With 20 years of Jazzercise experience between them, Danielle Luebbe and Roxanne Wohlford are excited to run the Seward chapter.
The two will officially take ownership March 1, buying the business from Mary Gross.
“She could tell we were both invested in it,” Luebbe said.
Luebbe joined Jazzercise nine years ago. Wohlford joined the chapter in York 11 years ago and, when it closed, drove to Aurora for classes. The Seward site is five minutes from her home, she said.
Both are trained Jazzercise instructors. Both tried other exercise programs, but Jazzercise was the one that stuck.
Seward Jazzercise currently meets upstairs from Liz’s Sweet Shop and shares space with the William Henry School of the Arts. The stairs are on the north side of the building.
Both Wohlford and Luebbe said they’re excited to grow the business. Participant numbers have dropped in the past year because of COVID-19, they said, but the online option has been a great opportunity.
Beginning in March, all the Seward classes will be live-streamed, they said.
Classes last 60 minutes and include both cardiovascular work and strength training. Seward has eight certified instructors.
“We use all forms of dance,” Luebbe said, listing hip hop, jazz and ballet as examples.
Wohlford said they’ve bought all new equipment to freshen up the classes. Some students prefer to bring their own weights and mats, and that’s OK, the instructors said.
A low-impact routine is also available for those who may not be able or ready to do the high-impact options.
“We get a lot of women because it’s dance fitness, but we have gotten some men,” Luebbe said.
Routines change every six to eight weeks, and the instructors learn them along with the students. They are developed by instructors at the corporate office.
“As long as you just keep moving, you don’t have to do it perfectly,” Luebbe said.
One of the benefits to working out in a group is the accountability, they said.
“They recognize if you’re not in class,” Wohlford said.
In-person class size is currently limited to 12 because of space and physical distancing requirements. Classes are offered four times a day during the work week and once on Saturday. Times range from 5:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Music is dance remixes of current top 40 songs. The routine starts with a warm-up, incorporates aerobic dance and strength training and ends with a cool down.
Seward’s chapter is planning a grand reopening class March 4 at 6 p.m. at Junto Winery. An outdoor class is also done at Junto during the summer.
