Half- century later, Jazzercise endures as workout option

SPOKANE, Wash. — Moving to the beat of Top 40s, you hear an instructor’s dance cues. You grapevine or cha-cha-cha. Yes, it’s Jazzercise. In the age of Zumba and CrossFit, the dance-fitness program that started nearly 50 years ago is still going strong, but it’s not exactly your mother’s aerobics. Strength training and bodycore work get as much focus today as a step-ball-change.

Jazzercise still draws members globally for its exercise, simple choreography and popular tunes. But other people assume it’s faded into the fuzz of 1980s leg warmers.

“People’s question is always, ‘Jazzercise — that’s still around?’ ” said Erica Demateis, 36, a Jazzercise franchise owner. “In their heads, it’s still in the ’80s.

“What they don’t realize is we have moved with the times and often are on the cutting edge of fitness trends.”

Jessica Lewis, 32, began attending Jazzercise sessions 10 years ago when invited by friends. She got hooked.

“Sometimes people are surprised that Jazzercise is as vibrant as it is and as modern as it is,” said Lewis, before joining a recent class. “Every time I moved to a town, I’d find my local Jazzercise center.

“I love to dance, and (I love) how comfortable I feel.”

Jazzercise President Shanna Missett Nelson, daughter of founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett, visited Spokane recently.

Nelson hears the same refrain outside Jazzercise circles, too — the surprise about its longevity.

“It’s definitely both our liability and our asset,” she said. “Most fitness trends tend to come and go pretty quickly. They’re real popular and make their mark, then something else comes along. Our staying power definitely is in the environment that we create ... welcoming and non-intimidating.”

Modern Jazzercise now has multiple fitness formats, including a traditional dance mix that involves hand weights, a high-intensity interval-training class that mixes dance moves with more muscle work, a kick-boxing option and strength-focused workouts of various lengths with hand weights and resistance bands.

Nelson said Jazzercise tends to attract people who might not want to go to traditional gyms or boutique fitness centers. She assists her mother in creating the choreography, which also passes approval by a corporate exercise physiologist to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Some men do workouts to Jazzercise. Alan Chatham, 32, of Spokane, was invited by a friend to the recent class. He also visits a gym twice weekly, practices yoga and takes an aerial silks class.

Chatham described Jazzercise as “an aggressive cheerfulness.”

In fitness circles, Demateis knows that people probably hear more today about Zumba or full-sized gyms with equipment, but she credits Jazzercise’s founder with staying ahead of the curve for health and exercise work.

Nelson credits the company founder for Jazzercise’s longevity.

“She stays on top of what is the newest physiology and kinesiology behind things, and it’s incorporated into our routines, to the most current music.”

The company now has more than 8,200 franchisees in 32 countries.

Reaching toward younger demographics, Jazzercise rebranded two years ago, increased its use of social media and launched a campaign called GirlForce. In 2017, GirlForce offered free classes last year to females ages 16 to 21.

Lewis has become something of an ambassador for Jazzercise. She invites 30-something peers, explaining that routines might be tricky to learn at first, so they need to return.

“I tell my friends, ‘You have to commit to three times,’ and people get it,” Lewis said. “There’s a lot of research behind the routines and instruction.”