BEFORE DanceWorks Indy opened in 2019, there weren’t any dance studios here that specialized in adults, recalls owner Kerry Kapaku. The former professional ballerina wanted to open a place where beginners felt welcome. “Many times, people who tried dance as a kid didn’t have that experience. It tends to be very competitive and exclusive. But we firmly believe that if you have a body, you can dance.”
DanceWorks offers ballet, tap, and jazz. But if you’re looking to shake your booty, SWERK is the class for you. Sweat, Work, and Twerk is a glute-focused, hip-hop cardio class. So, yes, actual booty-shaking is involved.
“SWERK feels like a dance party,” says participant Olivia Snyder. “We cheer each other on. When someone really nails a move, we holler.”
SWERK choreography is repetitive, easy to master, and modifiable. You’ll be dancing to pop hits by artists like Cardi B and Doja Cat. The name may make it seem too “young” for anyone older than, say, Miley Cyrus, “but we have SWERKers in their 70s,” Snyder says. “It’s a way to dance worries away. The music and moves make you smile.”
While each SWERK class, which costs $18, has a club vibe—think dim lights and disco balls—it’s serious fitness, a way to hit 6,000 steps in an hour, as well as boost coordination. “It’s a confidence builder,” says Kapaku. “It’s not about perfecting a dance technique, but to become the best version of yourself in that room.”
