We will be interviewing DanceFIT instructors so you can get to know them & their classes a little bit better. This week we are interviewing Erin!

​What do you teach at DanceFIT?
I teach SHiNE™️ Dance Fitness. 

How would you describe your classes & teaching style?
SHiNE DANCE FITNESS™ brings original routines to life using hit music and choreography for all abilities. Rooted in jazz, ballet, and hip-hop, this workout gives you a creative outlet to escape from daily stress. Each class includes the perfect balance of high cardio and toning to ensure you receive a full-body workout. SHiNE is a mood-lifting experience that leaves you feeling capable, confident, and connected to a supportive community. My goal is to create a friendly, judgment-free vibe so everyone feels welcome and at ease. If you are moving your body, you are doing it right! 

What do you do outside of the studio for fun?
When I am not on the dance floor, you can find me baking, spending time with friends and family, watching college basketball (let’s go Duke!), volunteering at my daughters’ elementary school, and serving as a Daisy Troop leader.

What music will we hear in your fitness classes?
SHiNE is set to pop music. One of our brand promises is to be CURRENT, so we take the hit songs you are rocking out to in your cars and bring them to life with original choreography released each month. Car-SHiNEing is a real thing!

Give us a quick bio
Dance has always been a big part of my life. I started as a competitive gymnast where the dance elements in the beam and floor routines were my favorite. I switched to dance in middle school and studied many styles including jazz, hip hop, ballet, contemporary, and Irish step dance. After college, I realized I missed having a dance outlet. SHiNE™️ DANCE FITNESS caught my attention with its upbeat pop music, fun choreography, and positive and inclusive vibe. I became the first instructor to bring SHiNE to Massachusetts in 2019. Teaching SHiNE gives me purpose outside of motherhood, satisfies my need to “dance it out,” and brings me so much fulfillment as I share my love of dance with others.  

I have a degree in civil and environmental engineering and industry experience in the field of water resources, but my current role is the Director of Community Engagement for SHiNE’s online community and a mentor for SHiNE’s online instructor training.


Thank you Erin! We love hearing more about you!

We will be interviewing DanceFIT instructors so you can get to know them & their classes a little bit better. This week we are interviewing Andrea!
​
What do you teach at DanceFIT?
I teach Zumba®! It's a dance party that also is an amazing workout. The goal is to smile, dance and get lost in the music, and before you know it, you're sweaty, happy and proud! I took my first Zumba® class (with fellow DanceFIT instructor Kelsey, by the way!) about 4.5 years ago and was hooked upon first dance. There are many rhythms and music styles in a Zumba® class, but when we dance, we're all one, and it's so powerful. 

How would you describe your classes & teaching style?
I like to laugh! My classes are about losing your inhibitions--this is for fun, fitness and community, no one is judging your technique! I love to see my students making the moves their own, giving me face and attitude, and breaking it down like we're in a club together. I am human and I laugh at myself all the time! I also sing, or rather, lip sync, a lot, because I am obsessed with song lyrics. One other funny thing about my style: I love getting in touch with our sassy sides, and I generally have a "Sassy Section" of songs just for giving me attitude. I also might have a reputation for keeping it hot during the "cool down." 

What do you do outside of the studio for fun?
I love to read and am the proud moderator of DanceFIT's Book Club--come check it out sometime, all are welcome! I also endlessly listen to music and dance around my house and my 3 kids either just join me or don't even look up from what they're doing. I love to cook and take therapeutic walks with my friends and my husband Mike.


What music will we hear in your fitness classes?
You are going to hear music from around the world (and right here at home) in my class! Zumba® is built on this amazing foundation of Latin music: salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton and more. I also love to include JLo, Shakira, and it wouldn't truly represent me without Madonna and R&B too! I will say this...you never know how far I'll throw it back or what jam we just need to do that class. I LOVE surprising you all! (And yes, I take requests and some of my favorite moments ever are when we debut a requested track.)

Give us a quick bio
I grew up both on Long Island, NY, and here in Ashland, MA, with a family that loved music and a dad that played a ton of it for me. In my first life, I was an editor for a fashion and lifestyle magazine in Philadelphia (where Mike was finishing up school--we go way back) and then, after moving back to MA, I became the Editorial Director for the New England Aquarium here in Boston. Fast forward to becoming a mom 3 times over to my 2 sons and my daughter, and I decided to take my passion for dancing, music and fitness to craft my own Zumba® class within the amazing DanceFIT community that has helped me get strong and confident. It gives me such a fun outlet to let loose and display my creativity while I accomplish my day job of running my household and caring for my family.    


Thank you Andrea! We love hearing more about you!

Pajama week is always so fun and it is the perfect week to share an important message. At the end of our adult fitness classes we always take a moment to enjoy how our bodies feel after movement. We took a few mindful moments at the end of our kids dance classes to enjoy how strong, joyful & happy our bodies felt. In a few of our classes we tried a meditation activity and the dancers stayed so still while we placed a gem on their forehead.

In our toddler Tippy Toes classes, dancers continue to work very hard on their balance. We are so proud of how well they walk on the balance beam!

In Pre-Ballet classes, dancers worked on strengthening their feet and using their demi plie as they pretended they were monkeys "jumping on the bed." In tap they worked on running flaps like butterflies.

In Pre-Ballet II classes dancers practiced a new song, "Heel & Toe" which works on flexion of the feet, partner dancing & group dancing. In tap they were introduced to the buffalo step.

In 7-8 year Ballet & Jazz we introduced the creative side of dance: choreography. Each dancer had to design a dance that featured a grapevine, pivot turn, jazz square, scissors & a final pose.
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In ACRO the dancers are getting very independent in their skills and proud of their progress. Our focus has been strengthening our upper body for back bends (upside down wheel) and cartwheels. We are hoping to put these skills in our recital dances in the Spring