Dancercise – a potent mixture of exercise and dance – is the latest fitness craze to sweep the country, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON
NO PARTNERS, no fancy costumes, no make-up. Just a group of women who want to move to the rhythm, keep fit and have fun. The dance exercise – or dancercise if you will – craze is sweeping across the country attracting women and a few men of all ages to get out and shake their bodies.
“It’s more fun and mentally challenging than aerobics because we are constantly changing steps in rhythm to the music,” says Leavina Graham who attends a weekly cardio salsa class in the Dance Theatre of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
“It’s more accessible than a dance class and it’s relaxing if you are a student, a mum or if you’ve a stressful job,” adds Suzannah Ryan. “Or, all three,” adds Graham with a laugh.
“It’s a brilliant way of keeping fit and getting exercise. I find going to the gym or jogging is boring, but this keeps you moving for a whole hour,” says Aylin Barry.
Other participants add that the hour-long class revitalises them for the week and is a total switch-off from all their worries and concerns.
Instructor Paula Donnelly says that the emphasis is on the movement, not on perfecting the steps. “A dance class would be slower, with more emphasis on breaking down the moves, whereas this class is not about getting it right or wrong but about moving. After a while, once they hear a song, they know the routine that goes with it.”
Donnelly also teaches Zumba – the latest dancercise trend to hit Ireland. Although here since 2007, it has really only taken off in the last year.
“Zumba is more about specific dance routines. There are about 12 different dances, and each week the instructor will vary them in a Zumba class,” she explains. “A lot of people do Zumba because they enjoy the music. It’s exercise in disguise really,” she says.
Heather Gordon is an American Zumba jammer and one of the first people to teach Zumba to dance teachers and fitness instructors here. The programme originated in the US and has become so successful there that it is endorsed by the American Heart Foundation.
“It’s a fun, high energy, cardiovascular workout that helps you lose weight,” says Gordon. It has since been franchised around the world.
There are more than 300 Zumba instructors in Ireland, giving classes in hotels and community halls the length and breadth of the country.
“Each instructor has their unique approach and will include different rhythms such as salsa, hip-hop, jive or merengue. Different clients will like the energy of different instructors,” says Gordon.
Many teachers at the Irish dance fitness company, Stepping Out, have trained as Zumba teachers.
“Over 70,000 women around Ireland have done our Salsa Slims classes and now many of them are signing up for Zumba classes. It’s like men going out to play football. Losing weight is a by-product of the classes,” says Sharon Tinkler, who started Stepping Out in 2003.
Elaine and Alex Bonici are former competitive ballroom and Latin dancers who lived in the Netherlands for years before moving here in 2008. They have between 20 and 40 people signing up for their ballroom and Latin dancercise classes throughout Wicklow.
“Our aim is to revive ballroom and Latin dancing in Ireland. It is often seen as something for older people. We wanted to modernise it and give people the chance to dance without a partner,” says Alex.
“We have 10 dances in our programme. The core is ballroom and Latin, and then we add other dances like Salsa and Argentinian tango to make it up to 15,” he adds.
“There is a big market out there for people who want to dance and have fun but don’t want to do dance classes with a partner. Some people come to up to three classes a week,” he says.
See steppingout.com, zumba.com, and wicklowlatindance.com
