New dance fitness classes in Mountain Brook popular with those who want fun way to lose weight (with video)

Grand-Jete-0203-11.jpgLaura Armistead, left, leads a group of women in fitness class at Grand Jete in Mountain Brook. (The Birmingham News / Bernard Troncale)

At the new Grand Jete studio in Mountain Brook, women in leotards stretch gracefully at the barre, encouraged by their teacher to push just a little harder.

It could be a ballet lesson -- until the participants break out the hand weights and exercise balls. In fact, Grand Jete barre fitness and boutique is one of a growing number of dance-based fitness studios in the Birmingham area and around the country. In recent years, new classes have been inspired by Latin dance, belly dance, Bollywood, hip hop and even classical ballet.

"People are interested in learning how to incorporate the joy of dancing into the humdrum outlook of exercise," said Laura Armistead, the owner of Grand Jete, which opened in January and offers 55-minute barre-based classes. "You're kind of having fun and not knowing that you're exercising."

Although dance-inspired workouts have been around for years -- Jazzercise, for one, dates back the 1960s -- experts say they've been increasingly hot in the last couple of years. Some of that's spurred by the popularity of TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance." Dance-based videogames like "Dance Dance Revolution" and spinoffs for home consoles have also gotten more people into dance.

The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, the trade association for the health club industry, included dance and other group classes on its list of hot trends for 2011.

"Latin dance and nightclub-inspired workouts are appearing everywhere, not only in clubs but in church basements, school gymnasiums and corporate offices," the association said in its list. "Fusion classes that combine exercising, yoga, Pilates and dance are also a growing trend."

The American Council on Exercise has also listed dance-based fitness as a trend the last two years, and says such classes can be a good form of weight-bearing aerobic exercise, which can reduce the risk of heart disease, decrease blood pressure, help lose weight and improve bone density, strength and balance.

And while many women likely join such classes because they implicitly promise a dancer's body, there can also be psychological benefits, including the improvement of mood, energy and self-confidence, the ACE says.

That's something Tarsha Echols discovered. A dancer in high school and college who had also coached as an adult, Echols gained about 50 pounds when she was pregnant, then struggled to get them back off.

"The treadmill was not my friend," Echols said. So she got into dancing again, and is now co-owner of Just Dance Studio in Trussville, which opened in the fall. Just Dance offers classes in Zumba, jazz, hip-hop and belly dancing, as well as Pilates and hula hoop classes.

And though many people are initially intimidated by dance classes, Echols said, there's really no need, even for those who have no experience.

"You get caught up in the music, you get caught up in the emotion and you lose yourself," she said. "Once you start doing the moves, it's like, 'OK, I may look stupid but I'm having fun.'"

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