Dance-club aerobic instructor Steve Hood expanded his modern exercise method with his first studio, properly named “Steve Hood’s Total Dance Experience.”
His innovative techniques of exercising and having fun include dance moves like body rolls, shimmies and dancing up on a partner.
“The moves seem weird at first, but then you realize it’s just like dancing at the clubs,” said Matt Curley, a communications senior.
Old school and recent dance club music and a flashing disco ball enhance the nightclub atmosphere of the studio.
The studio is located on the corner of Burbank and Bluebonnet in the new shopping center next to Albertson’s.
“My goal is to create an environment that is all motivation and no intimidation,” Hood said. “It is created for all ages and demographics to get them the results they want.”
Only one month since the opening, Hood said memberships for the studio are doing phenomenal. Although he could not provide exact numbers, he is pleased with the success of his studio thus far.
The Baton Rouge native has been dancing since he was ten, and nine years later he became a dancer on the Club MTV Live Tour. His resumé includes dancing for an LL Cool J tour and choreographing Disney Theme Park shows, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and a Super Bowl pre-game show, according to his Web site www.stevehood.com.
Hood started teaching special events at the LSU Recreational Center five years ago, said the center’s Assistant Director of Instructionals Jacqui Tabor. Special events are promotional classes not on the weekly calendar. When he noticed that the crowds were growing larger and larger, he decided to take his routine on the road. He toured at other SEC colleges such as Mississippi State.
Back in his hometown, Hood wants to please everyone interested in his program by teaching all 96 classes a month.
“When people come here and pay for me, I want them to get what they want,” Hood said.
Hood has exercise and diet rules that he lives by. Growing up, he could not afford health club fees or workout equipment, so he based his workout routine on calisthenics, including push-ups and lunges.
Hood suggests at least four hours of cardio a week for people wanting to achieve a healthy body.
Steve Hood does not stick to a strict diet to maintain his muscular body. “Don’t yo-yo diet,” Hood said. “Bingeing and starving yourself all day only to eat a lot at night will not get you results.”
He suggests eating four small meals a day, because it is an easy routine to follow.
For Hood to expand his program nationwide, he created a line of aerobics tapes with Time-Life, the same people behind Tae Bo.
“The tapes are my way of changing the health world and people’s lives,” Hood said.
The four-set series consists of “Breaking It Down,” “Partying With Your Friends,” “Jam Session,” and “Shake What Your Mama Gave You.” The set is available at his studio for $40.
But Hood’s main intention for opening Steve Hood’s Total Dance Experience was to attract people from all areas of Baton Rouge to join the studio. Membership is $42 a month or $100 for three months, but students can save money. With a student ID, membership is $35 a month, $85 for three months or $400 for a full year.
For people interested in the program but not completely committed, the cost of one class is $12.