Jennifer Aniston did it for Brad Pitt. Carmen Electra even made instructional videos. And Rio teaches eroticize classes at Bayside Wellness and Fitness Center in Virginia Beach. Eroticize, as the name suggests, mixes exotic dancing with aerobics to keep the work out sexy and interesting.Rio danced for 10 years and was the number one go-go dancer in the state. She graced the stages of local venues such as Donald's, Clancy's, JB's, and RC's. After she stopped dancing she wanted to do something that incorporated her skills.
"I had girls ask me to teach them some of the stuff. After I divorced my husband, I thought what do I want to do? I asked a lot of guys I knew if they would like it if their wives or girlfriends learned how to strip. They of course were excited about the idea, so I put an ad in the paper and the rest is history," says Rio.
The first step to the workout is picking a name to dance under. The name change allows women to be free of their inhibitions and create a new sexier identity.
"It allows me to leave Melissa, the wife and mom, behind, and become Lexxxie," says Melissa Helm, 32, of Virginia Beach.
All kinds of women flock to the class, not only to workout but also to learn to be sexier and more confident.
"It builds confidence through and through. It makes you feel sexy. If nothing else, I want these girls to take confidence away with them," says Rio.
Rio says she has had women come to the class with serious medical conditions, in the process of divorce, and on the verge of marriage. There are wives, and moms that attend as well. This class caters to all age ranges. The youngest to attend was 21 while the oldest was 58.
Rio begins every workout by dimming the lights to create a seductive ambiance. During the opening stretches the women are encouraged to watch and touch their own bodies and feel their muscles as they move.
"I've been able to watch my body, be into myself. It's O.K. to be all about your body for once," says Helm.
The five week course consists of learning key moves that are put together into a routine. The first course emphasizes learning how to walk seductively and how to roll your hips on beat with the music. The second class is all floor work. You learn how to flirt with your legs and roll up and down from the floor. The third class involves dancing with chairs and make-shift poles. The fourth class begins learning the routine. And by the fifth class the routine is perfected for graduation.
For graduation the girls are given the option of performing the routine on the runway at JB's in Virginia Beach. For three minutes the graduates are real go-go dancers.
"It takes a lot of guts to get up there and do it but it makes you feel good about yourself," says Jamie Barnes, 23, of Virginia Beach.
For some graduates the dancing doesn't end there."There are a couple of girls who took the class that ended up dancing for real," says Rio.
But aside from the exercise, the girls in the course bond over the five weeks.
"You meet a lot of nice people," says Barnes.
Bayside Wellness and Fitness Center is located at 1608 Pleasure House Road Suite 113, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. You can contact the fitness center at 757-464-3333.
See what a member of the Review Troop had to say:
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Krystal Williams
Age: 24
Norfolk
Grade: A
If I could say anything about my time at Eroticize I would say it was the most interesting and fun-filled time of my life. Ladies leave your insecurities at home because this class promotes self-esteem and sexiness while you sweat. If you want to try something new and different just skipp the regular areobics class. Go check out Eroticize and have the time of your life. It made my workout feel sexy not hard and tiring. The instructor was the most friendly and down to earth person you can ever meet. She knew exactly what she was doing when she brought Eroticize to Hampton Roads.
