The Evolution of Dance (Aerobics) Fitness: Through The Ages

The Evolution of Dance (Aerobics) Fitness: Through The Ages

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

Jacki Sorensen, the creator and pioneer of dance aerobics

 

Jack LaLanne Show’s Exercise Segment (1950s)

Judi Sheppard, creator of the franchise Jazzercise

80s’ Dance Aerobics (John Travolta & Jamie Lee Curtis)

Joseph Pilates, Founder of Pilates

Tony Britt’s TV workout for home viewers

Billy Blanks, founder or the martial arts workout, Tai Bo

Johnny G, Founder of the first Spinning program

Beto Perez, founder of Zumba Fitness

“It is easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet, and emotional balance than it is to regain it once lost.” - Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper (Father of the Modern Fitness Movement and Disease Prevention)

Dance Fitness, also referred to as dance aerobics, is one of the coolest workout systems in the fitness industry. Today, dance fitness has the transformative power to meet the needs of almost any demographic (from kids to older adults) and cater to multiple dance interests (from Jazzercise to AquaFit). When Toronto gyms and recreation were forced to shut down due to covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions, I saw our team and dozens of fitness instructors across the city pivot by running online dance fitness classes to keep thousands of people staying fit and healthy for the safety of their own homes.

With that in mind, let’s take a walk through group and dance fitness through the ages

  • 1950s: The Jack Lalanne Show was the first TV show to offer exercise routines to keep its viewers exercising from home, making it the first virtual home workout (first video on the left)

  • 1960s: Airforce physician Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper created the book “Aerobics” when he developed exercises to help prevent coronary artery disease. His book inspired dancer Jacki Sorensen (featured at the top of the page) to create a program combining dance moves, exercises, and music. The program was geared toward women and to not feel like a traditional workout.

  • 1970s: Jazzercize, created by dancer Judi Sheppard Messet, was a dance fitness program that offered participants the fitness components of dance without training to be a dancer. Today, Jazzercize has 8500 franchisees globally

  • 1980s: The rise in celebrity fitness (Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda) and Step Aerobics. Athlete Gin Miller came up with the infamous Step Aerobics program when she was stepping up and down a milk crate to strengthen her knee injury

  • 1990s: The rise of the following group workout programs, Tao Bo (created by Billy Blanks), Spinning (created by Jonathan Goldberg), and Pilates (created by Joseph Pilates), a widely practiced workout focused on core strength, balance, posture/form and flexibility

  • 2000s: Zumba (a Latin dance workout program) took the industry by storm and is now offered in over 186 countries. Zumba was created by the Colombian fitness instructor Alberto Perez. Following Zumba came the growth of other culturally diverse dance workout programs

  • 2010s to Now: I (Sumera) have noticed a growth in the following group fitness programs: dance fitness (Bollyx, Socacize, Hot Hula Fitness, Samba Fit, Belly Fit, Salsa Babies). Yoga programs (Bikram, Ashtanga, Flow, Vinyasa, Power), kids fitness programs (circuits, Zumba kids, Pl3Y Inc Dance), and HIIT training programs (F45, Orange Theory, Jillian Michaels)

The Benefits of Dance Fitness

Dance fitness provides a platform, day and night, for people to come together and sweat under the guidance and motivational support of a fitness instructor. Dance fitness, specifically, gives participants without any formal dance training a chance to improve their coordination and memory skills as they learn different styles of dance movements and rhythms.

Group fitness exists to improve: one’s body composition (weight loss/maintenance), muscle conditioning (strength training), flexibility (to reduce injuries), and cardiovascular health (improving heart and lung function). Additional benefits include mood enhancements (reducing stress levels, anxiety, and depression), preventing high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high/bad cholesterol, improving one’s self-image and confidence, better sleep, and chronic illness prevention.

Dance Fitness Now

In January 2022, 30% of gyms across North America shut down (CanFitPro, 2022). The devastating closures, a result of the covid-19 pandemic, impacted the growth of certain group fitness programs. Dance fitness, however, was able to thrive for the simple fact that it could take place ANYWHERE (online, in health and community centers, the park, swimming pools, etc) and required a speaker, music device, and a small group. This gives the dance fitness system the ability to thrive outside of a traditional gym setting. Our team has been providing dance fitness programs for women and kids in community spaces since 2014 and online since April 2020, during Toronto’s first Covid-19 lockdown.

Our programs will continue to be SWEATY, safe, and facilitated by friendly dancers that are fitness and health professionals, physiotherapists and art therapists, and fitness lovers. While we love trying out a range of dance fitness classes, we currently offer Bollywood dance and Bollywood fitness programs, mom and baby dance fitness, Caribbean dance fitness, Vinyasa Yoga / Yoga flow, kids fitness circuits, kid’s Yoga, and specialty dance workshops.

To join us online or in person, do check out our schedules.

Sources

  1. Fitness Formula Clubs: https://formula.ffc.com/fitness/info/the-evolution-of-group-fitness-classes/

  2. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal: https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/fulltext/2014/11000/the_evolution_of_group_fitness__shaping_the.4.aspx#:~:text=Group%20fitness%20can%20be%20traced,than%20disease%20treatment%20(1).

  3. Fridman, Len, Reimagine. Refuel. Rebuild. Canadian Fitness Professionals, November/December 22

  4. Fitness Pioneer : Aerobic Dancing Grew Into a Profitable Business in San Diego: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-28-ca-9678-story.html

  5. Dalleck, Lance, From Ancient Greece to Zumba, Ace Fitness Org: https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/2224/from-ancient-greece-to-zumba-50-events-people-and-trends-that-have-shaped-the-history-of-fitness-part-2/

  6. GX United: https://gxunited.com/blog/step-aerobics-history/#:~:text=Step%20aerobics%20came%20to%20life,an%20emphasis%20on%20athletic%20movements.

  7. Great Big Story, Human Condition series on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa-je1zux70