Bubba Carr leads the ladies in a dance class. (Photo: Deana Levine Photography)
If you think you’re too cool to boogie, boy, oh boy, have I got news for you. Slip on your imaginary platform shoes and transport yourself back to Studio 54 every Wednesday night at Dance 101. Bubba Carr is the resident disco king and dance instructor who takes us back to the ‘70s with his weekly dance class.
Over a year ago, Carr got the idea when he was working with his friend Doriana Sanchez copying the disco routines on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Carr says, “We were having a ton of fun, so I figured why not do disco here at Dance 101? Our demographic is of the age that would appreciate it and have fun while sweating and getting in shape.”
He was right and every Wednesday night, women and men from 20 to 62 come out to shake their groove thing. Carr teaches a different routine every week and you can count on a lot of booty shaking with moves like “The Shampoo and Rinse,” the “Disco Arm Roll” and the classic John Travolta “Disco Point.”
“I personally love the ‘Disco Pony,’” says Carr, “where you scoot your feet across the floor while pumping your booty and extending your arm up and down. It sounds complicated, but it’s super fun and sexy.” Most first-timers master the basics after one class and soon become disco regulars.
Boogie babe Nancy Keenan has been coming to class since it started. Her motivation was to get back in shape after having her first child. Keenan says that she was intimidated at first because she thought she’d be the only person at the dance studio over 35, but she was pleasantly surprised to meet women of all shapes, sizes and ages.
Carr says a lot of new moms come to the studio wanting to shed some baby weight and disco works wonders because “dance is an amazing way to gain a new sense of yourself and a way to give back to yourself.”
“We have several pregnant women at the studio and some that have just delivered and they consistently say ‘I’m doing this for me,’” Carr says. “I think it makes them more whole people therefore more powerful for their children.”
Keenan adds that dance is also a great way to show your kids that they can incorporate exercise into their lives in a fun way.
Disco is more than just a great workout. It’s a fantastic stress reliever. Carr believes the magic happens because there’s no technique involved.
“It’s all about getting loose and funky,” he says. “For a full hour you get to see yourself in a different way with feathered hair, a bellbottom jumpsuit with a low-cut back, super high strappy heels, glamorous nails with gold tips, super glossy lips and glitter eye shadow.
“In reality, everyone is in sweats and sneakers, but it’s all about where we go in our minds.”
Dance 101, 2480 Briarcliff Road, suite 11, Atlanta. 404-542-3887, www.dance101.org. Online dance classes can be downloaded for a one-time fee so you can do them in your own home.
