As my story continues, allow me to jump back just a smidge. I’ve been talking a lot about how we ended up adding yoga to our studio but I haven’t really given much attention to the fitness program that was running strong from day 1. As I mentioned awhile back, the fitness program started out with just me, Chris and a handful of other teachers who have since come and gone. But there are a couple of key players you may recognize who are still an integral part of our team.
Remember Tae Bo with Billy Blanks?? Sure many of you will!! Well around the time that Billy was making Tae Bo a household name, Toni taught a version of Tae Bo kickboxing right here at BL. Her classes were so popular that there would often be a line up out the door waiting to grab one of the 40 plus spots in class!! You can still find Toni teaching KB here at BL a couple of times a week!!
Right about this same time…Little Deb found her way to BL. Truth is I had taken Little Debs class at a place called Total Workout, which was right across from the original BL on M-59. I knew she was an awesome instructor (who they referred to as The Terminator) but she was hesitant to come work at BL because the previous owner of BL and Total Workout had been partners and split. She associated me with that previous owner since I purchased it from her but I kept hounding Deb to come in and just give us a try, and one day she walked through the door to take a class. She immediately realized that the vibe at this new and improved BL was very different than she remembered and she was all in and has been ever since. That was back in 1999…and 23 years later she is still teaching 4-5 classes a week and never disappoints on kicking all of our asses!! You will often hear her say…”I don’t know what I would’ve done without my BL family.” Deb we feel the same about you!!
Another name some of you will recognize is Karen Cook. Although she has sinced moved out of state, she was really a very integral part of keeping BL’s head above water when the economy crashed in 2008. You see in 2007 she came to Chris and I to say she was going to get certified in Zumba. We had never heard of it and couldn’t imagine that a dance class added to our step aerobics program could possibly be popular. So when she got back from her training, we decided we would try Zumba out during a girls night. Chris and I thought it would be a good idea to learn a few songs to help Karen out for the girls night since we had 40 plus women signed up for the event. Not only did the students LOVE Zumba, they loved the team teaching. Karen, Chris and I instantly became BL’s first Zumba team. Chris and I drove to Grand Rapids to get certified and somehow I talked Chris into wearing matching hot pink Zumba pants so that our Team Zumba would all match when teaching!! Others started getting certified and forming teams (and dressing alike)!! We all learned each others choreography so that whoever’s Zumba class you went to, you would have many of the same familiar songs to dance to. So in 2008 when many were cancelling memberships due to financial concerns, the popularity of the Zumba program carried us through the next 3 years!!
Many other teachers have supported the fitness program at BL through the 25 years but these are 3 that stood out in the first decade who really contributed to the success of BL’s fitness program!!
