Along my trip down memory lane, I’ve realized that there are some things that I really miss. And one of those things is dancing. When you are the parent of a teen or tween, if you attempt to dance in front of them, they will cringe, cover their eyes and beg you to stop. And so, I’ve learned that some of the things I used to love to do without anyone criticizing me (singing and dancing) has been temporarily banned by my children. And to be completely honest, I am not happy about it.
While I’ve always managed to find an outlet for my singing (a solo car ride from Westchester to Manhattan works wonders), unfortunately, my dancing card hasn’t been punched in a very long time. That is, until this week.
As I was waiting to pick up my son from Hebrew school, I ran into another mom and the topic of exercise came up. While I lamented how much I hate going to the gym, she began to sing the praises of Jazzercise. Yes, Jazzercise — that same dance company that’s been in business since the 80’s. While I never did take a Jazzercise class during its heyday, I was pretty hooked on Hip Hop classes and really miss not having that as an option at my gym. I know people rave about Zumba, but between the class never being available at a time that works in my schedule and the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of Latin dancing (I am a bit of a klutz and can never master those steps), there’s just something about it that just doesn’t grab me.
But Jazzercise on the other hand? As my friend told me more about her class, I told her I was up for giving it a try. So two days later, I was in her car on the way to dance class. And I was psyched. When we arrived, we met a lovely woman who shared how she’s lost more than 28 pounds doing a combination of Jazzercise and Weight Watchers.
Next, I met the instructor, who was absolutely lovely and then I was introduced to another group of women and men who couldn’t have been nicer. At that moment, as the group welcomed me with open arms to their Jazzercise family, I felt like I finally found my people! Once the class started, I was totally able to keep up and managed to break a sweat without completely losing my breath and my patience. But the best part of all – the class was fun and I finally got to dance again!
Today, I gave Jazzercise in Manhattan a try while my daughter took a class at FIT and had the best time again. I even ran into an old colleague who I used to love working with and we caught up on lost time. I also met another super friendly woman who knew everyone in the class and even asked if I planned to come back next week. Of course, I told her I’d absolutely be back.
It’s only taken 15 years, but I am so happy to have finally found an exercise routine I absolutely love. What a concept. Hopefully it’ll help me shed some weight and get me back in top shape. There’s nothing like taking a trip down memory lane to make you realize that you should never cut the things you love out of your life…even if it embarrasses your kids.
There is nothing more thrilling than getting the opportunity to interview a feature film star who can effortlessly tackle a comedic role and then dive right into drama without missing a beat. Jim Carrey is by far, one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time and now, he has another incredible credit to add to his already impressive resume…children’s book author.
Carrey is the author of How Roland Rolls, a beautifully illustrated story about a wave named Roland who contemplates his own mortality. What might seem a heavy topic for kids, Carrey has found a way to make the concept understandable and comforting for kids and adults.