FASHION Magazine

Dancer and certified fitness instructor Jennifer Nichols (extensionmethod.com) leads you through a one-hour ballet bootcamp that is hard work but fun–a great way to relive the glory of those under-10 ballet-class days. Watching Nichols gracefully lead the class is almost worth the (very reasonable) price of admission. At 99 Sudbury, Toronto  (99sudbury.ca), Fridays, at 6.30 […]

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We have some hazy memories of sitting on our mom’s ’70s-brown couch watching Solid Gold. Mostly we remember the sax-heavy theme song, Wayland Flowers and his puppet Madame, and of course, the Solid Gold Dancers, who would writhe around on circular platforms to the top 10 hits while wearing metallic Lycra. Darcel Wynne, who was the principal dancer for five of the show’s eight seasons, recently gave an interview to blogger Auntie Fashion where she revealed that she is the inspiration for the coming barrage of pantsless fashions.

For those who like to work up a serious sweat, get thee to Eva Redpath’s Body Conditioning by Dancers class series ($169 for an 8-week series, evaredpath.com).

Beauty director Adriana Ermter tests the Core Rhythms (corerhythms.com) dance DVDs.

I’ve hit a new level: I can actually perform 30 minutes of Latin dance moves without having to press pause and repeat. It’s a miracle and a head rush all at the same time. So while I only achieved three out of my five intended workouts, the fact that I am no longer wiping the living room floor with my butt is a massive achievement.

Beauty director Adriana Ermter tests the Core Rhythms dance DVDs.

I feel hungover. I’m not, but working up a sweat while attempting to contort my body into unnatural dance positions within five seconds of ripping myself out of bed is disgusting. I’m not fully awake, I haven’t had my three-cup caffeine infusion, the Globe lies unread at my door, it’s 6:30 in the morning… it’s inhumane.

But I think I love it.

In my mind, I’m a dancer: My lithe, lean body leaping, pirouetting and chasséing to and from the office, the grocery store, Sunday brunch…

In reality, I’m a beauty director: Sitting on my ass 24/7 be it on a Euro-bound plane or in front of a computer screen. But I covet the art of dance the same way an eight-year-old girl craves cupcakes covered in sprinkles. To be able to make my body⎯the one that trips when walking in flip flops and routinely bangs into my desk, the wall and occasionally my colleagues at work⎯swivel, twirl and undulate anytime I want and look amazing doing it? I could swallow it whole.

Well aware of my not-so-secret desire (thanks to incessant chatter about So You Think You Can Dance), health editor Rani Sheen suggested I give the Core Rhythms (corerhythms.com) dance DVDs a try. Add a little Latin-influenced bump and grind to my current finger snapping, left-foot-right-foot-slide repertoire, and tighten my tushy and abs simultaneously? She didn’t have to ask me twice.

So you think you can tone? Dance is becoming the hottest new way to work it out. FASHION checks out the top classes across Canada.

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