why don’t you offer fitness classes?
The short answer? We are not a gym, we are a dance studio.
Rio is a space where language about calories, steps, heart rate zones, or weight is simply not relevant. We are motivated by something different in this space - art, joy, imagination, creativity.
Dance related workouts [dance cardio, dance fitness, barre, etc.] create beautiful spaces for participants to move to music together. But at the end of the day, it’s still a “workout” - calories burned, heart rate up, goals met. In these classes there is an inevitable undercurrent of change motivating participants; they want to lose weight, tone their muscles, sculpt, burn, shred, etc.
At Rio, we have different motivations: we want to create, express, make music, expand, explore, feel, discover, imagine. And clarity in this mission, without the murky waters of dance-fitness, creates authenticity in each class - we are all here for the same reason.
I want our studio to be a place where we enjoy our bodies, as they are. That we get to create in the body we have, finding joy in our physical home. The changes will come - weight will fluctuate, injuries, illnesses - what will be will be. But how we experience our bodies each day, each moment - this is the embodiment that we are reaching for at Rio.
It is important to note, there is nuance here. One is not right, and one is not wrong. In fact, they often work together symbiotically. A commitment to resistance training at the gym will help power your movements in the dance studio. A regular practice of yoga can teach you to breathe in ways that will fuel your dancing into a new stratosphere. Cardio training will directly support your stamina on stage. And (this is where we come in) a place where you can move purely for the joy of it, where you can imagine, create, and PLAY in your body - will remind you why you take care of your body in the first place.
Also, let’s be clear, dance is hard work. The workout will happen whether you notice or not. The effort and power required to move like we do is no small feat. We sweat, we lose our breath, we use modern training tools to support our growth as dancers. It’s the motivation for this effort that makes Rio unique.
Rio Dance Studio is meant to be a space that offers something different from a gym. We wanted to offer a reprieve from the fitness mentality. A place to move your body without needing to change your body.
