About Chalene
Chalene Johnson grew up in Michigan, where she began studying judo and dance at the age of 3. Her passion for movement, music, and dance was influenced by her mother, a Jazzercise instructor, who let Chalene and her sister switch the records between sessions. Chalene studied tae kwon do, dance, and aerobics at Michigan State University before moving to California in the early '90s. It was there that she created a group exercise class that combined the sexiness of dance and the hip feel of funk with the power and strength of kickboxing—all set to music guaranteed to inspire and motivate participants. In fact, the high-powered music was crucial to the program's success. A self-proclaimed DJ, Chalene taught herself to digitally remaster and edit music so she could match her choreographed moves to songs and sound effects that would force people to jump up, dance, and kick it into high gear. Her classes proved so popular that a nationwide demand for videos soon followed. Chalene incorporated in 1995 and began teaching other instructors how to deliver her unique brand of fitness in 1997. A year later, Turbo Jam was born. A happily married mother of two, Chalene has appeared in over 45 exercise videos and continues to contribute her knowledge and expertise to leading health and fitness publications.