Get Your SWERK On At DanceWorks Indy

DanceWorks, 537 E. Ohio St., danceworksindy.com

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.”