There’s been a burst of innovation to the fitness categories in the last number of years which has been both inspiring from a brand perspective and also motivating from a get up off your ass and sweat a little perspective too!
What is playing out in the health and well being category in Melbourne and other cities around the world, is a rebirth of new fitness brands bucking the traditional gym / PT model and focusing a differentiated core objective to appeal to a niche category. Not trying to be a one stop shop or appeal to the masses, these brands have taken the time to drill down to a particular audience type, understand their passions, needs, struggles and what motivates them, and develop a proposition that’s relatable to them, motivating refreshing but most importantly, fun!
I’ve really had it with gyms, they’re completely soul-less, and personally not everyone who frequents the gym are my kinda people. Sweaty machinery, crap music and intimidating ‘roid heads’ looking at their muscles not only demotivates me from getting off the couch, but truly deters me from going. I had an epiphany one lunch time, when I was doing a bootcamp class in the gym up from the office. I was flipping a giant tyre, and spinning rope strong enough to pull a truck and I thought to myself “What the hell am I doing flippin tyres!!!” I’m not in the military, enough is enough!
So searching for more rewarding physical activities to keep me active and motivated to coming back for more, I reached out to my network for some advise, which I found in bucket loads. I was pointed towards an up and coming small dance school dedicated to teaching only Beyonce songs. Need I say more!
Bey Dance is an all inclusive dance school and community which encourages all students to unleash their own inner diva, be strong, fierce, feminine and true to yourself. Dance is an industry which historically focuses on the cream of the crop where performance after teenage years is primarily saved for the professionals and rivalry, competitiveness is ever present. Bey Dance is none of this. With a focussed philosophy that everyone can dance, no matter what your skill level is means that people of all abilities can enjoy the thrill of dancing and performing.
Bey Dance teaches the choreography to only Beyonce dances, where students can unleash their sass, fierceness, and slay every week in front of a peer group of non judgemental friends. It is a place to connect, to find inner strength, dance skills you never knew existed within yourself and importantly, keep fit in a fun way. I’ve been attending the school for 2 years now and have seen so many students thrive within the studio, found strength they never knew, and importantly got into that all-too-scarey leotard.
I can’t say I’ll go back to the gym after truly finding how fun and rewarding dancing can be and encourage people who are sick of the gym to look else where for alternative fitness options that truly reflect who they are.
Gemma Tedford.