Merging Trend and Tradition: Clotilde Chaumet’s Fresh Take on Fitness
For millions of hard-working people around the world, sport and exercise is a critical component of a daily health and wellness routine. These active individuals increasingly flock to group fitness clubs and classes in search of an effective and exciting workout experience curated by elite teachers such as Clotilde Chaumet: an innovative yoga and fitness instructor who has helped usher in a new era of yoga and fitness in Paris and beyond through her role in creating the invigorating practices of Dynamo and TIHHY.
With nearly a decade of experience in the yoga and fitness industry, Chaumet has traveled the world to train and study with top coaches and teachers. She attained her sports coaching diploma with the American NASM school in 2014, and shortly thereafter traveled to Mysore, India to complete her 200-hour ashtanga yoga teacher training.
Upon returning to her hometown of Paris in 2015, Chaumet met with the owners of fitness startup Dynamo, a new indoor cycling studio that was poised to take the Parisian exercise scene by storm. With a bold focus on fun and functional workouts in an inspiring, upbeat space, Dynamo would soon revolutionize indoor cycling in France.
As a founding Dynamo coach, Chaumet was instrumental in introducing this vibrant and engaging practice. Her energy, confidence, and creativity as a coach captivated students, inspiring them to spread the word and keep coming back themselves. To date, Chaumet has taught more than 2,800 consistently sold-out classes at Dynamo. With each class holding up to 30 people, it’s not a stretch to say that she has impacted the lives of thousands and thousands of people, motivating them to build and maintain healthy bodies.
“Dynamo offers people a unique and inspirational experience that they didn’t know was possible in a fitness class,” said Chaumet. “From the beginning, my philosophy has been that we move for our mental health as well as our physical health, it is clear from Dynamo’s growth that this approach resonates with our members.”
Though Dynamo was founded in 2015 with just one studio in Paris, it now boasts nine locations scattered around Paris and Bordeaux. Such incredible success, however, cannot be attributed solely to the business owners; indeed, the fate of any fitness studio is dependent on the quality and dedication of its lead teachers. Chaumet’s contributions to Dynamo’s success cannot be understated: through her efforts, consistency, and heartfelt passion for improving people’s lives through fitness and fun, Chaumet has created immeasurable value–both tangible and intangible–for the Dynamo brand.
In fact, Chaumet’s reputation as a talented and inspiring Dynamo instructor became so well known internationally, that in 2018 the New York Times published a feature article on her titled “The Cycling Panther of Paris’s Fitness Studios.” In the article, written by Sarah Lieberman, Let’s Ride (which bought Dynamo) cofounder Stéphanie Nieman praises Clotilde saying, “She’s mastered the technique of creating a journey… She takes you in and plunges you into a new universe. Whenever the music changes, she knows where to take you and you don’t even know it’s happening.”
While Chaumet could have stopped at just one fitness innovation, her boundless energy and creativity led her to create an entirely new approach to the millenia old tradition of yoga.
In September of 2016, Chaumet created TIHHY (Très Intense Hip Hop Yoga) to combine her love of ashtanga yoga with the hard, driving rhythms of hip hop music, to deliver an experience that cultivates strength, flexibility, and spirituality.
Chaumet set out to create a new style of yoga class that could appeal to a less traditional type of student; one who wanted a more upbeat, energetic, and fun experience than your typical yoga class, which are often more meditative and reflective.
“Very often, yoga classes can feel intimidating, especially to newcomers,” remarked Chaumet. “I created Très Intense Hip Hop Yoga in order to make the incredible practice of yoga more accessible to everyone in a fun, approachable way; this was a revolution for students in Paris who were, until this point, afraid to start yoga.”
Chaumet’s vision for TIHHY gave her the confidence to step away from an oft-dogmatic yogic tradition and infuse the practice with contemporary forms of bodily and artistic expression. As a result, Chaumet’s TIHHY has grown remarkably over the past seven years.
What began as a small collaboration on a rooftop in Los Angeles is now a highly-trafficked online studio, where members pay a monthly subscription to access a vast library of video classes that cover a variety of practices, such as yoga, breathwork, and meditation. Practitioners of all skill levels can find videos tailored to their needs, whether they’re looking for a quick five-minute morning flow or a 30-minute full body workout.
In addition to these pre-recorded classes, Chaumet also places an emphasis on bringing her community together for transformational retreats in exotic destinations, such as Bali, Indonesia. In 2023, Chaumet held the first TIHHY teacher training, where she taught and licensed a new set of instructors to share this practice in a way that adheres to her lofty standards.
“Over the years, I’ve heard so many amazing stories from students that have drastically changed their lives for the better,” Chaumet reminisced. “The classes and communities that make up both Dynamo and TIHHY have become strong, safe spaces for so many people, and I am forever so proud of this.”
Through her leadership, creativity, and uniquely uplifting presence as a teacher, Chaumet has played an integral role in the development and growth of Dynamo and TIHHY. For many active Parisians, these practices have become household names, and necessary parts of their workout routines. Dynamo and TIHHY don’t just bring health to people’s bodies, but to their minds and spirits as well; and for Chaumet, that’s what makes all the hard work worth it.
