{"id":448792,"date":"2025-12-15T14:19:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T14:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/448792\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T14:19:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T14:19:23","slug":"ashley-hayward-the-jumbos-icon-and-wundabar-pilates-instructor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/448792\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashley Hayward: The Jumbo\u2019s icon \u2014 and WundaBar Pilates instructor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>She works late. A few weeks ago, on a Saturday night, Ashley Hayward was \u201cin the pocket\u201d onstage at <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/jumbos.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jumbo\u2019s Clown Room<\/a> \u2014 that elusive, divine state of being that all performers chase, where artist and audience merge. From the stage, she bit into a banana before spitting it into a woman\u2019s mouth, sealing it with a kiss. The crowd erupted into cheers. Later, she reappeared in a nun\u2019s habit, peeling it off to reveal black vinyl lingerie. The crowd gawks at her \u2014 devout eyes wide, lips parted as if witnessing a miracle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was in the pocket the entire night,\u201d Hayward recalls. \u201cI got onstage the first time, got them and I had them the whole night. Those are the special nights because you\u2019re creating something together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>           <video playsinline=\"playsinline\" loop=\"\" preload=\"none\" title=\"The Jumbo\u2019s Clown Room icon who is secretly L.A.\u2019s coolest Pilates instructor\" data-video-id=\"0000019b-1114-dc07-afdf-1bfda4760000\">               <\/video>               <img class=\"image\" alt=\"\"   width=\"473\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808353_467_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>             <\/p>\n<ul data-element=\"action-bar-menu\" class=\"flex gap-2 list-none  absolute w-full h-10 top-0\">\n<li data-element=\"action-bar-share\" class=\"flex  w-full h-10 top-0 lg:items-center lg:justify-center \">\n<p> Share via     Close extra sharing options  <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By day,  Hayward leads a different kind of performance, teaching Pilates at <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wundabar.com\/los-feliz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WundaBar<\/a>\u2019s mirrored studio in Los Feliz. She leads the class with the same conviction she embodies as a dancer. In a black headset fit for a pop star, she paces around the studio in a black unitard, leading the class through repetitions and poses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAshley, you look like Madonna!\u201d one of her students excitedly shouts at the end of class. The class has garnered a cult following among Pilates students who are fans of the dancer\u2019s nighttime antics. Hannah Benson is a regular at Hayward\u2019s class. \u201cThere\u2019s more fluidity to her Pilates routines akin to dancing \u2014 she understands how a body naturally moves in a way that makes me feel more comfortable in my own,\u201d Benson says.<\/p>\n<p data-element=\"media-set-index\" class=\"absolute flex items-center justify-center z-1 left-0 bottom-0 h-1.25 w-1.25 m-0 p-2.5 font-cms-font-service-text font-medium text-xs leading-none text-cms-color-overlay-text bg-blackAlpha65\"> 1 <\/p>\n<p>             <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Students in Ashley Hayward's Pilates class work through a movement at WundaBar.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808354_560_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>           <\/p>\n<p data-element=\"media-set-index\" class=\"absolute flex items-center justify-center z-1 left-0 bottom-0 h-1.25 w-1.25 m-0 p-2.5 font-cms-font-service-text font-medium text-xs leading-none text-cms-color-overlay-text bg-blackAlpha65\"> 2 <\/p>\n<p>             <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Cecilia Fairchild holds a free weight. \"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808355_405_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>           <\/p>\n<p data-element=\"media-set-index\" class=\"absolute flex items-center justify-center z-1 left-0 bottom-0 h-1.25 w-1.25 m-0 p-2.5 font-cms-font-service-text font-medium text-xs leading-none text-cms-color-overlay-text bg-blackAlpha65\"> 3 <\/p>\n<p>             <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Students in Ashley Hayward's class do a pilates movement \"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808356_382_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p id=\"media-set-0000019a-e723-dff3-a5be-ff6baca40012\" data-element=\"media-set-caption\" class=\"col-span-full mx-5 my-0 font-cms-font-service-text font-medium text-xs leading-3.5 text-cms-color-brand-text lg:mx-0\">  <strong data-element=\"media-set-meta-index\" class=\"font-cms-font-service-text font-bold\">1.<\/strong>  Students in Ashley Hayward\u2019s Pilates class work through a movement at WundaBar.    <strong data-element=\"media-set-meta-index\" class=\"font-cms-font-service-text font-bold\">2.<\/strong>  Cecilia Fairchild holds a free weight.     <strong data-element=\"media-set-meta-index\" class=\"font-cms-font-service-text font-bold\">3.<\/strong>  A student does standing exercises on the reformer.   <\/p>\n<p>The Oregon native moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and dance. \u201cI felt that commercial dance was very restricting. I just wasn\u2019t finding my groove.\u201d She began exploring burlesque. Soon, friends recommended she dance at the iconic burlesque dive bar Jumbo\u2019s Clown Room. \u201cIt changed everything for me. It was the first time I was able to dance full-time,\u201d she says. Since 2018, Hayward has been a beloved dancer at Jumbo\u2019s Clown Room. \u201cI\u2019m very grateful that I found that space, because we have a lot of freedom there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"&quot;It changed everything for me,&quot; says Ashley Hayward. &quot;It was the first time I was able to dance full-time.&quot;\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808358_884_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt changed everything for me,\u201d says Ashley Hayward. \u201cIt was the first time I was able to dance full-time.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In recent years, Hayward has become a fixture of the city\u2019s nightlife scene. Since 2017, she has also fronted a live \u201crock \u2019n\u2019 roll sleaze\u201d show called <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/ashleyhayward.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Night Scene<\/a>, anchored by a live band, Night Boys, and featuring burlesque dancers. The chaotic live show pays homage to DIY punk scenes like no other in town.<\/p>\n<p>\u201dNight Scene is something that doesn\u2019t exist, at least in L.A.,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like there was a hole there, and I wanted to fill it.\u201d The show is preparing for its biggest show yet, Jan. 21 at <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/zebulon.la\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zebulon<\/a> in Silver Lake. \u201cIt\u2019s a big room to fill. But we deserve to be on a big stage,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<p>Hayward first fell in love with Pilates in high school and rediscovered it after the pandemic. After taking classes at WundaBar, she was drawn to the studio\u2019s flow and style. \u201cI felt I had learned everything as a student, but I wanted to go deeper,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe best way to do that was to be an instructor.\u201d With the studio owner\u2019s encouragement, Hayward got certified and began teaching Pilates classes.<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Ashley Hayward's pilates class utilizes reformers and free weights.\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808360_227_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Students in Ashley Hayward\u2019s Pilates class use free weights on reformers. <\/p>\n<p>As a dancer, Pilates was a natural fit for Hayward. Pole dancing can be hard on the body. \u201cWorking at Jumbo\u2019s with the pole \u2014 it\u2019s very hard. It takes a lot of strength. So for me, it\u2019s a no-brainer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The positive influence of Pilates has echoed throughout all parts of Hayward\u2019s life. She developed more self-assurance as a dancer and performer. \u201cI have gotten so much stronger since I started Pilates, and it has helped me onstage,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve integrated it into my stage persona as well, which is really nice, because now I\u2019m more comfortable on the microphone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hayward has a unique teaching flair, one inspired by her time as a dancer. \u201cI try to make it energetic. I love the music loud,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that comes through with me working at Jumbo\u2019s and being a performer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Ashley Hayward's Pilates students praise her music and energetic style.\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808362_808_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Ashley Hayward\u2019s Pilates students praise her music and energetic style. <\/p>\n<p>Hayward\u2019s class champions a health-focused approach to physical results. \u201cWorking out is always going to be good for your brain, and that\u2019s the best anti-aging tool we have.\u201d She encourages her students to adopt that mentality. \u201cMy body and everything changed when I changed my mentality. I started thinking, I\u2019m here because it\u2019s good for me. I\u2019m not here because I want to punish myself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Brooke Noonan, a student of  Hayward\u2019s Pilates class, says that  Hayward offers corrections gracefully, without drawing attention to mistakes. Hayward\u2019s impeccable DJing skills are a bonus. \u201cThe music is always amazing. Ashley clearly has a great history of going to raves \u2014 playing house classics and deep cuts,\u201d says Noonan.<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"A blond woman demonstrates a Pilates exercise.\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765808363_914_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve integrated it into my stage persona as well, which is really nice, because now I\u2019m more comfortable on the microphone,\u201d says Ashley Hayward.<\/p>\n<p>While having a vibrant nightlife and waking up for a sweat-inducing workout may seem like a contradiction, Hayward sees them as complementary. \u201cI want to inspire people that you can have both. You can exist in both worlds,\u201d she says. \u201cThere can be a lot of late hours and substances involved. It can be an unhealthy lifestyle, but you can be healthy and in nightlife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the coming years, Hayward aims to expand her fitness career. Aside from teaching at WundaBar and offering private training, Hayward aspires to have her own space and develop her own workout method. \u201cA dream of mine has always been having my own workout method,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing in nightlife and fitness, I\u2019m able to bring in all people and make it inclusive. The future for me would definitely be having my own method and teaching all forms, and just getting people really inspired about moving.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Until then,  Hayward can be found at WundaBar on Mondays and Fridays. Later in the evening, she\u2019ll be on the mirrored stage of Jumbo\u2019s Clown Room. \u201cWhile I may look out on the outside like your typical Pilates instructor, my style and what I bring to it are so different.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"She works late. A few weeks ago, on a Saturday night, Ashley Hayward was \u201cin the pocket\u201d onstage&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":448793,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[206402,206399,10911,206400,57813,1198,116031,210,19275,7088,975,206404,206403,4370,15689,24651,67,132,68,206401],"class_list":{"0":"post-448792","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-ashley-hayward","9":"tag-best-kept-pilates","10":"tag-class","11":"tag-clown-room-icon","12":"tag-dancer","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-hayward","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-jumbo","17":"tag-lot","18":"tag-music","19":"tag-nightlife-scene","20":"tag-performer-chase","21":"tag-show","22":"tag-student","23":"tag-studio","24":"tag-united-states","25":"tag-unitedstates","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-wundabar"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115724025513452051","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}