"Nine Ladies Dancing:" Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!

How about gifting a dance class for yourself or that BFF this year?

"Ditch the workout, join the party," the rallying cry for the latest workout dance class craze, can be heard coming from one of the more unexpected places in town—the Middletown Senior Center.

But don't let the venue fool you; This Latin-inspired dance fitness class is open to all. The twice-weekly class on Monday and Wednesday nights tends to draw mostly women of all ages and provides a low-impact cardio based workout that's designed to tighten and tone the entire body, according to the instructor Serena Honeycutt.

Sue Dugan has attended the class regularly with her co-worker friend from the  for close to two years and says she has watched the class become more and more popular. "I take it at the 'Y' too and it's really grown there too," said Dugan.

At 49, Dugan likes to stay fit and keep her "cardio up."

"You get tired of running all the time," said Dugan. "With the Latin dance, it's fun, plus you get the better cardio workout and you work all the different muscle groups. It's something different and the music changes every week. I like that."

Led by dance instructor Serena Honeycutt for several years now, the class has a festive atmosphere that feels more like a night out dancing with the girls than an aerobics class where one constantly watches the clock and begs for mercy.

Instead, Zumba's festive Latin and International music accompanies elements of dance movements such as Merengue, Samba, the Cha Cha and more fun styles, which tend to camouflage the "work" part of the "work out," and that is likely why Zumba is having such a wide appeal spanning all ages right now across the United States.

Add to that the cross-generational popularity of hit TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and the surging popularity for ballroom dance in recent years and it's little wonder this Zumba class at the attracts up to 30 participants per class some nights.

The lighter class size of exactly nine ladies following along with their instructor recently was attributed to the busy holiday season, so shy newcomers just learning to get their groove on might like to take advantage of the extra elbow room and dance space currently available during the lighter holiday season.

Dugan has been thrilled with the results and plans to keep up with classes around town. "I feel like my cardio has gotten better," she said.

The twice-weekly class at the Middletown Senior Center also happens to be one of the best deals in town at $5 per class.

For more information, call Serena at (508) 725-1897 or visit www.fitnesswithSerena.com.

 

Looking for a dance class to suit your style?

There are many options for dance classes around Middletown. Check out these local businesses for starters:

• , at 66 Valley Rd, advertises Zumba classes five times each week.
• , 92 Valley Rd. (Sue Dugan swears by this class too!)
•  951 Aquidneck Ave., offers Zumba classes on Monday nights and Saturday mornings.
• , 390 W Main Rd.
• , 1341 W Main Rd.
• , 20 Loring St.