COMMENTS (4)

Dancing for fitness

By Kristin Day
The Daily Reflector

Sunday, January 25, 2009

We've all considered it.

When spring approaches and with it a new, teeny swimsuit trend. When it's time to make another New Year's resolution. Or when you're just tired of the same aerobics-weights-stretch exercise routine.

At some time, we all want to try something new.

For the past few years, several kinds of dance-exercise programs have popped up as a fad and invaded American health culture, only to slowly dwindle away.

But this year, instructors are offering an early start to enjoyable workouts that will hopefully get hearts pumping and Pitt County kids and adults healthy.

Chikako Massey, president of Greenville's USA Dance, has been teaching ballroom dancing for years. But after receiving many requests from women — and a few men — decided to offer a ballroom aerobics class every Thursday at the Pitt County Recreation Complex.

“I started to teach ballroom dance and I would get 50 calls and e-mails from women who wanted to learn, but many of them didn't have partners,” Massey said.

Massey works alongside instructors Corena Bristow and Mike Guzzo for an hour-long fitness dance class that includes movements from the Waltz, Paso Doble (the matador's dance), Charleston, Shim Sham (a type of line dancing) Salsa and Merengue, to name a few.

“It's a really, really great combination of all aspects of ballroom dance,” she said.

The class is also a way to promote fitness, health and awareness (both physically and emotionally), while raising awareness of ballroom dance. Plus, it's an exercise routine that helps develop a strong core, great posture and a healthy self-confidence.

The steps can be tricky at first, but Massey, Bristow and Guzzard have designed routines with many repetitive steps for those of us with a little less coordination.

And it's simply a lot fun for most who try it.

“If it's fun, you don't have to have (so much) discipline,” Massey added. “We want to show people the passion of the dance.”

Fun is also the idea behind the new Kids' Dance Workshop.

On Saturday mornings, instructor Amanda Yarogimal teaches a class of 6- to 11-year-olds dance routines based on the styles of hit tween movies “High School Musical” and “Camp Rock.”

“They're infatuated with these movies and the type of moves that they do,” said Barbara Avery, program coordinator for Greenville Recreation and Parks Department, adding that dance is a wonderful form of exercise, and the kids won't even know they are working out. The idea is to give them something interesting to do that gets them away from the computer and video games.

The obesity epidemic has spread throughout the country, but Avery said nearly 50 percent of children in Pitt County are overweight or obese. You may not even notice it on some children, she said, while baggy clothing remains a trend.

“We're setting them up for a lifestyle of having weight issues and having adult diseases (like high blood pressure) that shouldn't be occurring until adulthood,” Avery said.

“Pitt County is doing a wonderful job to try and increase awareness and we need to take it a step further.”

The classes focus on aerobic exercise, and the dances are relatively simplistic to keep it enjoyable for children. For the first six weeks (classes began Jan. 17), it will be offered for free, and after which will be taught for small fee — probably about $2.

ECU students, staff and guests can also jump onboard for several dance classes. But for a more cultural, high-aerobic workout, look forward to the Scottish Country Dancing class, beginning Feb. 5 at the Student Recreation Center.

“I was looking for other ways to promote physical activity through dance,” said Suzanne McDonald, assistant director of Physical Activity and Wellness Education at ECU. That's when Larry Boyer, dean of Academic Library and Learning Resources, offered to teach Scottish Country Dancing with his wife, Sue.

“It's just another option of something people could try,” McDonald said.

And several sessions later, 12 regular attendees have been invited to perform at the Colonial Capitol Scottish Festival in New Bern April 25.