I found myself in OULA class a few nights ago. If you know me and you know OULA, you should be shocked by this. As a result of my general awkwardness and clumsiness I have been avoiding dance floors since my adolescence.
However when Kendra, Wallingford resident and fitness instructor at Fresh Fitness and Dance (Interlake and 45th), invited me to try out OULA I was intrigued. Kendra wrote, “OULA is more than just a workout, it’s an experience. Or as we like to call it, dancemania for the soul! This is a place where you can forget about perfection, sing freely, laugh heartily, and leave feeling lighter. Our OULA instructors and participants are an amazing little tribe of happy people and we are always looking for more friends. We would love to spread the word about OULA because happy looks good on everyone.” I soon discovered that OULA, named for its city of origin, MissOULA, was created by Kali Linder who designed the class to capture the way she liked to feel during a workout. In the spirit of trying new things I decided to give “dancemania for my soul” a chance.
When I arrived at class I was greeted by an enthusiastic Kendra and friendly classmates. The only instructions were to not get hurt and have fun. And off we went! Each class is 60 minutes long and broken up into natural sections by breaks in between songs. I was instantly two steps behind and my two left feet were tripping over each other. Wondering if I would ever catch on, I watched Kendra in awe as she bounced around in the front of the class. Around me cheerful classmates danced along. Before long I was dancing along too. I was caught off guard to realize that I was smiling from ear to ear. I won’t say that I mastered OULA by the end of the hour, but I had a great time trying. Kendra was right, I left feeling lighter.
Chatting with Kendra afterwards she suggested three classes in order to master the main moves of OULA. I will be back for at least two more classes. Next time you are looking to get out of the house, to have some fun, and to enjoy yourself give OULA a try, or even better try it three times.
OULA classes at Fresh Fitness and Dance (4501 Interlake Ave N.) on Sundays @ 9:30a and Thursdays @ 7:30p. Drop-ins are welcome for $12 or $98 for a 10-class punch card.
Wow! Thanks for a fantastic feature Kimber! We are excited to have you come back and dance with us again! It takes some practice at letting go of our self-consciousness, doesn’t it? It gets easier, and so do the moves and the smiles. We have lots of OULA opportunities coming up this week. If you haven’t tried it, now is a great time! Thursday 3.13 is a 7:30p class at Fresh Fitness, Friday 3.14 we’re having a Pi(e)day Friday party (FREE!) at 7:30p at ExitSpace in Greenlake (think dance party meets pie eating contest), Saturday 3.15 is a (free) OULA demo at Figures gym in Fircrest at noon, and Sunday 3.16 we are back at Fresh Fit at 9:30a. It is a marathon of OULA love! Join in! Check out our facebook page for all the details: facebook.com/OULAseattle