We Tried It – Denver’s Night Club Inspired Workout Class

This is a part of our ongoing ‘We Tried it’ series where we test out weird and wonderful things to do, eat or see in Colorado. Go here to see what else we’ve tried. Comment below and let us know what we should do next.

Winter in Colorado may be approaching, but as the summer heat leaves us your hard-earned warm weather bikini figure doesn’t have to go with it.

We tried Denver’s newest way to keep the calories off — it is definitely not your typical work out studio.  Since January of 2017  BLOCK 21 on Broadway has been bringing the club to Colorado with workout routines designed to combine club-ready dance moves with a full-body workout. From hip-hop style jumping jacks to pop-lock and drops its and floor to ceiling jumps, we found ourselves feeling the burn without the mental pan that tends to come with a typical gym workout. 

“I wanted to create a place for people to come and get a workout and dance moves for parties and weddings all in one,” said BLOCK 21 founder and dance instructor Sally Ogilby. “The class feels like a block party or club rather than a workout, and that’s the way fitness should be.”

BLOCK 21 had us locked in for a full 60-minutes of non-stop movement. From twerking it out to high kicks, hip-hop style jumping jacks and pop-lock and ‘drop its’ – the class was able to transport us from the Broadway studio to an LA nightclub.

“I’m constantly changing my arsenal of songs,” said Ogilby. “Each week I’m adapting and adjusting the playlist along with my choreography.”

Ogilby compiles a playlist each week with hit jams from Ludacris to Bruno Mars, Nelly and Rihanna. A dancer at age eight, she grew up choreographing and moving to her own instrumental creations, which she says has made it easy and fun to pick beats for the class. 

“I’ve always loved dance,” said Ogilby. “I still take classes to learn and grow, so that I’ll be always improving for the classes I teach.”

If you’re aiming to sculpt and shed without the burden of a traditional workout BLOCK 21 is the place to be. Prepare to come equipped with athletic shoes and clothing set for a sweat, whatever makes you feel most active. You can sign up for classes here starting at $15 (or do Class Pass and get three classes for $19 or six for $29 here) and can catch BLOCK 21 every Monday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m., at EVQ Elite Dance Studio, 336 South Broadway, Denver.