We have a month to get in shape before the official start of summer, but working out can be so boooooring. Well, that’s if you haven’t stepped into a Brukwine fitness class. Founders Tavia Bailey (right) and Tamara Marrow (left) have created this Caribbean-inspired dance workout that allows women to shed their inhibitions, let their sexy flow, and tone their entire body, all to the rhythmic beats of the hottest dancehall music. (Some classes even feature a live DJ.)
Both Bailey and Marrow began dancing at an early age, but took different paths towards their passion. Bailey pursued a professional career for a time, but she studied several styles of dance after moving to New York and began going on auditions. She has danced for powerhouses Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Eve, Missy Elliot, and many others. Bailey has appeared in music videos and national commercials, and has toured with some of the best in the music business. Marrow knew she wanted to be a dancer at the age of 4 when her mom enrolled her in classes. She began her career as a Knicks City Dancer and choreographer, and has performed in front of thousands of New York Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden. She then went on to appear in music videos and feature films, and went on tour with some of the hottest entertainers. She also has danced for Missy Elliott, and has gotten down with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Tweet, Ludacris, Pharrell, and Gwen Stefani to name a few.
Now the ladies of Brukwine are focused on helping women gain confidence to take on their day and their health one wind and hip isolation at a time.
UPTOWN: Why “brukwine” and not “twerk”? What’s the difference for people who don’t know?
Tavia & Tamara: Brukwine is a Jamaican term that means to break out and wine (your waist that is). Winding is not a fad; it’s been around for centuries, and we like to think that what we do is sexier and more refined.
U: How many calories do you think are burned during a Brukwine class?
Tavia & Tamara: We have a lot of people who wear calorie counters in class, and we’ve had people who burn anywhere from 700 to 1,200 calories in one class. It’s a fun and intense workout; you definitely get out of it what you put into it.
U: During the class, I noticed a camaraderie and lack of competition and cattiness amongst the women. How do you foster that environment?
Tavia & Tamara: It’s a positive, uplifting vibe and it happens naturally. Everyone comes to Brukwine to have fun and work out. No one really has the time for cattiness; it’s not that type of vibe in our class. We are really fun and approachable, and we have the best time in our classes. Lots of women who come to a Brukwine class have made long-lasting friendships with one another. It’s just women coming together with a common goal -– to #sweatsexy!
U: Why are the classes so popular? There were more than 40 women in the class I attended.
Tavia & Tamara: Our classes are so much fun, but they are also effective. You are sweating and burning tons of calories, but we have such a good time it doesn’t feel like an average workout.
U: What is the main reason, in your opinion, many women hate to work out and how are your classes changing their attitude about fitness?
Tavia & Tamara: Working out in the traditional sense is just not for everyone. We have a lot of women who have never worked out before in their lives. So for them to choose Brukwine to be the one and only thing to get them up and moving is testament to us that we have something different and exciting. It never gets boring; we are always coming up with new moves and dancing to new music.
U: What’s next for you ladies?
Tavia & Tamara: We want Brukwine to be everywhere. We want people to have access to our workouts all over the world so we are definitely working on expanding.
Follow Brukwine on Instagram, and sign up for a class at Brukwine.com.
[Images: Brukwine]