Hello lovely friends! How is life treating you this week? I have to say I’m pretty exhausted! I’ve been having some trouble sleeping and I am thinking of getting some blackout curtains. While I love the sun, I don’t need it loving me quite so early in the morning. Does anyone have any good recommendations for where I can get good but inexpensive blackout curtains?
In other news, I have a fun post roundup for you today! It seems like lately dance-based fitness classes are all the rage with more and more studios popping up everywhere around the Big Apple. These classes make the time absolutely fly by and you are so busy figuring out the moves and having fun, you don’t even realize you are working up a sweat. Dancers and non-dancers alike are flocking to these classes to help them sizzle off those extra calories. Here’s a list of the Best Dance Workouts in NYC.
1. AKT in Motion– AKT, created by Anna Kaiser, is THE hot class with clients including Shakira, Kelly Ripa and Sarah Jessica Parker. In case you haven’t noticed, those ladies have amazing physiques. It’s actually not hard to see why when you try this class. The high energy cardio is incredibly aerobic and even reminds me of the traditional hi/lo classes but with a modern twist.
The class includes toning intervals, which are a welcome break from the intense cardio! That is until whatever body part you are working on starts to burn! Then you will be begging for more cardio. It is impossible to walk out of AKT without sweating buckets! It’s a seriously amazing cardio experience! Plus, I love it because it is located on the Upper East Side (near my apartment).
2. DMF – Dance Motivation Fitness or DMF was founded by Lindi Duesenberg and is focused not just on the physical aspect of dance but also on the mental motivation. Lindi wants you to break out of your comfort zone, enjoy the music and have a ton of fun. She is upbeat and incredibly charismatic, making this class uplifting and powerful. The choreography pairs perfectly with the music and while the choreography is repeated throughout a song, it changes with each song, although you will see certain moves repeated throughout the class like Lindi’s signature “booty pop.”
DMF is designed for dancers and non-dancers alike so no worries if you don’t have any dance experience. A word to the wise though, there is a lot of choreography so it is important to be patient and wait for it to be repeated in order not to get frustrated if you are new.
Classes are held in DANY studios on 38th and 8th or on the Upper West Side. Although lacking its own designated space, Lindi and her other instructor, Anna, will make you feel so at home. They get to know the students personally and you feel like you’ve been welcomed to a fun club.
3. 305 Fitness– 305 is a dance workout on steroids! There is no way you are going to walk out of this class without dripping in sweat. If you like the intense cardio endorphin rush of a spin class, you’ll love this class. Live DJs spin the tunes and the dance moves are easy to follow and include some more athletic moves as well as some toning moves for a total body workout.
Classes are held at Complete Body and PMT on West 19th and West 14th Streets respectively. The creator, Sadie, is incredibly motivating and you’ll feel like you’re at a dance party more so than a fitness class.
4. Body Conceptions– Creator, Mahri, fuses dance, aerobics and strength training for a full-body workout coupled with amazing music. You’ll love her perky style and her focus on building long, lean mucles. Housed in Stepping Out Studios on 26th and 6th, classes are high energy and tons of fun!
5. Z Club NY– The only designated Zumba-only fitness studio in NYC, Z Club hosts the best Zumba classes around. They have amazing instructors and are on the cutting edge of what’s new in Zumba (think of the Master Classes with Zumba All Star trainers like Nick and Loretta). With multiple locations throughout Manhattan, Z Club is convenient no matter where you live.
The thing with Zumba is that your class experience can vary a lot based on the instructor. Some classes can be really hard, some can be really easy, some can be good and some can be bad. The classes at Z Club are consistent. They are always good but there are definitely different levels. Some instructors teach a highly choreographed class, which I view as more advanced while other instructors stick with very basic choreography. I think this is really important for dance classes where you can get a range of abilities.
6. Body By Simone– If you want dance, this is a serious dance class. There is a ton of choreography including changing directions and turning. The great part about it though is that you repeat the combinations over and over so there is no way you won’t get it by the end. The dance portion is actually 45 minutes and the last 15 minutes of class are dedicated to abs and stretching. Every single trainer at BBS is incredibly cut and gorgeous. It kind of makes you feel like you might look like that even just by hanging around the place.
Speaking of place, the studio is located in Chelsea, all the way west. It’s not very convenient for an Upper East Sider like me, but the studio is big and beautiful and the classes are so great, it will force you to come back. The music is awesome and the moves are a lot of fun (but tiring!).
Need some toning to go with your cardio to achieve that dancer’s body? Check out my list of the Best Barre Classes in NYC, the perfect compliment to these dance classes!
Readers, did your parents make you take dance lessons when you were a kid? If someone asked you for the best class in your town, what would you recommend?
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Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat
May 22, 2014I absolutely love, love, love dancing! It’s literally one of my favorite things to do, so that’s why dance workouts (like Zumba) are so amazing! I would love to try out these different dance fitness classes though at some point. They sound like so much fun and sound like great workouts!
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Totally agree Holly! They are so much fun and I’ve been finding it to be the easiest form of cardio I can do while preggers!
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
May 22, 2014I did one year of ballet but clearly did not have the skill for it! My sister did it for 12 years though. We are VERY different people lol
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Haha! We all have our strength! 🙂
Shawna
May 22, 2014looooove to dance and have to get myself to one of these! thx for this.
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Yes! Let me know if you try one of these classes and like it!
Kimberly (Manifest Yourself)
May 22, 2014I’ve been on a dance class kick lately. I’ve purchased a pack of 4 classes for a Beyonce Diva workout series to her song Partition AND a pack of 10 hip hop classes at a studio in midtown. I plan to dance my way through June apparently. 🙂 I really want to try 305 though!
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Nice! 305 is super fun! You will definitely like it! 🙂
Tara
May 22, 2014I’m going to steal your posts thunder and congratulate you on your baby!! I have been SO behind on blogs bc of school and finally got to catch up this morning and I am so excited for you!! Can’t wait to see all the updates. 🙂
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Thanks Tara! 🙂
Lauren @ Focused To Be Fit
May 22, 2014I did Jazz and Ballet as a kid. I hated ballet, but loved jazz. Dance classes are so fun and time flies by, which is even better! I’d definitely recommend the Turbo class I go to with my girl, Angie Green! Angie is in the Turbo Kick Rounds videos and her energy is amazing! I’m actually headed to meet her for lunch now! 🙂
FitBritt
May 27, 2014I loved Jazz too!
I would definitely try Turbo Kick if I were in your area!
Nicole
May 22, 2014I hate sleeping in rooms where the sun shines in too brightly in the morning! It’s a total pet peeve of mine. Hope you can get some extra rest this weekend!
FitBritt
May 27, 2014I was at my parents’ house this weekend and they have black out curtains. It made allll the difference!
Polly @ Tasty Food Project
May 22, 2014I love dancing but I have no coordination whatsoever! lol. The last time I went to zumba class, I felt so out of coordination but it was still fun!
FitBritt
May 27, 2014I think having fun is the important part. As long as you got that going, it doesn’t matter if you do the steps perfectly or not!
Lisa @ Lulu's Big Adventure
May 22, 2014They all look like a ton of fun, but maybe I’ll try AKT when I’m in NYC this fall! I’ll be staying in the UES so it would be relatively convenient to check it out.
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Yay! I hope you enjoy it! It’s such a great workout and so much fun!
Carla
May 22, 2014I live in a more rural area so I have Zumba or Zumba. However, you’re really making me want to venture out in the city more just to see what STL might offer. I doubt it’s as much as what you have but it’s worth looking. These classes sound wonderful!
Megan @ The Skinny-Life
May 23, 2014I practiced ballet for 10 years and tap & jazz for 5-6. It’s funny because I don’t have the same coordination now that I had then. I still love to dance, but I feel like a putz whenever I try to. Oh well!
FitBritt
May 27, 2014As long as you have fun, that is all that matters!
Nellie @ Brooklyn Active Mama
May 23, 2014These are great dance options in NYC. I am a big fan on z-club and I can’t wait to check out the others!
FitBritt
May 27, 2014Z club is awesome! You will definitely like the others! 🙂
Kim
May 23, 2014I never took any dance lessons – probably part of why I have zero rhythm! And, no, I wouldn’t be able to direct anyone to a good dance class here.