Basics

Class: Unleash Your Diva: Dance Sassy

Studio: The Dance Complex

Teacher: Chris Suharlim (@dancesassywithchris)

Time: 1.5 hours (+/- 15 minutes)

Category: Adults

Cost (Single Class): $20

Background: Dance Sassy is a high-energy class with a sassy-sexy attitude, taught to popular K-pop and pop hits. After a warmup, Chris leads dancers through a step-by-step breakdown of choreography, followed by a cooldown. Dancers are welcome to stay and capture their moves at the end. Each class is a standalone experience that follows a new dance sequence, and new choreography is taught every two weeks (dancesassy.com).

OOTD

I checked Chris’s Instagram page before the class and learned that we would be dancing to Lady Gaga’s new song, Abracadabra, so he suggested dancers come wearing white, black, or red, to match the colors of the song’s music video.

I went with an all-black outfit and saw that this was the popular choice among many other dancers (though red, white, and many other colors were represented). As with the other dance classes I attended, comfortable clothing that is easy to move in and athletic shoes are the consensus, though I did see a pair of high heels, so wear what makes you feel your best!

Atmosphere & Energy

I arrived 15 minutes early, as requested, and the room was already flooded by dancers reviewing last week’s choreography and warming up. There were around 40 dancers, mostly women, but anyone who is an adult was welcome.  

After Chris introduced himself, he asked who was new, and I was relieved to see 5 other hands shoot up. The class burst into a round of applause for us, and Chris emphasized that every move was optional, and reminded us that we were all there to have fun.

After teaching segments of the choreography, Chris divided the class into three smaller groups, allowing each group to run through the dance with more room to move around. As each group performed, all the other dancers cheered them on, shouting in encouragement, and motivating the dancers to go all-out!

At the end, Chris even filmed 10 dancers who felt confident enough to appear on his Instagram. He invited dancers to come back next week to go over the same choreography, build their confidence, and perhaps take part in the recorded performance the following week.

Overall, the atmosphere was non-judgmental, inclusive, and centered on self-expression and having fun. And with 40 people in the room vibing to their favorite popular tunes, spirits were high, cheers were loud, and energy levels were infectious!

Dance Difficulty

The class was very beginner friendly! I bought my ticket online, and the receipt included a note detailing where the class takes place, and reminding me to bring water, dress comfortably, and be ready to move! Further, the registration information noted that about 20% of each class is usually first timers, so not to worry if I were new.

Dance Sassy included a quick warmup, a step-by-step breakdown of choreography, and a quick cooldown at the end. After running us through sections of the choreography, Chris played the music at a slower tempo, and then at the natural tempo several times so we could get the hang of it. Then, he divided the class into 3 sections, and had each section run the dance twice (which gave dancers more room to dance and some time in front of the mirrors at the front of the room).

Chris would re-teach anything he sensed we couldn’t catch on to, and he welcomed questions. There were no set water breaks, but dancers took the opportunity whenever their group wasn’t performing.

As much as the class is beginner friendly, experienced dancers can have just as much fun! The moves are fast-paced, and the songs are current and catchy (like this week’s Abracadabra by Lady Gaga). Sometimes there are floor movements, so I suggest asking Chris in advance if you would have difficulty moving on your knees, but otherwise this class is great for various levels of dance experience.

Top Tips

This may not be the case for all of Chris’s classes, but this class was PACKED, which made it difficult to see him teaching the steps. You could get by following someone dancing in front of you – especially since Chris projects well when instructing and breaks steps down slowly – but if you have less dance experience, I recommend getting to class early enough so you can grab a spot up front.

I also recommend checking Chris’s Instagram page before going to class. Staying up to date may help you make decisions about what color to wear to class, or let you know which dance is being taught that day. Since Chris teaches the same dance two weeks in a row, you may choose to go again to gain confidence in the same dance, or you may decide to skip a week and rejoin for a class with new music and choreography!

Awkward

Sassy dancing is certainly outside of my comfort zone, which made for some awkward movement. Occasionally I stumbled, losing my balance, or danced a bit messy trying to keep up with the fast-paced music. Still, it was a great workout, and the supportive environment really motivated me to get into it and helped me feel more comfortable! Ultimately, no one cared what I looked like – they were just there to have fun, and as the class went on, I gained confidence and had more fun too 😊

Awesome

I was really encouraged by how beginner friendly the class was, and how motivating the group was. Class also ran longer than I expected, and students were welcome to stay longer to review choreography or film themselves dancing at no extra cost, so we really got bang for our buck!

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a fun, confidence-building class that lets you dance sassily to the latest pop and K-pop hits – this is the class for you! I for one will definitely be going back.

Have a question about Dance Sassy? Want to recommend a dance for me to try next? Let me know in the comments!

For more visuals of my dance journey check out @dancediaries0 on Instagram

As always, I’ll be here next Monday at noon (EST) to tell you about a new dance! See you then dancers 😊