Club SCAD offers free fitness, dance and wellness classes

Photo by Wayne C. Moore
Savannah College of Art and Design student Kristin Marks (front) participates in a ballet class at Club SCAD.

By: E. Christina Spitz

Published: Friday, January 27, 2006

Based on requests from students, the Savannah College of Art and Design department of student recreation and fitness is offering fitness, dance and wellness classes free of charge.

The department offers martial arts, body sculpting, yoga, ballet, Pilates, ballroom dancing, meditation, Reiki, self-defense, boxing, sport yoga, yoga flow, capoeira and boot camp.

“Our objective is to offer alternatives to our students,” said Eddie Concepción, director of the department of student recreation and fitness. “We’re offering an outlet. It can be stressful at times to be a student and to be consumed with your work and not have an outlet.”

Capoeira, a blend of martial arts, African dance, aerobics and Brazilian music, is a popular offering. It originated about 500 years ago during the slave trade from Africa to Brazil. “It’s a martial arts style that we disguise with a dance,” said Jason Absher, a first-year Master of Fine Arts student in graphic design who teaches capoeira classes. “Slaves at that time weren’t allowed to train and fight for obvious reasons. So they had parties and celebrations, and they would disguise their movements and kicks with African dance beats and rhythms.”

Ballroom dance, featuring Latin dances and swing along with more traditional dances such as foxtrots and waltzes, is another popular alternative. “It’s good exercise,” said David Riley, a first-year M.F.A. student in illustration, who teaches ballroom dancing. “It basically just keeps you sharp and keeps your body moving with your mind. It’s also really good socially. You get a chance to meet other people, and you already have a common interest in dancing.”

“It de-stresses me,” said Aaron Gravit, a first-year M.F.A. student in broadcast design and motion graphics who is taking ballroom dancing as well as Pilates, boot camp and body sculpting. “I’m a grad student, so I have a little bit more time-intensive work. Between working full-time and going to school full time it’s a break — I don’t have to worry about anything. When I’m out there I’m just focusing on what I’m doing, and the five-to-one ratio of girls to guys always helps!”

Brienna McLaughlin, a first-year graduate student in painting, teaches boot camp, an intense military-style class incorporating various core exercises such as crunches, pull-ups, push-ups and lunges into high-energy aerobics.

 “I hope these classes mean good health and helping students have a good body image,” she said. “I think this is a great way to encourage students to work out and to find enjoyment in it. It’s their time; it’s time to focus on personal health and happiness. It’s also good for goals and leadership. By working out you create your own challenge. You feel very accomplished after you do so.”

 “Yoga is about more than the postures and movements,” said Ellen Farrell, wellness specialist. “What I love about teaching and practicing yoga is that the postures help us to connect with and calm the body, so it is then possible to get into a meditative, centered and aware state which helps us to be more present and allows for clearer connection to wisdom, inner peace and truth. Yoga helps to energize and clear toxins from the body and increases flexibility and range of motion.”

Ballet has similar benefits. “In terms of physical benefits, it strengthens the heart and the lungs,” said Miwa Brannen, an instructor from outside the college who teaches ballet. “It also gives one the self-confidence to perform in front of others, and, if one does ballet correctly, one is able to improve the look of one’s physique.”

Brannen is pleased that SCAD is offering these fitness options free of charge. “Students have to pay tuition and most don’t have money left over afterwards,” she said.

Concepción is also happy with the response to the classes.

“We’re always concerned about the health and well-being of our students,” he said. “That’s what we’re here for.”


Spitz is senior publications editor.