Society Hill Dance Academy’s Manayunk branch looks to combine dance and fitness with new programs

Society Hill Dance Academy’s (SHDA) Manayunk branch located on 4401 Cresson St. is much more than just an average ballroom dance lesson spot.

Branch manager, Charissa Prince-Ferdinand began her involvement with dance merely as a hobby before working as a volunteer at a dance studio during college. Since then, she has used her background as an instructor of fitness and dance to help run Society Hill Dance Academy’s location in Manayunk.

“We recently launched a fitness extension to our regular classes. We’re now offering Zumba and SharQui programs,” said Prince-Ferdinand.  “Adding a fitness element to our studio was important to achieve our goal of reviving dance in the Manayunk community.”

For those who are unfamiliar with these new names running alongside ballroom dancing on SHDA’s syllabus, Zumba is a dance and fitness craze where different dance steps from styles all over the world (typically Latin) are combined with aerobic workout movements. SharQui is essentially the same concept as Zumba, but it targets the abdominal muscles and involves belly dancing techniques and movements, explained Prince-Ferdinand.

Society Hill Dance Academy’s new programs are a healthy alternative for local residents who don’t have time to go running or go to the gym every day.

“Most of the time when people are dancing, they don’t realize how much they are accomplishing in terms of flexibility and stamina,” joked Prince-Ferdinand “because they are having so much fun while they are doing it.”

Aside from the health benefits, joining a dance class at the academy gives people a chance to meet and socialize with their neighbors in the Roxborough-Manayunk community.

“Classes are also great for couples,” added Prince-Ferdinand “dancing teaches them how to communicate and build a connection both physically and emotionally.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Society Hill Dance Academy’s Manayunk location and signing up for classes check out their website and Facebook page.