Naperville Woman is Named Group Exercise Director at Five Seasons Burr Ridge

A passion for creativity and expression has stoked Caroline Machado’s lifelong zest for dancing, led to her work as a makeup artist, and has established the Naperville woman as one of the most popular Zumba fitness instructors in the Chicago area.

So when she received an offer in May to become Group Exercise Director at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Burr Ridge, the opportunity represented the next adventurous step in that thread coursing through her life’s work.

“At first, I was Acting Group Exercise Director, which was the perfect title because so much of my life has been about trying on roles and seeing if they feel right,” said Machado. “Gradually, the work, and how it stretches me in new directions, convinced me that this is a very good fit.”

Machado has traveled an unconventional path reflected by her holding both U.S. and Brazilian citizenships. Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she was six months old when her family moved to Sao Paolo, Brazil. She resided there for the first seven years of her life, and returns to visit family and friends occasionally.

After her father’s career took the family to the Chicago area, Machado grew up in Naperville and she later graduated from Naperville Central High School. Thereafter, her journey has included studies at the College of DuPage, where she took acting classes and appeared in two productions, and spending nearly five years as a makeup artist.

Her love of dancing led to taking Zumba classes, which led to her gradually carving out a niche as a Zumba fitness instructor. Machado has worked at several clubs in the area, and at Five Seasons Burr Ridge, 6901 S. Madison, for more than three years.

“Zumba is another way of expressing yourself. Whether it’s drawing or applying makeup to people’s faces, or dancing, they are all different types of art forms,” Machado said. “I love the creativity and fun of it all, so it never really feels like work.”

Five Seasons Burr Ridge is the premier year-round high-energy, high-touch sports club focused on family leisure and entertainment, improving sports performance and maintaining overall health. The club is online at http://www.fiveseasonssportsclub.com/burrridge/ and can be reached at 630-570-5200.