Subscribe
QiDANCE: The “Key” to Move-It Motivation
by Girlfriend@Gaiam | November 2nd, 2012 | 1 Comment
topic: Fitness, Girlfriend@Gaiam, Health & Wellness, Weight Loss
When the editorial team at Gaiam got invited to go on a little field trip to try a new exercise class called QiDANCE, we were intrigued, excited and a little nervous. Truth be told, even with all the yoga we do, we aren’t the most coordinated bunch. But we didn’t let that stop us from lacing up our boogie shoes and giving it a try!
QiDANCE is a choreographed workout set to music by Grammy-award-winner Kike Santander, who has written and produced songs for Gloria Estefan, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, among others. The music and moves are designed to bring your heart rate and energy up as you dance to Latin, African, hip-hop, disco and even Broadway numbers.
What we weren’t expecting was how fun and what a good workout it would be — we had a blast!
Pronounced “key,” the Qi in QiDANCE refers to energy or life force. The beats and movements are synchronized to deliver a powerful and effective routine. It’s really inspiring, and it was surprisingly easy to catch on to the moves. Since it’s all pre-choreographed, you’ll find the same moves whether you take a class in New Jersey or Hawaii. And don’t worry: If QiDANCE isn’t available in your city, it will be soon. It’s catching on fast.
If you’re not as coordinated as we are (insert irony-generated spit take here), the instructor starts with the simplest form of movement, then builds on it so in no time at all you feel like a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance. That same tactic keeps QiDANCE from getting boring as you progress, as well; there seems to be no end of combinations and variations you can do, even if you’re a seasoned pro.
My favorite routine was the mash-up. Just before we cooled down, our ball-of-energy instructor Jamie Smith took us through a mini-performance of all of the songs we’d performed during class. The energy by that point was uncontainable, and we all felt like dancing queens.
To learn more about QiDANCE and to find a class in your area, visit qignition.com.
After class: Sweaty, but still smiling! Jessica, June, Kirsten, Val, Kit and Jamie.
I’ve been to three QiDANCE classes in different cities (They’re still not at home in New York) and I always have a blast! You never know what genre of music is coming next and by the end of each song you feel like you can dance it all. The music is fantastic and the moves have a proper fitness base that includes functional motor program training. Dance fitness by fitness pros, I’m in!