We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Savikas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Heather, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I feel like I’ve always had good level of self-esteem & confidence, but dance fitness has definitely help me grow them more! I will never forget the first class I took. I stood in the back corner because I didn’t want people to see me exercising/dancing. I was so self conscious of how I would look and what people would think of me. I felt like that for numerous more classes, but the more I did it the easier it became and I didn’t care what people were thinking of me. In reality, we all felt like that in that room. I quickly learned that I was there for myself- to be healthier, to have fun, to take a mental break, be confident in myself, be proud of myself- I wasn’t there for anybody else. One of the most important rules for our Dance2Fit classes, in my opinion, is ‘Don’t judge yourself or others.’ When you step into that room to participate nothing else matters. Not the way you move your body, if you have dance experience, if you are doing the right move or how you look. Dance fitness is for everybody! Since I started I’ve went from being a client in the back corner that was self-conscious and thinking I couldn’t to do this to teaching and running my own Dance2Fit business where I encourage and watch others grow their own self-esteem and confidence.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
When I’m not working my full-time job or being mom and wife I teach dance fitness thru the Dance2Fit platform. I own/operate Dance2Fit Remix teaching 1 hour long classes 2-4 times a week between 2 locations. When I started taking classes 5 years ago I never imagined I would be where I’m at now. Instructing these classes is definitely one of my favorite things to do for numerous reasons! My main reason for loving this business is the people it impacts on many levels. Most of the women/men that come to class for the first time automatically go to the back row, don’t talk much, are nervous and just keep to themselves. I always try to talk to everybody that comes, but especially if you are new! Making someone feel welcomed and comfortable is a HUGE factor when it comes to retaining clients in my opinion. As they come more and get more comfortable I see them open up and let loose and just truly enjoy themselves! My main goal is to make sure that each client truly enjoys themselves and learns to love all their flaws and to be confident in their body because at the end of the day your opinion about yourself is the only one that matters. Love yourself and your body always!
Group dance fitness is a hard business to be in because people are so self conscious and get worried because of the word ‘dance’. Usually clients are unhappy with how they look weight wise or how their clothes fit, ect. I aim for my classes to be all-inclusive for all physical fitness levels, but also push you to your limits. While we do workout in front of mirrors in dance studios the lights are off and we use club lighting. You can still see the instructor and yourself, but without the full bright overhead lights you don’t fully see yourself helping you feel a little more at ease. The first thing someone always tells me when they come or when invited to a class is “I can’t dance” and I always say “You don’t have to.” I personally have NEVER taken a dance class, I was in band in school. We don’t dance ballet, tap, jazz; we are doing squats, burpees, jumping jacks with some dancing mixed in. Not only do I do 1 hour dance cardio classes I also offer a strength training class that I call ‘TONE UP’. Tone Up class is 30 minutes of weighted (dumbbell or body weight) exercises followed by 30 minutes of dancing.
I just recently started offering classes via Livestream. In all honesty life is busy! I know as a mom of 2 with sports, work and family you can’t always make it to class in person. Moms will always neglect themselves and their personal time to themselves to the side for the everything. Livestream gives you the option to take the class at your convenience where ever you might be whenever you can! I truly want people to take that time for their health and wellness and do that by finding a workout that they truly enjoy. If they enjoy classes and aren’t able to make it I now offer them a way.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three things I would say were most important are communication, adaptability and confidence.
Teaching a group fitness and trying to grow the classes requires lots of communication from instructing the clients in the routines and exercises to communicating via social media and with other instructors. You want to make sure that you are putting information out there that is beneficial to your clients as well as pull in other potential clients.
Since I don’t have sign-ups for class I never know who is coming, who isn’t, if I will have 1 new client or 10 new clients in a class. I make my playlist ahead of time so that I’m prepared, but depending on class attendance I might need to change it once we start. I might also need to take more time going over routines instead of just going straight into them due to who is in class. Adapting to who is in my class is an important skill for me to have so that I can always make sure everybody is comfortable, but getting that workout in at the same time.
Public speaking is hard for a lot of people and takes confidence and teaching a room full of people using a microphone and making sure you are doing all the routines correct can be hard, but being confident in what you are doing makes it a lot easier. I personally hated public speaking before I started teaching and while I’m still not a fan of talking in a meeting in front of peers I have grown my confidence to where I’m more comfortable doing it if needed.
Things I would recommend to people reading this:
From a client perspective if you are just starting out, or even if you aren’t, communicating with your instructor is so important! Make sure they know if you have trouble with something, want them to go over a move a little more in depth or need a modification due to bad knee or back trouble. Don’t be afraid to be honest with them either- I love feedback no matter if it’s good or bad and I promise your instructor will too! The one thing I will also say is to don’t give up after 1-2 classes! Remember that everybody in that room is there working on themselves and doing their best. KEEP GOING! YOU CAN DO IT!
From an instructor perspective if you are starting your journey learn about your clients and watch them. Sometimes you can watch them and see if it’s becoming too much, they are getting frustrated, they are bored not being challenged or if they aren’t feeling ok. It’s ok to stray from that playlist or slow down or take extra time. Be confident and allow yourself grace when doing this. You will forget things, do something wrong and not be perfect and that’s OK! Enjoy teaching and meeting new people and growing your own confidence level!
But most importantly listen to your body!! Work it, don’t hurt it and rest when needed!
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest growth improvement would be connecting with other instructors in my area. Late last year/earlier this year I reached out to 3 other dance fitness businesses in my area and we held a free class for our community. I then went to the creator of Dance2Fit, Jessica James, tour class and met another fitness studio that is 30 minutes from my house- that I didn’t know about! This past year, but more so over the summer, we have all came together to support each other and show that we aren’t in competition with each other. We are here for our WHOLE community and for each other!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dance2fitremix/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dance2fitremix
Image Credits
L3 Photography
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