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If there is one thing I will put my hand up and admit that I can’t do – it is dance. I just can’t.
Even as a youngster attending dance class, I was completely and utterly in the “let’s put you in the back row for this one” type of girl.
So when I heard of an adult contemporary dance class for rookies, I went straight to Chunky Move on a wintery Melbourne morning before I had a chance to second guess what I had gotten myself into.
Chunky Move is one of Australia's foremost contemporary dance companies, they produce acclaimed performances, as well as running public dance programs. One of which is designed for beginners like me - hooray.
My class was taught by Kristy Ayre who is a Melbourne-based performer, producer, teacher and choreographer. Ayre's classes are very energetic, fun and set to loud pop and hip hop music.
RELATED: How to dance like Beyoncé. (Read: Flawlessly.)
Whilse I felt like throwing up from nerves before I walked in, I was quickly relieved to find that the class was really chilled. It was really energetic and varied, so it is great for fitness, toning and strengthening muscles. But above all it was fun. Really, really fun.
The class started with gentle warm ups, and gradually, fluidly, moved into simple routines. (Post continues after gallery.)
Chunky Move’s artistic vision is driven by an investigation into the possibilities of the body, its relationship to place, context and environment. The classes are grounded in this understanding of the body and each routine is based around it.
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Ayre worked through each routine slowly in the beginning, before we sped it up to music. Each routine is varied, so it is never boring, and there wasn't any time to focus on my insecurities. Lucky. Each routine takes about twenty minutes, before moving into another.
While some routines were easier than others, at no point did I feel like I did in dance class when I was little. I am relatively fit, but I really didn't realise how many muscles you use in contemporary dance. It was so much fun I wasn't fully aware of what a workout I was getting. Until I couldn't sit down the next day. Or the day after that.
But I also feel much more aware of my body - even after just one class - about how I move, sit, how my feet feel on the floor. So will I be going back? Absolutely.
Have you been to a beginners dance class as an adult? How did you find it?
Another great - and fun - way to workout is yoga. Check out Mamamia TV's intro guide below.
