Regardless of what life throws at you, you should be able to dance. At least that's how Lisa Cassidy sees it and with the dawn of the new year, she's set out to help clear the financial hurdles that keep people from finding their groove.
Cassidy is spreading kindness and kinetics with the introduction of Good Karma Cards at her 3rd Avenue dance fitness studio, Be Unique Fitness.
"My whole life, but especially within the last year a lot of good things have happened to me - a lot of kindness," she said. "Come this year, I thought, how can I repay that? What's something that I can do?"
Bothered by the prospect of there being those who want to take part in classes, but are unable to afford it, Cassidy is offering clients pay-what-you can passes in 2012.
"Everybody should be able to have an opportunity to do something that betters all the parts of the body," she said, adding she understands the challenges that real-life situations bring to fitness goals.
"Before I started teaching fitness, there's no way I would have been able to afford to take my own classes. It's not that my prices are unreasonable, it's just money's money. And when you have to choose between putting it towards taking a dance class or putting a meal on your table, that's where life happens," Cassidy said.
Be Unique Fitness offers classes in Nia, Groove Dance and Bellyfit six days per week. Those interested can contact Cassidy privately to explain their situation and obtain a pay-what-they-can pass to participate. The passes are the same punch cards as those used by other clients, so as to not have them stand out in anyway, Cassidy explained.
"For me, it's not about looking at it from a perspective of what I'm potentially, as a business, losing. It's about what I'm receiving. I would rather have people come and dance with me and pay whatever they can, than to not come at all," she said. "With our Groove training, we have a motto we like to use - to be able to dance for the health of it - and I just think that's something that everybody should have the opportunity to do."
For more information, contact Be Unique Fitness, located in the Spruce Capital building at 250-649-0643, visit their website at www.beuniquefitness.ca or find Be Unique Fitness on Facebook.