LISA BROOKS
Staff Writer
Pepperdine students are dancing, punching, and spinning their way into shape this semester with Campus Recreation’s group exercise classes. From indoor cycling to hip-hop dancing, cardio-kickboxing to tae kwon do, students are finding new ways to get their heart rates up and to slim down this spring.
Three new classes have been added to the group exercise schedule, including ballroom dancing Mondays at noon, indoor cycling/abdominal/stretch Sundays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and a jazz class Mondays at 6 p.m.
The ballroom dancing class is taught by Suzie Dimpfl, a Pepperdine alumna. Participants began Monday by learning a slow waltz. Then 12 students coupled up to practice. Next, Dimpfl taught the foxtrot, which she described as “like the waltz, but you let your hips go”.
The class practiced the dances to modern music, such as Smashmouth’s “Hey Now, You’re an All-Star.”
Participants included both experienced dancers and some who had never taken a dance class.
Mark Mustol, a freshman, said the class was a lot of fun and that he will definitely be returning next week.
A new jazz class began this week. It meets Mondays at 6 p.m. and Wednesday mornings at 8.
Senior Lindsay Goldford teaches the class, which is formatted as more of a dance class than an aerobics class. Goldford danced competitively in junior high and was involved in musical theater in high school.
“I saw Campus Recreation had a job listing, so I went down and talked to [the director]. She said the jazz teacher had just cancelled the class, so I said I could start that up again,” said Goldford. “I also teach a stretching and abs class.”
The class begins with a time of warm-up, and then a period of stretching. Goldford then instructs students on certain moves and had them perform across the floor.
Participants practiced such moves as the jazz walk, stag leap, chasse and chene turn. Participants included Seaver college students and a graduate student.
The new indoor cycling/ abdominal/stretch class emphasizes riding over different terrain and experiencing a heart-pumping cardio workout. The abdominals section focuses on conditioning abs, obliques, and the lower back.
Also popular among students is the hip-hop class, which meets Fridays at 3 p.m. It begins with a time of stretching, and then the instructor, junior Auchaia Farley, teaches a dance that she has choreographed herself. Farley encourages participants to bring in any song they would like to learn a dance to, and she would choreograph something for them to learn the next week.
“[Farley] was great. She was repetitive whenever we needed it, and willing to help us with whatever we needed,” said freshman participant Marchelle McConnell. “She made sure we knew what we were doing.”
McConnell also participates in the step aerobics class and indoor cycling.
“I think [exercise] is especially important in our generation in the world that we live in,” McConnell said. Fast food and junk food are such an issue. Exercise can take steps to general personal health.”
Students pay a flat fee of $60 for unlimited group exercises for the current semester. Faculty and staff pay $30. Another option is the monthly pass, which costs $25 for students and allow unlimited group exercise class participation for the current month. This is $12.50 for faculty and staff. A third option is to pay $5 to try out one class.
For a complete schedule and descriptions of group exercise classes, as well as information on other events sponsored by Campus Recreation, visit http://www.pepperdine.edu/campusrecreation.
02-02-2006