Contemporary Dance Class Wednesdays at 6:30PM

Yes, you can do this!

What is the number one thing you simply have to have in order to achieve and maintain your physical transformation?

You need a reason to change.  Many people think of their reason in terms of what they want to have: a better body, more dates, the respect of their peers, even simple happiness.  It may be more helpful to think of your reason in terms of what you want to do.  Do you want to travel and see the wonders of the world?  Many of them require strenuous walking to access.  Do you want to keep up with your children or grandchildren?  Maybe you want to volunteer by coaching a sport in your community, or by planting a community garden.  So many of the good things in life require a strong, balanced, supple body to enjoy fully.

Back in 2004, when I was still significantly overweight, I was trying to choreograph a dance when I landed wrong and broke my foot in four places.  The women in my family have had many problems with bones that are slow to heal, and for the eight weeks I spent with my foot in a cast I was truly frightened.  What if the bones didn’t knit properly?  What if I couldn’t dance anymore?

Once the bones did heal and the cast came off, I began to pursue fitness with a new drive.  I had found my purpose: the reason behind the reason.  I knew that if I wanted to dance like I had in the past, or even better, I had to release some of the fat I was carrying, and replace it with some muscle.

During every Turbulence Training Transformation Contest that I placed in, I always finished my training sessions with contemporary jazz practice.  I would do my “Across the floor” steps, turns, floor work, and flexibility exercises.  I called it the secret sauce that kept my muscles sleek and curvy, and more importantly, the dance kept the joy in my training sessions.  (Notice that I don’t call them workouts.)

Now, I am so grateful for the Zumba, and Zumba Gold classes that I teach, but I have found myself sneaking in elements of traditional dance technique class that don’t truly belong in the Zumba program. If I want my participants to get down on the floor and stretch, I really need to be doing that in a dance class.

Besides, for me, the reason behind the reason, my motivation to move, is To Dance.

So here is the big happy announcement.  Starting next week,  11/14/12 the 6:30 class on Wednesday night will become  Contemporary Jazz.  We’ll do a full dance warmup, technique and across the floor, learn a short dance, and finish with a floor stretch.  As this is Contemporary, we will be going to the floor at times with our choreography, but I will always include modifications for beginners and mature dancers.

I woke up this morning and realized that it was time to dance again.  Here is your invitation to the dance at Gordon Studio.