FitSugar

Introducing Batuka: The Next Dance Fitness Craze

Heather Dale — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:11:30 PST

Zumba certainly took 2011 by storm. And what's not to love? The Latin-dance-inspired cardio class helps tone and sculpt the body while celebrating your backside region - thank you Zumba! If your workout routine could handle more rhythmic high-energy dance moves, or you just want to spice things up for 2012, you may want to check out Batuka. This new dance workout is considered by some to be one of the things to watch for the year ahead, as teacher training courses launched in North America this past Fall and European expansion is on the horizon as well.

Keep reading to learn more about Batuka.

Emmy-Nominated Choreographer Stacey Tookey on Inspiration, Health, and SYTYCD

Anna Monette Roberts — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:04:48 PDT

Emmy-nominated choreographer Stacey Tookey is famous for her work on So You Think You Can Dance, but she's also worked with many celebrities, including Christina Perri, Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, Bette Midler, and Michael Buble. Initially pursuing a career in classical ballet, Stacey has since done work across all dance genres including jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. We learned more about what inspires Stacey's work as well as how she keeps her body healthy and fit despite her demanding schedule.

FitSugar: What inspires your choreography?
Stacey Tookey: My inspiration definitely starts with music. Especially for So You Think You Can Dance, you have to get the music approved beforehand, so I don't start the choreography and the whole concept before approval. I pick music I'm drawn to, sometimes because the artist's voice is so pretty, raw, and passionate. I also love violin, because it tears at my heartstrings. I want to choreograph something that makes people feel something and walk away with an impression and an emotion. I am also drawn to new artists.

FS: Can you tell us how you "discovered" Christina Perri?
ST: When I choreographed "Jar of Hearts" on SYTYCD a year ago, Christina was not signed, and she was trying to make it as an artist while working at a cafe in Beverly Hills. The first version I heard wasn't even a produced version – it was on my friend's computer. She got the song produced so it could be on the show. Her manager put it on iTunes just in case viewers wanted to download the song. At the time, no one had heard of her. The night it aired, she was the number one googled thing in the world. The next week she was flown to NYC to choose from a handful of record labels wanting to sign her, just from her exposure on SYTYCD. I saw her last week at the end of her headlining tour, and seeing her on stage like that made me cry. I felt like a proud parent. People like that are unseen all the time, but I'm glad that I had something to do with her success.

Would You Go to a Yoga Studio-Turned-Nightclub?

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:30:09 PDT

Your yoga studio might offer Friday night kirtan, but have you ever heard of a yoga studio transforming into a nightclub on the weekend? Shiva Rea's Yoga Trance Dance and Aarona's Yoga Soundscape fuse yoga with dance elements, but these days yogis are rolling up their mats and raving after class (sans the alcohol, of course). Get Your Dance On has popularized the trend of combining a challenging yoga class followed by a liberating dance party, complete with live DJs, funky, local musicians, and a smoke machine. After a detoxing and purifying class, yogis can continue to socialize by dancing in a noncompetitive, nonalcoholic, and all-inclusive environment. The energy stays high as guests sip on kombucha and coconut water and eat raw, vegan noshes. While most events occur in NYC at Judson Church, Urban Zen, and YogaWorks SoHo, the dance party has ventured to the West Coast in LA and San Francisco. I'm hoping to bring this dance revolution to my local studio. We're gonna tell that yogi to pass the kombucha tea!

Source: Aria Isadora Photography

How the Bachelorette Stays in Great Shape

Heather Dale — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:39:40 PDT

If you've been keeping up with the latest season of The Bachelorette, you'll have already hopped on the wacky and wild train that is panning out to be season seven.

In the midst of all the drama, drunkenness, and heartache, we've also learned more about the bubbly and energetic bachelorette, Ashley Hebert. Ashley always looks amazing, and in a recent interview with Us Magazine, she shared some of her fitness secrets. She says:

"I teach jazz, ballet, and hip-hop at my college. I feel confident when I'm dancing."

Aside from discussing her love for dance, she also talks about how being on The Bachelor with so many other women motivated her to work out, and promises lots of miniskirts and short dresses during this season of The Bachelorette.

And if you've been keeping up with season six's bachelorette, Ali Fedotowsky, in a recent issue of Us Magazine, she said she credits her toned bod to Bikram yoga classes. She loves it so much, she even tweets about it!

Dancers Unite! Leotards Are Back With a Vengeance

Heather Dale — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:38:44 PDT

Movies like Dirty Dancing, Fame, and Footloose paved the way for dance-obsessed youth in the '80s. And now with Black Swan, ballet-based Bar Method classes, and butt-busting dance routines with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, we're all falling prey to the dance craze.

Celebrities like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Rihanna have been rocking the leotards for quite some time now - yes, on the stage and off (although I think it's safe to say Lady Gaga is always sporting some sort of leotard-ware). And actresses Ellen Pompeo and Emmy Rossum both sport them to the gym. But I'm curious to see if you've embraced the leotard trend as much as these celebs have? I'm still trying to branch away from my traditional black workout wear, so I can't say I've built up enough courage to wear leotards. And what do you wear with leotards - Lycra shorts like Emmy has on here? Or maybe one of those swimsuit-style onesies?

Guess Who Spent the Day Dancing?

FitSugar — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:26:12 PDT

Can you guess which celeb burned some calories from dancing?

Trendy Fitness: Popular Workouts of 2010

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:10:44 PST

A workout is a workout, but how we get our sweat on changes with the times. The recession seems to be influencing our fitness lives, from ditching running shoes to skipping fancy classes. Dance workouts are rising in popularity, and the ancient art of yoga continues to spawn hybrids. Read on for highlights of the fitness trends from 2010.

Running sans sneakers: The buzz about barefoot running has been building for a few years now, but this year the trend seems to have fully blossomed. We see seasoned runners logging miles fully dressed minus footwear or wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes. We even tested the barefoot running waters, and while the experience didn't sway us to ditch our sneaks, it did make us interested in trying a less fortified shoe.
Just dance: Whether shaking your booty with Zumba or working your backside in a balletic arabesque, dance is back! Maybe the popular reality TV shows featuring dance have helped the revival. Skip the Barre Method and try an actual ballet class like Natalie Portman in Black Swan.
Working it old school: Gone are the fancy props and expensive equipment; nothing is cooler these days than working out with your own body weight. Circuit training, featuring push-ups and lunges, pull-ups and squats, is all the rage. Bring on the burpee and squat thrust yourself back into shape.
Yoga mixes with everything: The age old practice of yoga seems to mix with anything. This year, we learned about Snowga (that's yoga on the ski slopes) and Paddleboard yoga (yoga on the water). You can even mix some roundhouse kicks with your down dog and try Koga - that's a hybrid of kickboxing and yoga.
Trying a tri: Mixing three disciplines in one race is surely a challenge, but it's one that more and more people are taking on. The triathlon frenzy has been growing for the past decade, and there are no signs of the trend slowing down. Mixing three disciplines into one training schedule is a great way to prevent overuse injuries, a common threat to endurance sport fanatics. Plus it feels hard core!

Source: Flickr User lululemonathletica

Picture It: Hard Corps

TresSugar — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:00:53 PDT

Dancers in Urumqi, China, rehearsed an ethnic minority dance today. They're part of an all-out effort to accelerate development in the northwest region of the country.

View 5 Photos ›

New Cantina in Vegas Features Holographic Dancers

GeekSugar — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:00:28 PDT

Hold on to your frijoles, there's a new bar in Las Vegas that isn't just offering tequila on tap, but some digital entertainment as well. Called Lolita's Cantina, this bar serves up food and liqueur, an in-house DJ to spin tunes while you grub, along with go-go dancers - real and holographic - to keep the party going. That's right - holographic dancers.

The holograms, which were created using the same technology utilized by The Gorrillaz during their 2006 Grammy performance, are made up of state of the art polymers and high definition video (and apparently look amazingly lifelike). The holograms are controlled by the DJ from his booth above the cantina, and are positioned to be the centerpiece of the club at all times of day.

I'm actually taking a trip to Vegas next month - you know I'll be stopping in to see this!

Source

Picture It: Jolly Giants

TresSugar — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:40:11 PDT

A staff member at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London admires a giant cloth designed by Pablo Picasso. The larger-than-life piece of art appeared in the Ballets Russes performance of "Le Train Bleu" in 1924.