Fitness and fun

Generation Fitness Hip Hop

Taking advantage of the opportunity to learn to perform hip hop, and sharing the fun of dancing, these students of Generation Fitness and Programming look right at home taking a pose. In the front row (l-r) are Rachel Nicolaassen, Regan Belanger, Andi Black and Aleisha Shearer. In back are Molly Garlough, Kamryn Frank, Laura Taunton, Erin Gilmer, Sinran Sahota, Maisy Beavers and Komal Sahota.

W. Gibb, Leader staf

fMorrisburg –  “The students are all here to have fun,” said Sandy Ruest, who teaches dance programs for adults, children, pre-teens and teens on Tuesday evenings at the Morrisburg Golf Club. “But dance is also a high energy activity where all the dancers can learn and have a good time doing it.”

Generation Fitness and Programming, owned by Meaghan Elder, operates recreational programs in South Dundas and surrounding areas. Elder has eight years of event planning experience and two years of recreation programming experience. She decided to offer her fitness programs in Morrisburg when she learned that a dance instructor had left the area, and that there might be a need  in the community for someone to offer dance classes.

“Our program is recreational,” Elder said, “but we have been very lucky to hire Sandy Ruest, an outstanding teacher, to teach the local  classes. Sandy is full of energy, and that energy really shines through her students.”

Ruest is certified by the Dance Masters of America, certified in aerobics theory and is a certified Zumba teacher. She has had her own school for over 30 years.

The Leader caught up with Ruest at one of her regular Tuesday evening classes, January 26,  at the Morrisburg Golf Club. 

Her young students were in the midst of creating a hip hop number, eagerly working out  to the beat and keeping fit “without feeling like they are working out,” Ruest explained. 

Currently Generations Fitness offers, in Morrisburg, ages 7-11 and 12+ hip hop, kinderboogie for the 4-6-year-old  crowd and a ladies fitness Zumba class. Ruest described Zumba as the new “fitness craze” and said that participants fall in love with the latin, cha-cha style. 

If the demand grows in Morrisburg, Elder plans to add more classes to the current program.

Generation Fitness can be reached at 613-534-2257.