Fitness Instructor Spotlight: Meet Andrea

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!
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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!