GROOV3

Taking Class

A lot of people want to have fun dancing, choreographer Benjamin Allen says, but because they didn’t go to dance studios growing up, they don’t feel confident about taking a dance class. Ben believes dance is for everyone, not just trained dancers!

At age 18, Ben had no experience himself beyond dancing at parties. But one day a friend at university invited him to a cardio dance class. The teacher was super energetic, Ben says, and she made everyone feel welcome. He ended up liking dance so much, he decided to pursue it professionally.

“It’s all about fun, camaraderie, and sweat.”

Now Ben wants to bring that same kind of positive, accepting cardio dance class to others.

“I just wanna try and find that normal person out there that has had an interest in dancing, that can come in and just throw it all away and just jam,” Ben says.

A lot of moms come toGROOV3instead of going to the gym and getting on the treadmill or the elliptical. They would much rather find a groovy song they can shimmy and shake to, Ben says, than get on a machine.

But a lot of men takeGROOV3, too. The gender balance is more even than in many classes, as both men and women enjoy Ben’s funky style.

When it comes to dance, Ben says, “I think for anybody, there’s just a joy in moving your body like that.”

Ben’s teaching is easy to follow. He shows the steps just a few at a time. Then he goes slowly for a while, as the class practices along with him, before increasing the pace.

Throughout class Ben repeats the routine from the beginning periodically, reviewing the moves slowly before speeding up to the tempo of the song.

Near the end of the hour, the class splits into two groups to give people more space to dance. And finally, rare among hip-hop classes,GROOV3ends with a relaxing cool-down.

Ben’s approach makesGROOV3a class most anyone can learn to do with a little practice. Class members say his upbeat attitude and ability to connect with his class create a positive mood and encourage them at moments when they may be working hard to learn the steps.

And a rotating selection of live guest DJs spin at theGROOV3classes, bringing additional energy and the excitement of unpredictable song selections to the dance floor.

GROOV3is a friendly, nonjudgmental class where there’s no pressure to get all the moves right or look a certain way. People don’t come here to compete or judge each other. Many are inexperienced dancers, and some are more experienced dancers who miss dancing just for the joy of it in a lighthearted environment.

In the words of one class member, “It’s all about fun, camaraderie, and sweat.”

And that’s exactly how Ben wants it!

GROOV3

Class in Brief

Benjamin Allen’sGROOV3is for anyone who wants to dance, work up a sweat and have a blast doing it—whether they have previous dance experience or not!

Designed for absolute beginners, this friendly, accepting class is great for the regular person who just wants to dance for the fun of it. Ben demonstrates the moves slowly and thoroughly, and includes plenty of practice and repetition.

Class members say they love Ben’s upbeat attitude and funky style, and a rotating selection of live guest DJs adds additional variety and excitement to GROOV3. The class has a pretty even gender balance, so it’s a great place for a guy who doesn’t want to be the only man in his dance class.

Ben is an experienced professional choreographer who has taught at some ofL.A.’smost prestigious dance studios, but he personally designed and foundedGROOV3because he loves this kind of class and believes dance is for everyone!