Dance classes catch on as fitness craze

Chrysalis change

Brimming with self-confidence, Feng says he is a far cry from the person he was four years ago when he started to learn dance shortly after he graduated.

He said after work he had nothing to do, so he would lie on his bed and scroll through "mindless" social media.

But at some point he remembered his childhood dream of learning how to dance and decided to give it a try.

"I had never danced before, but I always knew I wanted to dance because it would allow me to express myself," he said.

He first signed up for lessons at G-Steps, a franchised street dance training facility in Beijing.

"My four limbs were rigid and I could not catch up with the trainer's instructions," he recalled.

As he carried on, he began to enjoy the beauty of the art form, building up his dancing strength while interacting with people who shared his interest.

"I felt empowered and motivated when other students would sit on the ground and watch me dance," Feng recalled.

The student-teacher role was reversed, and in April 2022 he started giving dance classes at multiple gyms, including Hilefit and Super Monkey.

"I could feel members' passion for dancing classes, and afterward many of them would approach me and tell me the dance moves look really nice," Feng said.

As he enthusiastically pursued his interest, significant changes happened to the way he looked at himself as he transformed into a dancer.

"I could barely look at myself in the mirror at the beginning," Feng said. "But now I can't keep my eyes off the mirror. I can delve deeper into each move and work out all the nuanced details," he said.

yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn