’t!” It is a constant struggle to divide my passions equally with the sincere intention to do my very best at everything I want to do. There is no doubt, however, that my first and foremost passion is my family. These two little beings light up my life and challenge me in ways I never thought possible. They are the reason I work hard, hoping to set the example that a Mommy can be all the things— that it is important to do work that you are passionate about, and that leaves the world a little better than before.
