New Obsession: Dance Trance DC

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Dance Trance DC class for the first time, and I loved it.  This summer has been all about trying new-to-me classes – first b.fit barre, then CoreFusion while I was travelling, and now Dance Trance. I actually was looking to try Dance Trance last year, but when I looked for a location in DC, none existed in 2011.  This has all changed when Sarah Spears Sands (that’s her in the middle, below) opened DanceTranceDC in May 2012

I love this quote from Sarah: “I’ve been dancing in my apartment ever since I found Dance Trance in 2003, while studying tax law in Florida. I was sick of waiting around for someone else to open a location…I decided to bite the bullet and do it myself.”  I am so glad she did.  Here is a more information on how Sarah opened Dance Trance DC.  The classes are at Balance Gym Washington DC (near Thomas Circle), but a couple of weeks ago Sarah held a free Dance Trance class at at Athleta in Georgetown here in Washington, DC.  I have been really loving what the store has been doing in terms of showcasing different types of classes, so I was psyched to try Dance Trance for free that way. Also, I had never actually been to a class at an Athleta store, so it was pretty cool to see how they arranged for enough space for the class. Those are my arms on the left, coming out of the side of the mannequin:

Here is what I really loved about Dance Trance as compared to Zumba: the greater variety of music and the concept of breakdown for beginners (if you look at Dance Trance DC’s schedule, there are two breakdown classes a week).  Breakdown involves breaking down the steps to a couple of songs, which is super helpful if you are a beginner – it also gives you a good sense of what to expect from a regular class, where there is less time spent on breakdown.  Like Zumba, it is a fantastic workout in terms of getting your heart rate up and staying entertained. For more info on DanceTrance vs Zumba generally, check out Gina’s blog.

Don’t get me wrong – I still like Zumba a lot (and am so glad I have made it a semi-regular part of my routine for over a year now) – but I really like how choreography is emphasized more in Dance Trance and given the choice between the two, I would take a Dance Trance class .    When I took Sarah’s class recently, I could not believe how quickly the hour flew by, and I look forward to trying more classes.  Dance Trance DC  offers both morning and evening classes, and you can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

All photos courtesy of Dance Trance DC.