Fit: Learn Latin Love

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YOU'VE BREAK-DANCED, popped and locked, b-boyed and gotten krunk. But you probably haven't yet experienced the newest twist on hip-hop, a fusion incorporating Latin, the other hot dance trend around.

» WHAT IT IS: Instructor Juli Calderon knows her traditional hip-hop. She's opened shows for Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott and toured internationally with Mya. "But I love my Latin roots," says the dancer, who moved here from Colombia as a child. Her choreography blends her heritage into her moves, and she started her class at Joy of Motion to show others how to do it.

Although the music she plays comes from way down south (reggaeton, Latin pop, etc.), this isn't actually how Latin Americans dance to hip-hop, she says. Her style is still heavy in North American attitude, which her fellow countrymen don't quite get. "It's just not native to them," she says.

» MOVES: Salsa and samba often weave their way into Calderon's routines, but her biggest influence is the cumbia. The Colombian folk dance evolved from a courtship ritual among African slaves; small, heavy foot movements mimic shackles, while sexy hip gyrations stem from the dance's seductive nature. Don't expect to stick to one style for long, though. "We'll do a tango step and then jump like we're shooting a basketball," she says. Although the combination might not seem natural at first, with the right attitude, it can be seamless. "We take a salsa step and we bounce with it," she explains. "It's about how you do it."

» WORKOUT: Stopping to go over complex footwork keeps many students in dance classes from achieving their fitness potentials. Calderon skirts this issue with a lengthy warm-up that's more about muscles than movement. For almost half an hour, you'll do enough variations of push-ups and sit-ups to feel confident that you've fulfilled your daily fitness duties. ("Yeah, I know it hurts," Calderon encourages.) And then, of course, there's the dance portion of the class, which isn't exactly sitting around.

» GARB: Traditional dance clothes will make it easier to do the moves — think stretchy fabrics, sneakers, shirts that won't fly up and reveal too much when you're grooving — but pretty much anything goes. Calderon was sporting boots in the Ugg genre at a recent class, and she made them seem like a totally reasonable choice.

» CROWD: The class is listed for levels 1 and 2, so novices and more advanced dancers will feel comfortable. "It's not so hard that you can't get it, but it's not baby steps, either," says 26-year-old student Maryanne Ogunbolu, who's more of a beginner. ("I won't be on stage with Mya any time soon," she jokes.) It helps that Calderon encourages camaraderie by having groups of students perform in the dark (it's not pitch-black, but dim enough to loosen inhibitions), while the others cheer them on. And although guys are welcome, Y chromosomes are rare at the studio. Apparently, something about the hip-shaking doesn't sit well with men.
vicky hallett (express)

» Joy of Motion's Bethesda location, 7315 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 180E (the Air Rights Building, East Tower). Metro: Bethesda. Tues. 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. A single class is $14, multi-class passes also available. For more info: joyofmotion.com or 301-986-0016.

Photo by Lawrence Luk for Express