Cardio Charleston- Drop-in Fitness Dance Class

Name: Cardio Charleston- Drop-in Fitness Dance Class
Start: 2025-08-15T08:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-08-15T09:00:00-04:00
Location: 295 Gregory St, Rochester, NY, United States, New York 14620

Schedule

Fri Aug 15 2025 at 08:00 am to 09:00 am

UTC-04:00

Location

295 Gregory St, Rochester, NY, United States, New York 14620 | Rochester, NY

Fitness meets The Jazz Age for the most fun you'll have working out all week!
Join us every Monday evening and every Friday morning for an unforgettable workout, packed with our favorite Charleston and solo jazz steps in a fast paced hour-long class that makes you sweat!
No experience necessary, drop in any week of the year!
Groove Juice Swing's jazz & swing dance version of Zumba. A fun-first class that blends classic dance moves from the 1920s (think: flapper) and the latest trends in workouts (think: plyometrics, interval training, flexibility & balance work). If you've never tried solo jazz, this is a fantastic way to get started! All ages and all fitness levels are welcome.
The Workout
Cardio Charleston is a high intensity workout that utilizes interval training to burn more calories and improve your aerobic capacity. It's a total body workout, with a goal of utilizing multiple muscle groups during each exercise. We cycle through movements based on kicks, jumps, core work, lunges, and progressions across the floor, keeping the workout fun and fresh with lots of variety! This type of training improves endurance, agility, plyometric capabilities, balance, and flexibility. If you're a swing dancer, think of this as cross-training!
The Charleston
Cardio Charleston uses a wide range of moves from Swing dances like the Lindy Hop, Charleston, and authentic Jazz Dance. Learning how to dance and working out at the same time feels less like work, and more like a dance party! We can't help but move to the catchy swinging tunes. The repetition of steps throughout class allows students time to learn new moves, practice technique, and add new styling & variations - challenging and inspiring for dancers of all levels!
Making the Most Out of Class
Modify
No matter what your fitness level, you can learn the Charleston! Every step in Cardio Charleston can be modified to be low impact or a smaller movement. Tailor your movement to your own body's natural abilities.
Start with the Footwork
Some steps can be quite complex, combining arm movements on top of footwork and traveling across the dance floor. Our recommendation: start with the footwork. Once you master this, add in the other layers of movement like your arms. Already know the move? Try making up your own variations, or ask your instructors for ideas!
Engage Your Whole Body
Swing dancing isn't just about what your feet are doing. Utilize a rhythmic bounce driven from your knees and ankles to propel your body across the floor. Check out how your arms are connected to your spine and core. If you engage your core and lats, do you feel more balanced and in control? What are your hands doing? How about your face and facial expressions? Adding in cognitive checkpoints for these types of deliveries and expressions will prepare you for visually inspiring dance performances.
What to Wear
We sweat in this class, so dress for it! We like comfortable clothes (t-shirt and shorts) and flat-soled shoes.
The History Charleston:
The Charleston has its origin in the Gullah and Geechee communities off the coast of the Carolinas in the Southest US. In the early 1920s, the dance made it to the mainland, and thanks to traveling South Carolinian dancers and musicians quickly made it up to New York City. It then exploded nationally to become the biggest dance craze America has ever known. The Charleston is an important Black American art form which other dances like Lindy Hop came directly out of. Check out this excellent article on the history of The Charleston.
The History of Cardio Charleston:
This class was originally created by Jojo Jackson, Charleston superstar. Cardio Charleston was developed keep the workout a priority - every class includes a warm-up, cool-down, and lots of cardio! Along the way, students learn and improve upon basic jazz moves and sequences via repetition. Before moving to Denver in 2012, Jojo trained the GJS team so that Rochester can continue to be the home of Cardio Charleston!