Meet TURN Cardio Jam | Best Fitness Studio | 2020
Meet TURN Cardio Jam
Best Fitness Studio
Dancers of RVA
When you grow up dancing, it’s hard to just give it up. But for most of us – dance classes just stop when you become an adult. Few of us go on to do anything professional with it and that means all those dance lessons at Miss Susie Sunshine’s Dance School, just get dusty and the next thing you know – you’re on some treadmill in some big box gym, hoping to lose weight and blasting Madonna thinking you could make your own OK Go video if no one looks.
That was kinda what got me to open my own fitness studio.
I loved dance and was a super active, athletic kid. I was even a snare drummer in the marching band from high school through half of college. So, sitting idle was never an option. But I also didn’t want to be some old lady in beginner hip hop with kids. So, I stopped taking dance.
I stumbled into a dance fitness class called Dance Trance in Birmingham, Alabama in 1999. They were doing legit 8-count choreography to each song that came on their playlist. It was like a series of mini-flash mobs. We’re talking pivot, ball change, pas de bourree’, three-point-turns, sometimes club moves or old school hip hop. I had never seen anything like it. And all the students were wearing dance pants (not yet named yoga pants) and split sole Capezios. It was perfect and it felt like I was at the club, only, I was at the gym. No creepy dudes or drinks getting spilled on you.
And let me be clear – when I found this class, these were pre-Zumba days; Before Body Jam, before 305 Fitness, Tracy Anderson, AKT or Dance Body.
I ended up licensing the program in Sarasota, Florida in 2000, and then again here in Richmond in 2002. Each time creating a bigger following. When I was in about year three at Gold’s Gym here my friend Tracy said, “You know – we only belong to this gym because of your dance program. We think you should start your own thing.”
That was it. The seed was planted. It still took another five more years before I actually opened my own studio. And when I did, the only program we had to offer was Dance Trance, but I soon realized dancers need so much more. We have to keep our muscles strong and toned but we also need to stretch them and keep them long. You can’t just dance full out night after night without training.
And I don’t know about you – but workouts can’t be boring either or I’m going to lose my mind and interest.
So that’s how we ended up building our programs at Turn. By keeping the dancer in mind. I’ve gotten so lucky too. Nearly everyone on staff, is a former dancer. My fitness director Emily is the whole package: a contemporary dance major who is also a certified personal trainer.
We both have that same need and goal: To dance and share our love of dance with others. Dance makes people happy and happy people stay young, strong, healthy and create beautiful communities. That’s our purpose at Turn and that’s why we’re honored to be nominated for Best Dance Fitness program. Because we really just want to give people a chance to shed their stress and hurt and find solace and health with us. We’ll help you keep your inner-child happy.
Fun Fact:
When I dreamed about opening a studio, I was still playing adult-rec soccer and wanted to open an indoor soccer park and dance studio combination. I was going to call it “Kick and Turn”. Then, weeks before we opened our Scott’s Addition studio, I was watching The Walking Dead and an advertisement came on for the show, Turn, and I just said out loud, “That’s it – I’ll just call it Turn.”
We are so excited to introduce our featured dancers for the upcoming 2nd annual RVA Dance Awards. The 2020 RVA Dance Awards is a live show that celebrates creativity, leadership and innovation by recognizing excellence within our Central Virginia dance community. This event will be held December 2nd virtually.