DanceBody

Finally writing a review after being a DanceBody client for a year now. I still remember my first class and I think that’s what has kept me coming back time and time again. Katia was teaching and when she started to move I was just completely blown away. Talk about inspiration during your workout — her energy, body, enthusiasm and effort push you to work harder than you think is possible (plus you know this is like her 5^th workout of the day!). Knowing it was my first class, she invited me to stick around for a double so I could get the full dance + sculpt experience.
After my first few classes, I got an offer to try out the studio for a month free. I’ve never seen a studio do something so nice! I was completely hooked and really did start to feel my body changing since I was dancing about 4x a week. Unfortunately for me I can’t be a complete regular (class times and shower situation just doesn’t allow me to be) but I try to still come at least once a week. The instructors are legit. Katia and Courtney are off the hook and if they’re on the schedule, I’m definitely signing up. But you can’t go wrong with anyone since the moves are still the same. Not only is it an amazing sweat, but I have the best time ever doing it. I also swear it’s helped me out on the dance floor and that’s never a bad thing :)

Best dance cardio in NYC. So much fun and time goes really fast when you’re at their classes. Really energetic and friendly instructors — all of them. I’ve now tried a class with every single one of them and they are all really talented and nice.

DanceBody Open Class:
This class was truly amazing. The music was upbeat, fun, and fast. We never repeated one step more than 4 times in any one sequence and we did about 8 or 10 sequences. The moves weren’t too hard at all. You don’t need to be a dancer to take this class. As long as you can mimic what someone else is doing and bounce around a little, you will absolutely blend in! The class is a pretty decent size; maybe 15 girls. You can stand in the back if you are testing the waters. Just make sure you have a clear view of the instructor.
The Sweat: You sweat a lot! I saw a couple girls bring small towels. Smart. I definitely needed one! There isn’t much time to wipe off or get a drink though. There were 2 quick pauses where I ran over to my water bottle. But obviously if you need a break or water, you take it!
The End: You finish off with during a section of arms, legs, and abs on a mat. For the arms you use a stretchy pink band and she even makes this a little dancey with some hip rocking! For legs you are on the mat and we need a couple leg lift variations. Lastly we did some standard abs.
The Instructor: Courtnay had so much energy, which was perfect for a dance class. She was very friendly and seemed happy to be there teaching us. She probably thinks of it as less than teaching and more like she’s at a dance party and we are her other dancers.
It was a great class and I would definitely recommend Courtnay and DanceBody for a fun cardio workout in addition to your other toning classes. Instead of running, do DanceBody!
DanceBody Sculpt Class:
This class is a great way to loosen up from a typical barre class! In barre, form is so precise and you have to keep your entire body still while moving one part in isolation. At DanceBody, you can just let it all go! Even though this was DancyBody’s sculpt class (and not their full on dance class), I loved that we did a few breaks of actual dancing! It reminded me of how great DanceBody is. I’ve done Body by Simone (Total Body) and AKT in Motion (AKTease) and I like DanceBody far more!
Why You Ask?
The choreography is just so much better!!! It’s not just grapevines and easy boring stuff. It’s very music video-​esque! You loosen up your entire body, specifically your hips, chest, and arms. The music is also amazing! It is all on trend popular songs, with some throw backs mixed in. The sound is up and the bass is on.
What Happens in a Sculpt class?
We warmed up with a dance section that contained some of the basic moves you will see in the regular DanceBody classes. For the arm section, we used the stretchy band by stepping on it with one foot and wrapping the other end of the band around the hand on the same side. We did some fast moving bicep, tricep, and shoulder exercises. The great thing about it is that you aren’t just standing still while you do the arm exercises. Your legs are in a wide stance and you are bopping and swaying to the beat (staying loose!). There was also entire leg lifting section we did on all fours on the mat. We had about 3 to 4 interruptions of dancing throughout the hour of sculpting, which I really enjoyed.
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I’m pretty much addicted to dance cardio and DanceBody has been the most challenging and athletic of all the classes that I’ve tried around the city. No gimmicks, just work. I usually find dance cardio classes too easy and super cheesy, but I’m usually struggling at DanceBody — in a great way. I do wish that they had themed classes though, because my energy hits highs and lows depending on what kind of music is playing (they have a variety), but that’s a really minor personal thing.

This studio has the absolute best instructors in NYC! I’ve taken classes (Open and Breakdown) with Julia, Stephanie, and Courtnay — and each instructor has been incredibly sweet with SO MUCH energy (and amazing bodies!) This is the best workout I’ve ever done. The dance/​cardio portion is super high-​energy, fun, and motivating. I am not a dancer by any means, and I’ve been able to follow along and break into a huge sweat each time. If you are new to this class or to dance in general, definitely start with the «Breakdown» class which breaks down the choreography and is run at a slower pace (yet still a good workout.) The «cool down» songs are still challenging; for example, one song incorporates hand weights, which is unlike anything I’ve ever done in a class. The final sequence incorporates very challenging movements on the mat, followed by stretches. I leave this class feeling like I just had the best full-​body workout EVER! I’ve been telling all my friends to try it out and am now telling you, Unilocalers, that you will not regret a visit to DanceBody. Be prepared to SWEAT!

DanceBody is so much fun! I took my first class with Maddie and have been following her schedule ever since. I am not a dancer or cardio person but this is my workout of choice. You get drenched in sweat by the end but it’s so worth it.
I really wanted to but couldn’t give 5 stars because I really dislike the fifth floor studio that they rent. Obviously not their fault and I can’t wait until they get their own space!

what with the stairs man?!?
5floors walk up seems like a totally bad idea. but the workout itself even more harder. you jumping– prancing and more jumping until you thinking to yourself. why do I even want to put myself through this again? but once you done– you felt so fulfilling and bad ass.
and that’s worth every steps of those damn stairs:)

Found this amazing dance class through ClassPass. Honestly, this is by far the best total body workout and all the instructors have bodies that are to die for! That is motivation enough to get myself to class at least a few times a week! The class can get packed, but always fun!
Honestly, all the instructors are amazing, but I’ve consistently taken classes with Katia and Julia, and also Courtnay, and they are all superstars! Not only are they encouraging and super sweet, but they really push you to the max. I’m literally always red faced and dripping in sweat after class, and sore just a few hours later.
By far the best 1 hour full body workout I’ve ever had! Love the Full Out and Sculpt classes! Just in time to kick my ass into shape for the summer :)

DanceBody is the only good dance cardio of its «kind» in a city filled with a lot of bullshit.
I danced competitively for about 17 years, and without being self-​congratulatory, I find the concept of «dance cardio» inherently corny. Yet, I don’t suffer through any embarrassment during a KP class (though, I’ve cringed in classes run by its cheesy competitors). It is high energy, challenging, honest, and athletic. If I wanted to take a proper dance class and work on technique, I would. But, KP offers the most important thing to me right now: fast results.
KP is also quite generous on social media, offering fitness and health tips where others post sycophantic celebrity endorsements multiple times a day. The instructors, especially Katia and Courtnay, are smart and know what the fuck you’re there for. I feel energetic and start seeing muscle after a few sessions. No, they don’t have amenities. Yes, the classes are in different locations on certain days. This is a grassroots sort of deal, and I love it all the more because of that. People in New York have been hoodwinked by the idea of luxury and self-​importance. Overpriced soap and flat irons won’t make you any fitter.
I wish I lived in the city again – I would commit to a monthly membership and see to it that these ladies prosper in the unforgiving and unfair fitness industry.

This is by far my favorite workout. The instructors make the hour fly by in the most fun and energizing way possible. From someone who dreads working out, I can say I get genuinely excited and pumped up whenever I have a Dance Body class coming up. I sweat more in this class than in any other class I’ve done and have best time doing so.
I was so nervous my first class but the instructors made me feel so comfortable as a cardio dance newbie that my nerves went away and I was hooked instantly ! It’s truly amazing how energetic and excited they are the entire class (especially impressive when they teach more than one class in a row!).
I have taken many classes with Katia, Courtnay and Maddie and they are fabulous! I highly recommend Dance Body!

I first found Dancebody through ClassPass and have become a full time convert. I think I’ve tried nearly every work out in the city — pilates, barre, bootcamp, trampoline, trx — you name it, but this is a triple threat — fun, challenging and delivers results. You’re drenched in sweat by the end of the hour but feel great — the toning sections throughout definitely shape long, lean dancer muscles, something that I’ve been trying to achieve for a while!
I’ve taken classes with Katia, Courtnay and Maddie — all of whom are amazing and completely inspiring. They’re also happy to answer questions and make suggestions so you can reach your goals. They do a great job keeping the energy up — there’s also at least one or two other instructors to help make sure your form is on point during the sculpting sections.
DanceBody is definitely deserving of more than 5 Stars in my book.

Giving 5 stars, but deserve many more! That’s how good KP DanceBody is!
The workout and instructors (Courtnay!!) is amazing — super high-​energy, fast-​paced and fun. The dance moves are seamlessly integrated into a true, intense cardio and toning workout. So much fun and you’re getting an incredible workout in the meantime.
As much as I love the workout itself, I’m equally impressed with the instructors and attention to clients. Everyone is incredibly nice and friendly with a great supportive attitude. You can tell they really care about their clients and it makes a world of difference!
I can’t say enough good about KP DanceBody — I’m such a fan! I just finished my third Full Out class — and I can’t wait to keep going.

So I decided to give KP DanceBody another chance, but this time took the Breakdown class. And I’m glad I did! I enjoyed it much more than the Open class I took last month. The class addressed my two main issues with the Open class, which were that I felt a bit too lost and the class size was way too large.
The Breakdown class is just that. They breakdown three songs so you can actually learn the moves and as a result feel much more comfortable doing them. They also keep the class size smaller so you can ask questions and have things repeated if you need to see it again. Our instructor Maddie was super sweet and helpful.
The most surprising thing was how many calories I burned. I wasn’t expecting to burn much since I figured we wouldn’t be constantly moving, but I actually burned 378. That was a little less than the 400-​plus I burn in my beloved Bari and 305 Fitness classes but definitely more (sometimes way more) than I burn in other Dance Cardio classes where you are constantly moving.
The only thing I wished was that Maddie gave us a few modifications for the floor portion. (We did burpees and a plank move.) With the burpees, we had to do about 8 in a row and midway through half the class just stood there.
I also have to admit that as much as I loved the class, I didn’t immediately think «Ooh, now I can try an Open class again.» (The Open class has way more than three songs.) But I did think, «Wow, I would love to take a Breakdown class again.» From what I understand, they change the three songs each month.
I also have to give them props (do people still use the word props?) for their great customer service. They do really seem to listen to their students (Hence, creating a Breakdown class.) Maddie mentioned that they’ll also be announcing another new class that is meant to be somewhere between the Breakdown and Open class. I’ll definitely check it out if that’s the case!

So I’ve tried Shiloh, Courtnay, Julia, Laura Ann and Hannah and yes, KP Dancebody remains my favorite workout in the city. I just wish the package discount was better because I would want to buy a whole year’s worth haha.

Seriously my favorite work out — HANDS DOWN. This is the best and most fun work out around. Katia and all of her instructors (Maddie is my personal fave!!!) are amazing. You have so much fun dancing and you get the best work out! It’s nonstop and you sweat up a storm. The toning at the end is the perfect way to end the hard core cardio workout. Seriously OBSESSED!!!

Went to a ‘sculpt’ class last week, loved it. Felt the burn basically the entire time. Definitely felt a little n00by as I’ve never been a dancer, but I stayed in the back and for the most part, spared myself the embarrassment.
Katia was the perfect instructor, and she had THREE (!) other people helping out. I had my form corrected numerous times and I love that, because if you’re not doing the work out right then you’re basically not doing it all. Katia herself has that I-​want-​to-​be-​you-​and-​have-​your-​body vibe to her. Lol. I’ll be back, but I don’t know if I can handle anything other than the sculpt class.
No showers though, but I’m sure it won’t be long before she moves into her very own space.

One of the best set of energetic and positive instructors I’ve ever been instructed by! So much fun and no one is left behind.

I have taken numerous dance cardio classes and Full Out with Courtney is by far the best. When I first went to the studio, as I walked up 5 flights of stairs, I thought to myself: why did I even book this class?
I went to the class thinking it would be a fun easy dance class. I do various type of dance (ballet, hiphop,…) and barre workout regularly, so this should be a piece of cake. I was wrong! The class started with a warm up then go straight into the cardio session. 5min in I already sweated like a pig, and when I felt so tired, I looked at the clock and it was only 15min in! What is great about the class is that despite the high intensity (if you do all the movements full out), the music and the energy of the teacher is so good that you just keep going.
The last 15min part of the class on the mat was also really good. The exercises were simple but really worked your inner thigh.
I walked out feeling amazing. Opposed to the original thought when I walked in, I will definitely be a regular at this place.

I took Courtney’s «DanceBody Full Out» without knowing this was the most advanced class in terms of nonstop movement and advanced choreography. So instead of learning it in segments, you just follow along the entire time. The Open class is where they break down the choreography more. And as it turns out, they switch up the choreography at the beginning of every month — and this was the end of the month, so it was extra hard.
I looked like a flailing penguin as I tried to keep up with her.
Courtney was a hardcore, super energetic instructor. I’ll be honest: I probably only did 20% of the moves. That choreography was flipping extreme.
But did I sweat? Oh yes. Did I have fun? You bet.
The «arm/​ab/​ass» sequence at the end is tough. Her assistants come around and check your form.
One caveat is that the studio is on the 5^th floor (no elevator!) so getting there will be a workout in itself. It’s also seen better days. The floor is kind of dirty. But if you’re looking for a great cardio workout, you won’t be disappointed.

Took this class yesterday and cannot WAIT to go again!
Julia did a fantastic job of teaching, inspiring and kicking our aerobic butt.
If you’re looking for Dance Cardio that makes you feel FREE, check out KP DanceBody!
#ClassPass