I’ve been exploring fitness options while healing from my back injury. When I was invited to attend a Dancinerate class at Equinox Sports Club in West LA with dance and fitness expert Ilyse Baker, I decided to be daring and try it.
I love to exercise and I love music but I can’t dance. Long ago I used to go to clubs – and do the New Wave step and rock – but I am very uncoordinated. Hence, being injured numerous times.
The extent of my dancing is more “Popcorn” by Hot Butter (as a child) and the “Electric Slide” (during the drunk college years) than anything requiring ability. I’m lucky that I had Carolyn from ThisTalkAintCheap.com with me. Together, we won a contest at the #HATES event in January. I knew she’d be good support if I literally broke a leg in class.
Ilyse didn’t look like the typical tall and breakably thin dancer – she was short (like me!) and muscular and I found that inspiring.
Ilyse was a fun and a skilled teacher – she made the routine easy enough for a klutz like me to follow (most of the time) by breaking down the routines and repeating the moves multiple times. She also named the moves catchy things like “put on your jacket” or “drive the car” to make the workout fun and accessible.
I loved that my recent earworm “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (I’m slow on current music) was one of the songs in class as well.
I’m Melissa Burton, a recent transplant from Brooklyn, New York to Southern California. By profession, I’m a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. In my actual life I’ve been a million things 
