A few years ago, I ventured to a hip-hop class with a couple of my 30-something friends. Most of the students were 16 years old, so we were definitely out of our league.

We held our own and kept up with the teensters until called on to perform a kip-up (an acrobatic move often seen in martial arts movies) that had us trying to propel ourselves from a prone position to a standing position by using our legs and core strength, which proved to be nonexistent.

For the 16-year-olds, it was no big deal. The rest of us were left rolling on the floor like Easter eggs, trying to rock ourselves upright. We knew it was time to call it quits.

So it was refreshing to discover Madalene’z Dancefit Studio, which offers a less intimidating experience for more mature dancers. I attended the studio’s Hip Hop Fit class, offered Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, joining a roomful of “old-school” dancers plus a couple of 20-somethings. Everyone was supportive and just wanted to have fun.

The sessions rekindled feelings of youth. Classes begin with a warm-up that leads right into choreography. It’s a little hard to keep up at first, but the idea is to keep moving until you find your own style. Popping and gliding moves, along with a whole lot of booty-shaking, kept people smiling. Some reggae was also thrown into the mix.

This particular class is not to be confused with formal dance sessions in which the emphasis is on technique, which isn’t taught in Hip Hop Fit. Here, moves are inspired by the music, making it more similar to a Zumba class.

“It’s one consecutive piece where you don’t stop moving. It’s meant to keep your heart rate up,” said instructor Madalene Aponte. “People need to let go and just have fun.”

At the end of class, the room parted to open up the floor for an informal dance-off that allowed participants to show off their moves, followed by a nice stretch and cool-down session. The latter is important to avoid waking the next day with achy, tight muscles and the stark realization you’re not as young as you used to be.

————

“Tryouts” features exercise and wellness classes and other fitness activities. Reach Nancy Arcayna at narcayna@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808.