Seagrass

A good friend of mine recently turned me on to dance classes at the Alvin Ailey Extension School. I’ve tried everything from yoga, pilates, spinning, boxing, gyrotonics— to mention a few (all are great), but nothing makes me feel as good as dancing. The Ailey School focuses on modern dance, so you can take anything from hip-hop to West African dance.

So far I have taken ballet, Afro-Brazilian Samba, and Congolese (Central African dance). All of them are great workouts (each class is an hour and a half) and the teachers are really passionate about their dance. Yesterday, I took ballet with Finis Jhung, who used to dance with the Joffrey Ballet. We started off the class with barre work that focused on balance and on building strength in your legs and ankles. It’s a great way to work on your posture and balance. And I just love the classical music he plays throughout the class; it’s so calming on a Sunday afternoon.

After ballet, I felt energized and joined the Congolease (Central African dance) class with Funmi.  This was my first time taking this class and I have to say the best work out I have ever had in my life. You really shake it! Funmi had me shadow her and she showed me how to do the different rotations of the belly and hips. There is live African drumming, which helps you find the beat of the dance.  I probably looked so funny doing the movements, but I had so much fun! You just get lost in the dance and forget about how you look.