Kat Koenemann
Meet Kat! I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Kat for a few years now and I’m always inspired by all of the incredible work she’s doing to foster body liberation and community.
In her Community Spotlight, Kat tells us more about how fat liberation has impacted her life in countless ways, including but not limited to her relationship with dance and movement and her work as a dance instructor, body image coach, body empowerment consultant, and a fat pool party co-host!
Hi Kat! Can you please introduce yourself?
Hi! I’m a fat positive dance & fitness instructor and Body Empowerment coach & consultant in Oakland, CA. I teach weekly classes in-person and online to people of all shapes & sizes and I teach a monthly class for fat-identified folks! I also co-host Big Fat Pool Parties in the Bay Area each summer with Fierce Fat Femme. Besides my two cats that I’m obsessed with, right now what I care most about is fighting fascism with liberation, joy, connection, & creativity. Let’s make the resistance irresistible!
Can you tell us about your relationship with dance and movement, and how it has changed over time?
I’ve danced my whole life, and it has always given me a special connection to my body and an outlet for self-expression, but the competitive dance environment I grew up in was not kind to bodies. Larger dancers were put in the back, told to lose weight. The ideal competition dance was one where all the dancers looked and moved exactly alike. It’s not only BORING but it's a recipe for harm (cue body image issues, disordered eating, injury, perfectionism and burnout!). I weight cycled throughout my life (until I found Fat Liberation) and quit dancing several times. I always felt a pressure to “get in shape” before dancing again, but whenever I stopped dancing I would lose myself.
I’m so grateful for Fat Liberation, because I now have a new relationship with dance. I know that anyone can dance, regardless of shape, size, age, experience, or ability. My dancing is different now, less technical, but it’s MUCH more joyful and free. It’s so healing for me to share this side of movement with others.
A lot of us were taught that movement was about punishment, discipline, or becoming smaller. How did you start rebuilding your relationship with movement in a more joyful, liberated way?
That was my experience, too. For years I was quite harsh and punishing towards my body and all I had to show for it was injury and chronic pain! After a second knee injury in 2020 I thought that dance may be over for me. But thankfully in 2021 during a session with my Body Liberation therapist, I came up with the idea to start teaching my own low-impact dance class focused on body image healing. That class was just as much for me as it was for my clients. As time went on, my class became less focused on healing and more centered on power and joy! In 2022 I started Big Thick Energy, a monthly class for fat bodies. Experiencing fat joy through dance and finding power in fat community was a game-changer.
Injuries and chronic pain have been part of your movement journey. How has that shaped the way you think about body liberation, accessibility, and what it means to listen to your body?
It’s funny (not funny) because injuries and chronic pain in some ways led me to find the most enjoyable, liberating, and fulfilling era of my dance journey. Obviously I’d rather NOT have chronic pain, but its forced me to reckon with ableism, and I’m so grateful for that lesson. I’m so much kinder to myself now. I love getting to share that with others by holding a dance space that’s more inclusive and liberating. I also started a weekly strength building class that is supportive to my own body. It turns out it’s easier to do PT if I have a class of people showing up to basically do it with me!
Before your classes, you remind people things like, “This is an experience you get to have, and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.” What does that mean to you, and why does it feel important to say out loud?
I do give a lot of little reminders because no matter how many times we hear it, the world is always pushing back with toxic ideas about movement and bodies. I like to set the tone by reminding people that they are the experts of their own body, that we’re practicing movement as an experience rather than a performance, and that movement should never be punishment. I also love to remind folks that “sexy” is a feeling, not a look. But I know that those ideas can be easier said than done, so I love to utilize fun music, colorful lighting, props, and other somatic cues to help folks let go and experience joyful movement.
Can you tell us about your monthly pop-up class, Big Thick Energy?
Yes! I started Big Thick Energy in 2022 as a monthly class and affinity space for fat-identified and plus size dancers. It’s a low-impact, follow-along, all levels dance class where the focus is on fat joy and community. It’s such a beautiful space and it’s a lovely entry-point for fat folks to return to dance or try it for the first time. Folks can join in-person or online via Hipline Dance Studio in Oakland and the pricing is sliding scale. The info can be found on on my instagram or website, or Hipline’s instagram or website.
You co-host fat pool parties in the Bay Area with a friend in the fat liberation space. What inspired those, and what do those spaces mean to you?
I met Angelina, AKA Fierce Fat Femme, in 2022 and the rest is history! We both wanted to build more fat positive community in the Bay Area and we both love being in water! We held the first Big Fat Pool Party that summer and we’ve hosted them every summer since. We also do an annual Big Fat Beach Day which is free! We’re meeting up tomorrow to plan the 2026 events!
It’s one thing to read a book or social media post about Fat Liberation, but it’s another to SEE and experience fat bodies in bikinis all around you laughing, eating pizza, dancing, and doing cannon-balls into a pool! It changes something in you.
You’re finishing a body trust certification and starting body image coaching! What led you to pursue that training, and how has it changed or deepened the way you want to support people?
I’m almost finished with my Professional Certification through Body Trust, and looking forward to expanding my offerings to include one-on-one support. I chose that certification path because it aligns with my values of body liberation and social justice. I love their focus on body sovereignty. I want to support people while acknowledging that they are the experts of their own body and their own path. But it really helps to have someone in your corner - to listen, hold space, provide resources, and cheer you on!
You also consult with dance/fitness spaces around anti-fatness, diet culture, and creating safer environments. What do you wish more studios, gyms, or instructors understood about making movement spaces truly inclusive?
Yes! I teach at a wonderful dance studio called Hipline in Oakland, CA, and after the success of Big Thick Energy, the studio owner and I wanted to work towards making the rest of the classes and the studio more fat-friendly and empowering.. So over the past few years I’ve gotten to work on making that happen! I lead trainings for instructors and studio crew about anti-fat bias, eating disorder awareness, and how to cultivate a body empowering space. We’ve added new protocols, more accessible equipment, more merch sizes, and high weight capacity chairs. Every new client now receives an orientation explaining that we are committed to fighting fatphobia and that the studio should be a diet talk & body comment free zone. It’s been an amazing transformation that’s brought in a ton of new clients. I would really LOVE to work with more movement studios and fitness professionals to do Body Empowerment consulting!
How do your outfits impact how you feel when moving, teaching, or existing in the world?
Clothes make a huge impact on how we feel moving around in the world! That’s why we need plus size clothes that fit comfortably and allow us to express ourselves. I love fun, bold, sexy activewear. That way, if I’m having a low energy day I can borrow some energy from my outfit! I love a crop top and I love to show skin. I want more ethical plus size brands with fun, slutty styles. Yeah, I said it! I hate the assumption that fat people always want full coverage. I want the same sexy skimpy styles as the straight sizes!
If someone hasn’t tried dance or movement in a long time because of shame, fear, pain, or feeling unwelcome, what would you want them to hear?
I’d tell them that they’re not alone, and it’s not their fault. Then I’d invite them back to movement on their own terms - only when they feel ready. It’s OK to take a break from movement! Sometimes that’s the first step. When we return to movement, it’s important to do it with care, curiosity, and self- compassion. Find an inclusive space, bring a friend, and remember you have agency! You’re allowed to just walk right out of a class if it’s not accessible to you or the vibe is off. But just maybe MAYBE you’ll have a life-changing, empowering experience! And you deserve that as much as anyone else.
What do you hope people feel after attending one of your classes, coaching sessions, or community spaces?
My goal is to hold spaces where people can access their own power. Everyone deserves to feel empowered and at home in their own body. Everyone deserves to move joyfully and without shame. Everyone deserves the validation and belonging of community.
What would it have meant for a movement like Viva Voce to exist when you were growing up, or earlier in your own body liberation journey?
It would have been life-changing! I love Viva Voce’s tagline, “visible, valid, valued.” That’s what we all deserve to feel. It’s really hard to become what you’ve never seen… so it’s amazing to see Viva Voce bringing more representation to fashion and giving a platform for more people to be seen and heard.
If you had a megaphone and the whole world was listening, what message would you share?
There is no such thing as a wrong body and all bodies can dance! The thin, white, ableist body standard is nothing but a form of oppression and we can resist it by leaning into joy and community. And when the world gets you feeling down, try shaking ass!
If folks are interested in working with you and learning more about your services, how can they learn more or contact you?
Follow me on Instagram @big_thick_energy_ and check out my website bigthickenergydance.com!