Dance Safe

While there are inherent risks in any exercise, at Kiwa Dance FitnessSM the goal is always to minimize those risks and provide a safe workout in a safe environment. From room to move to class structure to the moves to a graduated return to the dance floor, everything is designed to make classes as safe as possible so you don’t have to think about it.

Freedom to Move

After seeing the advantages of an enlarged personal space on the dance floor which allowed everyone room to move, I decided to keep the larger personal zones (from the pandemic era). At 7 sq meters per person, we are more than double the space requirement for ballroom dancing. Based on the studio size, the class maximum is 12.

Dress Appropriately

What you wear to class is not about fashion, it’s about function and safety. Make sure your clothing has some give because you will move in ways you don’t do in your day-to-day life. Layering is always a good idea, especially in the cooler months, as the studio can feel chilly before we start moving. Most importantly, please wear appropriate footwear for safety purposes. Sandals and flip-flops are strongly advised against and you would be dancing at your own risk. Bare feet are allowed; however, please keep in mind that you are dancing without a solid foundation.

Back from Hiatus

If you have been absent from the dance floor due to vacations, life happening, or an illness/injury, please take advantage of the large personal spaces in Kiwa classes to move at your own pace and within your own limits for as long as you need to.  

Class Format

All Kiwa dance fitness classes are formatted to give you a safe workout:

  • The overall pace of the class is moderate, equivalent to a brisk walk. So that we don’t fatigue too fast, the playlist will vary slower and faster songs which gives us a chance to recover between the faster songs. It’s key that we “work” to slow down during the slower songs, harder to do than you think.
  • We warm-up with a faster paced step-touch with simple movement patterns to get our bodies moving in all directions with a large ranges of motion.
  • The toning song will introduce purposeful movement. Here we go slow, concentrating on each muscle being worked.
  • The next 30-35 minutes is a mix of faster and slower songs. If you are gauging your activity to ensure you don’t over-use a muscle/joint you are rehabbing, the halfway point of the class is our 4-wall dance (like the Cupid Shuffle or the Electric Slide).
  • The pre-cool-down song will be a balance song. Another slower song where we concentrate on the movement and staying balanced.
  • A cool-down song will allow your heart and muscles to begin to return to their base state. Again, this is more of a step-touch with swinging arm movements.
  • The final stretch will be a combination of dynamic and static stretches of the major muscle groups worked during class.

Public Health Orders

While I am sure that everyone learned a lot during the past lockdowns, sufficiently so that we don’t have to do total lockdowns again, this is to let you know that Kiwa Dance FitnessSM will comply with Public Health Orders (PHO) pertaining to fitness activities and facilities. Compliance does not necessarily indicate agreement with any PHO as it pertains to fitness but, rather, signals our willingness to put the well-being of our participants above our personal opinion.

Updated: September 2024