Adapting To Change Through The Power of Dance
This year has been nothing but normal, but in the midst of chaos, we've grown so much. Our goal at Valeo has always been to keep people moving, and staying happy and healthy. The pandemic has changed a few ways we typically do that, but we have adapted. Here's how!
Virtual Workouts
We have always found a way to reach our Valeo family, even when we couldn't meet face to face. Virtual workouts have always been something we wanted to try, and we finally had the chance to go for it. Self-quarantine was the push we needed to jump-start our virtual workout classes, and we're so glad we did! Since then, Valeo Dance Fitness has grown with over 379K subscribers on YouTube, with over 80 million views worldwide! In addition, we've connected with people across the globe through our choreography. This truly shows how powerful and connecting dance can be!
Our online workouts vary, just like our in-person classes do. Our workouts focus on healthy weight loss, stress relief, and strength. You have the chance to burn up to 1,000 calories in one hour as you tone your entire body, define your waistline, and strengthen your core. We combine intense dance fitness cardio with interval training to meet the needs of each of our participants. We add variety to our dances through the use of weighted hula hoops, free weights, fitness drumming, and balance balls. Every muscle works while you sweat!
Exercise is known for its wonderful benefits for both your body and mind. As stated before, clients are burning up to 1,000 calories per session and releasing stress in a healthy way. Our choreography ranges in style and music genre, so there is something for everyone!
To learn more about our styles of dance and our virtual workouts, check out ValeoClub on YouTube! We have hundreds of videos to meet your needs and mood for the perfect dance workout. You can always find more information on the benefits of dance and what we do on our website. Don't let this pandemic keep you from working out, and join us online today!
The Foundation of Ballroom Dancing
The key to dancing well with a partner and enjoying it is the right balance of leading and following. Although choreographed routines are used in competition and performance, ballroom dancing is, at its core, social dancing, which means that it relies on communication between the dancers. One leads, determining the direction they go and how far they move, and the other follows, keeping up with the changes without overstepping. It can be challenging, but with practice, you can make it look just as effortless as the professionals!
Leading
In ballroom dancing, the man generally leads. He almost always steps forward first, usually on his right foot. The man leads his partner through a variety of small movements and weight changes. For example, a slight backward pull of his shoulder indicates that she should step toward him, while a press against her raised hand tells her to step back. It's crucial to maintain a proper dance frame because, without it, those communications can get lost.
The lead has a lot of responsibility in the dance. It's his job to take his follower through every step, which means he has to make decisions on the fly if there's no choreography. This can be daunting, especially for beginners, but leading is just as important as knowing the steps.
Following
It's generally the woman's role to follow in a dance. That sounds easy, but it requires just as much skill as leading. She's just as responsible for maintaining the dance frame, and she must pay attention to all those small changes in her partner's hold. If she gets too close or too far away from him, their connection will be lost, and they'll lose the ability to dance together smoothly.
For many women, following is the hardest part of ballroom dancing. The follower shouldn't move at all until she gets a signal from her lead, regardless if he's off the beat or out of time. Every move she makes should be dictated by the lead, which can be difficult. Following requires trusting your partner to communicate well and make you look good.
Valeo Dance Fitness Studio offers private ballroom dance lessons with Asiya Khasnutdinova, voted Best Ballroom Dance Instructor in Atlanta. From salsa to swing, tango to foxtrot, we have the style for you! To start learning the art of lead and follow, contact us today!
Outdoor Classes At Valeo Dance Studio!
Over the years, with your help, we have done an incredible job creating a virtual dance family via our YouTube channel (currently more than 320,000 subscribers all over the world and more than 150 FREE dance fitness workouts). While the most natural route would have been to transition everything online to virtual dance fitness, we decided to take a very different path for our reopening phase. We are moving our classes outdoors!
Why Outdoors?
At Valeo, we have always been a family, and that remains a priority, along with safety. Moving classes outdoors allows for safe human interaction in line with the CDC's guidelines. An overwhelming number of studies show that spending time outside is good for our mental and physical health, and might be particularly useful for our well-being in these uncertain times of increased stress and anxiety. Also, the less time we spend moving our bodies, the more likely it is to gain weight. By heading outside for movements, we are decreasing the chance of weight gain and increasing the opportunity for endorphins! As a result, we decided to combine our universal need for human interaction and necessity for being outside with new Outdoor Valeo Dance Fitness classes starting Wednesday, May 27th, at 6:30 PM!
How It'll Work
As stated before, safety is one of our top priorities, and we will do everything to keep ourselves and you safe. The location of outdoor group dance fitness classes is the same as our studio. We will be outside in a beautiful courtyard with stunning views just to the right of the main entrance (if you are looking at the entrance from the parking lot). The times of the classes are the same as always! Please visit the Valeo Dance Fitness Schedule to sign up for classes! If it's a rainstorm, of course, the class will be rescheduled.
Since most people are currently working remotely or unfortunately not working at all due to lay-offs, the good news is most people are coming from home. So dress to dance! There is no place (at the moment) to change and also no bathroom since the building remains closed (only for a short amount of time), so please plan accordingly! While the classes are in the evenings and Saturday mornings, please be sure you have enough water. Bring your own water bottle and a sparkling personality!
Preventative Measures
Being outside will grant us plenty of space and fresh air that will help us stay safe. We can easily maintain the six-foot social distancing guidelines currently in place by CDC and the local GA government. We also ask that you bring your own set of free weights. If you don't have them, bring two water bottles, and they will do just fine. We also will utilize plenty of outdoor space for activities, so you can wear workout gloves that help protect your hands. As we are navigating our way through the reopening phase, we will be making adjustments as needed.
For all existing and new members, we will require an electronically signed COVID-19 liability waiver form. Existing members, please be sure to do this from the regular website version of MindBody (not MindBody app). When you log in to sign up for classes over the next few days, you will be prompted to check a box acknowledging you have read the information.
If you are sick, have a fever or not feeling well, please stay home to protect yourself and others. If you have traveled over the last few days, please be sure to check the CDC website, whether the city/country you came from requires you to self-quarantine for a period of time. Lastly, this is a new phase for all of us, so let's help each other stay positive while getting back to life responsibly!
Other Studio Updates
We are also doing our private lessons outdoors beginning Tuesday, May 26th. Click here to schedule an appointment! We will continue all Intro First Dance Consultations virtually via Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime to ensure everyone/s safety and to make it more time-efficient for couples and their families!
If you have any further questions about our new schedule, guidelines, preventative measures, and more, visit us online here. We have missed you so much and look forward to seeing your smiling faces soon, six-feet apart, of course!
Tips to Help Keep Your Resolution in 2020
The new year is here! Few people keep their newfound goals. Here are helpful tips to ensure that you keep your New Year's resolution.
The new year is here! While the start of a new year is a great time to think about how you would like to make this year better, few people actually keep their newfound goals for more than a few weeks. Here are 4 helpful tips to ensure that you not only keep your New Year's resolution, but that you make 2020 your best year yet!
Keep it Realistic
The quickest way to burn out on a resolution before January ends is by setting a goal that is unattainable. Bad habits aren't established overnight and neither are good ones, so be realistic about what you can and will accomplish. If you've never stepped foot in a gym, it might not be prudent to promise that you are going to work out 6 days a week. As long as you are working hard and moving forward, you are on the road to success.
Make Sure it is Measurable
Vague goals will never be reached. Rather than saying, "I am going to get healthy this year," try choosing something concrete to do that you can measure. For example, say "I am going to workout twice a week or "I'm going to drink water instead of soda at dinner."
Hold Yourself Accountable
Finding a friend who can work on your resolution with you is an effective way to make sure you stay on track. Whether you are hoping to eat healthier, lose weight, or try something new, a partner can share the joys and struggles with you along the way.
Have Fun
New Year's resolutions shouldn't be a burden; they should be enjoyable! Thinking of creative ways to stick to your goals will guarantee that you stick with them all year long.
If you are hoping to get fit, stay healthy, and have fun this year, Valeo Dance Fitness Studio is here to help you stay on track. With a variety of dance classes available for everyone from beginners to expert dancers, it's the perfect place to get your heart rate up and try something new with a friend this year. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you make 2020 the year you keep your resolution!
The Relationship with Dance, Health and Fitness
Asiya Khashutdinova developed Valeo Dance Fitness Studio to be a place of empowerment. Staying true to its name, it's a place that combines fitness and fun.
Asiya and her mother who is a big inspiration in her career
Asiya Khashutdinova developed Valeo Dance Fitness Studio to be a place of empowerment for women. With the help of her mother, a pediatrician and professor at Northern State Medical University in Russia, she created workouts that are holistic in their approach to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle. She named her studio "Valeo" after the Latin meaning "to be healthy, strong, and feel good." Staying true to its name, Valeo has become a place where people come to dance, strengthen, achieve fitness, gain confidence, and have fun.
Asiya's passion for dance began at a young age. While growing up in Arkhangelsk Russia she was an active child with energy to burn. Her parents got her started in figure skating, which she excelled at, becoming an opening act for many great professionals. However, after one too many injuries, her parents put her into dance classes instead, and she quickly fell in love with the expressive activity. She developed into a skilled dancer, competing professionally for 15 years. She is a 5 time champion of the North West Russia Latin and Ballroom Competition, has competed among the top 20 women of the popular American televised dance competition "So You Think You Can Dance", and has danced for the Royal Russian Tsar family, among other accomplishments.
Setting her dancing career aside in favor of pursuing a degree, she studied Business and Finance in the United States. She had a successful career in finance for 7 years before she decided to once again pursue her passion for dance. Using her knowledge from her finance career, she opened her own dance studio, and slowly grew her first 2 person class into a business that serves not only her community, but over 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Valeo is now a highly praised Dance Studio. It is well known for its group dance lessons "Valeofit1000" which combines dance cardio with weighted hula hoops, resistance bands, free weights, fitness drumming, and balance balls, to tone and strengthen during a great hour long workout. She also offers private ballroom dance lessons and wedding dance lessons. It is a place which is proud to offer the joyful practice of dance, while helping women achieve their health goals.
If you would like to join Valeo's growing community check out our YouTube channel or contact us to get started dancing.
Dancing Improves Your Mood
You, the music, and the people around you are all in sync, moving together in an expression of pure joy. This is what dancing does to peoples mood.
There are few feelings more euphoric than the one you experience while dancing. When you dance, you exercise and get a feeling of immense satisfaction that pulses through your body. You, the music, and the people around you are all in sync, moving together in an expression of pure joy. This is what dancing does to people, and it is one of the many reasons why this kind of physical activity is proven to positively affect a person's mood.
No Ordinary Exercise
Whenever you exercise, no matter what kind it is, your body releases chemicals called endorphins, which help reduce pain and provide positive feelings. Regardless of you dancing or power-lifting, your brain will still release these happy-feeling chemicals. But dancing takes these emotions to the next level.
When you dance, there are additional benefits that other types of exercise do not provide. Studies have shown that the rhythmic movement paired with the appeal of the music being played can reduce anxiety and stress, in a way that other workouts do not. Even when compared to traditional therapeutic activities, studies still point to dancing as being the better way to improve your overall mood. You are still burning plenty of calories, but you are also tending to your mind and soul the second you step onto the dance floor.
Get Moving!
Dancing, specifically in a group setting, creates a connection with the people around you like few other exercise routines do. At a top-rated dance studio like Valeo Dance Fitness Studio, you will be enthralled with the collective sense of happiness, community, and health. Their large variety of dance classes can help you look good and feel confident, while also improving your mood. It's time to get out there on the dance floor and start being your best self again!
Treat Your Mom to the Mother's Day Gift of Dance
This Mother's Day give something unique and special to your mom, there are a number of advantages to giving your mom the gift of dance.
This Mother's Day, are you looking for a unique, special gift to give your mom? Whether you're tired of giving her the same old Mother's Day Gift every year or you just want to make this year extra special, there are a number of advantages to giving your mom the gift of dance.
Give the Gift of Time
Often, what your mom really wants most is not another bouquet of flowers or a card that will quickly gather dust in the back of a drawer. What she wants is time with you! With a session or two of private dance lessons--or even a gift that keeps on giving as you go back together time after time--you can give your mom a Mother's Day gift that she'll be sure to remember.
Get Out, Get Laughing, Get Active
Through private dance lessons, you can get out of the house and do something fun together--something that's sure to build memories and have both of you eager to go back for your next session. If you and your mom are looking for a unique way to get moving and feel better about yourself, there's nothing quite like a private dance lesson to make it happen. Get out of the house and get active together while learning something new.
Keep It Private this Mother's Day
Group dance lessons are fun, but they can also be intimidating, especially if you've never done a lot of dancing in the past. This Mother's Day, keep it private with private dance lessons. You'll both have fun, but you'll be the only one who can tell the story later. Keep it even more private by considering a private dance lesson or two just for her.
Are you ready to create a stunning Mother's Day gift for your mom--one that will let her know just how special she is? Contact us today to schedule your Mother's Day session.
2019 Valeo Dance & Fitness Studio Fitness Retreat
During our fitness retreat, you'll spend five luxurious days at our private villa surrounded by unparalleled views & friends you just haven't met yet!
Our wildly successful all-inclusive trip to the beautiful Dominican Republic is back and better than ever for 2019! This trip is exactly what you need to get you on the right track to healthy living. During our fitness retreat, you'll spend five luxurious days at our private Valeo Villa surrounded by unparalleled natural views and friends you just haven't met yet!
Your Accommodations
You'll be whisked away from the airport via private car and transported to the serene private Valeo Villa. During your five days in Caribbean paradise, you'll be taking in breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean and gorgeous landscape 24/7. The contemporary villa offers balconies and terraces, so you relax to the rolling waves and awaken to the Caribbean breeze every day. An infinity pool, expansive exercise and relaxation areas, and solarium add to the life-changing experience.
All About Fitness and Food
The Valeo Dance & Fitness retreat isn't just about relaxation; it's about getting you on the road to a healthier lifestyle. Our private chef will provide you with organic, and of course delicious meals three times a day utilizing the best local farm-to-table ingredients. You'll be able to take your food experiences back home with you to create not only healthy but nutritious meals for yourself, your friends, and your family!
Fitness training is also a crucial aspect of creating a sustainable health-based lifestyle that you can continue for a lifetime. The retreat offers fun and energizing workouts that you can partake in as much or as little as you'd like!
Cardio dancing with our top-rated signature Valeo Dance Fitness routine
Weighted hula hooping for a fun core workout
Resistance training for building strength and lean muscle
Fitness drumming for a unique musical exercise experience
Dance lessons including sunset salsa and tango
And of course, a wide variety of outdoor activities including nature walks, hiking, and beach exploration
This year's fitness retreat will be taking place between October 23rd and 27th. If you missed last years (or have been waiting with bated breath for this years) now's your chance to have a one of a kind experience you'll never forget. Click here for more information about the trip and feel free to contact us with any questions! Last year's trip sold out in just three days so be sure to book your spot ASAP!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Dance Your Way To Your Fitness Goals In 2019!
We're here to help you reach your fitness goals in ways you never imagined! Dance alone or bring in your best friend, partner, or an entire work group.
2019 is here! Do your New Year's resolutions include better fitness? Are you focusing on getting in more activity, burning more calories, and increasing your energy levels? Valeo Dance & Fitness Studio can help! This year, instead of slogging your way through another run or forcing yourself through another class at the gym, consider how you can dance your way to better health. We have plenty of amazing options available that will help you increase your overall health and wellness and have a lot of fun while you're doing it. Dance alone or bring in your best friend, your partner, or your entire work group. At Valeo Dance & Fitness Studio, we're here to help you reach your fitness goals in ways you never imagined before.
Go for group dance fitness. Are you most likely to meet your goals when you work with an inspiring teacher and a group that's there to motivate you every step of the way? Our group dance fitness classes are the perfect way to make your goals reality.
Try out a few private dance lessons. Some people have an innate fear of dancing in front of a group. Others have a specific goal in mind that just isn't feasible for a group dance class: putting together a spectacular routine with your partner for your 2019 wedding, for example. If you prefer private dance lessons, sign up with one of our incredible instructors to dance your way to fitness in a personalized setting. The focus is all on you or the people you bring in with you, and we're ready to have fun along the way!
Explore our online video workouts. Can't make it in for a session in person? Find your schedule getting in the way? That's okay! Our online video dance workouts will have you dancing your heart out in your hotel room, your office, or the safety of your own living room.
Sign up for a retreat. Need some time to focus on your body while getting away from it all? At our dance retreats, you'll be able to spend plenty of time engaged in personal fitness, but you'll also have time to kick back and relax. You'll also have a chance to get dressed up and show off your stuff at our amazing dance events.
Are you ready to start dancing your way to your fitness goals in 2019? Contact us at Valeo Dance & Fitness Studio to learn more about all of our dance class options.