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Parks & Rec Business
Dance Fever Losing weight the fun way never goes out of style By Kati Trammel Driven by popular television shows like “So You Think You Can Dance?” and the simple fact that losing weight the fun way never goes out of style, heart-pumping dance classes are filling up the programming boards of fitness centers across the country. Now, let’s get something straight. I’m not talking about your usual “funk” classes or two-step lessons. I’m talking about counting music, learning steps and learning choreography… dance! Catch the Fever At MCCS Okinawa, we’ve jumped on this dance craze by incorporating intensifying dance routines into our aerobics classes, starting youth ballroom dancing programs and even offering salsa lessons at local nightclubs. Aerobic Dance Lessons You can spice up your standard aerobics classes by adding heart-thumping Latin beats sure to get everyone in class going. These powerful, easy-to-learn beats and accompanying moves are based on simple, natural body movements that seem to appeal to both men and woman (at least they do in the classes I teach). This type of class is not done with partners; it‘s an individual learning process. The dance teacher begins with a regular dance warm-up that includes more flexibility than regular marching and stretching, and gets everyone’s energy going after a hard day’s work. Let’s face it, step aerobics has reached its peak and Pilates is great, but just doesn’t give you that heart-racing feeling that you’ve really exerted yourself, nor does it offer non-dancers that great feeling of accomplishment. We’ve discovered that people really want to learn something new, something they can use elsewhere. After one of our dance aerobic classes, our patrons can now go to that popular restaurant or club and no longer fear the dance floor. Now they can jump right in and enjoy. And they can accomplish this under the guise of attending a traditional aerobics class. Cool. Youth Programs It’s not only adults who have latched onto our dance-infused programming. Recently, we’ve also added recreational ballroom-dance programs for our youth patrons (apparently not everyone wants to play soccer). Classes are full and parents tell us they like the discipline and respect that dance requires of their kids. Things like -- listening to a teacher, learning specific steps, and coordinating moves with those of a partner. If you’re interested in bringing this program to your community, we’ve discovered it’s a good idea to bring in a professional. You might also want to consider holding an adult class at the same time, so the whole family can participate. Nightclub Dance Lessons For us, the most popular dance program is the “nightclub workout” – otherwise known as the salsa dancing class. Instead of offering this program in the fitness center, we use our two award-winning restaurants -- Globe Anchor and Thirsty’s. We’ve found these locations add a unique item to a restaurant’s entertainment schedule and attract a different type of patron – one who might not ordinarily come to either restaurant. Two-hour classes (taught by professionals) are held once or twice a week, depending on the club’s patronage. And, after the classes, the beat continues, allowing students the opportunity to stick around and practice their new moves with the regular crowd. Marketing Your New Dance Program To ensure that your program is successful, you need to take great pains to market it appropriately. Recognize that your potential customers are probably anxious about “dance lessons” and won’t likely respond to advertising or promotional pieces that show two professional dancers performing impossible feats. Instead, run a trial aerobics class and take a picture of everyone having a great time. Then, use those photos to promote your program. You may want to consider keeping your programs small and tightly targeted at first. This allows you to better understand which patrons (ages, sexes, etc.) are most interested in the new program. It also helps you avoid having scattered attendance over several classes, which is always a pain. In the end, simply take a good a look at your regular patrons as well as your not-so-regular patrons and see if your program needs to pick up the beat. With your help, maybe they’ll catch the fever. Kati Trammel is the advertising and public relations account executive for MCCS Marketing, Semper Fit Retail, Food and Beverage, based in Okinawa, Japan. She can be reached at katitram@yahoo.com. |
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