Celebrate National Physical Fitness Month With Virtual Classes And Special Workshops At Ailey Extension

Ailey Extension invites people around the world to have fun being fit and fabulous during National Physical Fitness Month in an array of virtual classes and special workshops.

During the month of May, students are encouraged to keep dancing and experience the physical and mental benefits of dance, including improved strength and flexibility, coordination, endurance, and decreased stress.

All are welcome to celebrate by moving and grooving with popular instructors in National Fitness Day Zumba class on Saturday, May 1, a Hip-Hop Workshop on Thursday, May 6, a special Mother's Day weekend BellydanceBURN workshop on Saturday, May 8; and a NY Style Mambo Workshop on Saturday, May 22.

Set the tone on National Fitness Day in a fun and accessible Zumba class led by Karen Arceneaux on Saturday, May 1 at 3:30pm EDT. The high energy music motivates all levels to dance away their worries in routines featuring aerobic/fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body.

Mark the return of Jonathan Lee to Ailey Extension on Thursday, May 6 at 6:30pm EDT by enjoying a beginner level Hip-Hop Workshop. Jonathan will lead students through the foundations of hip-hop technique with a focus on coordination and musicality. Building on basic body isolations and precise movements, the hip-hop combinations will encourage individualized style and performance quality.

Invite your mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures to join in the fitness fun during a Mother's Day BellydanceBURN Workshop with Janelle Issis on Saturday, May 8 at 3pm EDT. Janelle's one-of-a-kind, high energy, booty shaking, shoulder-shimmying class makes you feel empowered and beautiful in your own skin. This experience is a fantastic way for dance and fitness enthusiasts to create new memories as they bond with their maternal figures.

On Saturday, May 22 at 4pm EDT Katherine Jimenez's workshop welcomes students to learn the foundation of NY Style Mambo, a flirtatious dance that features points, kicks, exaggerated hip movements, and sharp quick steps. Originally from Cuba, the Mambo is enjoyed throughout the world because of its high energy and infectious rhythms. This beginner level workshop will focus on the fancy solo footwork known as "open shines" and aims to bring some Classic NY Style Mambo back to its roots.

Ailey Extension adds a new class to its diverse weekly schedule that will get movers of all levels on their feet this spring - Beginner Horton with Fernando Carrillo on Mondays at 7pm EDT, Fernando will guide students through the fundamentals of Horton, the technique seen in many of Alvin Ailey's classic works. The class will consist of studies to stretch and strengthen different areas of the body as well as simple combinations to introduce musicality and dynamics to the beginning dancer's vocabulary.

Share the joy of dance with your loved ones by purchasing a gift card as a present for Mother's Day, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special occasion. Gift certificates can be purchased online, personalized with a message, and sent directly to the recipient at a date of your choosing. Options are available for a single class, 5 classes, or 10 classes, or can be customized for a specific amount.

With more than 40 weekly classes during Physical Fitness Month this May, Ailey Extension's online offerings allow students all over the world to explore different dance styles seven days a week. For more details about Ailey Extension's variety of class options - which include hip-hop, ballet, Horton, West African, Zumba, samba, contemporary, Pilates, Broadway Jazz and more - students can visit alvinailey.org/extension.