Founded by Kristy Sauceda, LPC is a fun pop-up that hosts pilates classes at studios in Garland and Dallas.
“For Latina Pilates club, my target audience is Latinas,” Sauceda says. “I wanted to create something where we can show people that Latinas can do pilates too.”
Over a year and a half ago, Sauceda discovered that she had polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that affects the ovaries. Upon researching her health, she found Pilates, but when she started attending Pilates classes, Sauceda didn't feel welcomed.
The lack of diversity and of people she could relate to made her uncomfortable — not to mention that she did not vibe with the music at all.
“So that's when the idea of the studio came first; I said, ‘I would love to open up my own studio and create the space that I would have loved to walk into when I first walked into a studio,’” Sauceda says. “I never want anyone to feel the way that I did.”
Those one-off experiences inspired her to start her studio, Pilates Porfavor, which opened on March 15 in Garland. Before that point, she began LPC to create that much-needed space for herself and others.
Sauceda has a history of hosting events, so running LPC to expand it and make it a place people would want to return to would be easy.
“I love hosting events,” Sauceda says. “I've always hosted things, and I was like, ‘Oh, I would love to host a class that's an all-reggaeton playlist,’ so I just called it the Latina Pilates Club, hired an instructor to teach the class and then found two places to host it at.”
The self-proclaimed “pilates princess” has garnered the attention of many online, and it became apparent that there was a market for a concept like LPC, given the first-ever event sold out in less than 30 minutes and with minimal marketing, only an Instagram account she started for the business and word-of-mouth.
Her first pop-up event was in November 2024 in Garland, advertised as “Reggaeton + Pilates.” The first event set the tone for all the subsequent events and the theme of selecting a Latin artist and making their music the feature of the class was maintained.
“I think because it was such a new concept, and I feel like it was needed,” Sauceda says, “I feel like people wanted that, or were looking for something like that. Here in Dallas, it was really easy for people to come and again, it's Latina Pilates Club, so it was a community. It's easy for girls to invite their friends, and it grew really fast because of the community, and it's grown even more because of social media.”
Social media launched her business further than she expected. One of the most viral moments was a TikTok video highlighting a class focusing on a regional Mexican band called Fuerza Regida, which got over 250,000 views; it was also the video that launched the group's online popularity.
“I've always loved creating content, and I've always been really creative,” Sauceda says. “So I feel like I've gotten to know how to market or announce and like I said, I'm very creative, so I always think of something that makes it look different. I feel like it always catches people's attention.”
Dallas Love List also posted a TikTok of LPC, which helped spread the brand further. Those interested should follow the group's social media for more updates on when Pilates Porfavor will open and where LPC will be next.
Sauceda is no stranger to bringing Instagrammable moments to classes. Usually, there’s a color dress code that aligns with the colors or themes of the Latin singer's music. On some class days, they feature a coffee shop pop-up called Bloom Rose Coffee and a photo booth.
The community Sauceda has built within LPC has helped her other business venture, Pilates Porfavor, gain more interest. While the concepts are separate, she wants to include aspects of LPC, such as the music, but fundamentally, Pilates Porfavor is for a diverse community, not just Latinas.
“Pilates Porfavor is the studio I wanted to create where everyone walked in and felt welcomed, they felt seen, they felt valued,” Sauceda says. “I don't want anyone to feel like, ‘Oh, because I'm this size, I can't go try pilates,’ or ‘Because I look like this, I can't go try pilates,’ I want to make sure I created a space where pilates was accessible to everyone, every background, every gender, every age.”
Camila Villanueva, a frequent attendee of LPC and Pilates Porfavor, has found a home within the community, and she liked it so much she decided to become a front desk employee for Pilates Porfavor.
"What I like most about LPC and Pilates Porfavor is the inclusivity and community," Villanueva says. "You truly feel welcomed when you attend either one; I love that it’s Latina owned. I feel so much pride in being Latina that I love seeing us thrive and beat stereotypes."
LPC is not going anywhere and plans to add a variety of classes to its repertoire, like Zumba classes and health-related workshops. A summer tour of LPC in cities such as Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Nashville and Oklahoma is being planned, followed by other cities across the country later in the year.
“The community it's built, I've seen girls come back all the time, especially girls that kind of relate to the story that I always share in the beginning," Sauceda says. "A lot of girls will go up to me, like, ‘Oh, I have PCOS too,’ and it's a very similar story, so I feel like that's been creating a community and when you create a community, they'll tell their friends or tell their family.”
Pliates Porfavor is at 204 N. 12th St., Suite B, Garland.
