How Jazzercise Turned Into a Viral Sensation

This year marks the 50th anniversary of everyone’s favorite fitness phenomenon, Jazzercise. The fun and funky leotard-clad aerobic sensation was the brainchild of Judi Sheppard Missett back in 1969. Her goal was to incorporate cardiovascular and strength training into a dance class that was fun and accessible to everyone. Jazzercise caught on beyond her wildest dreams, especially with women who didn’t feel comfortable at gyms. In the 1980s, it blossomed into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon—Jazzercise dancers even performed at the opening ceremony for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Today, the Jazzercise community is alive and thriving. There are around 8,500 Jazzercise studios full of devotees all around the world, and at 75, Missett is still choreographing new routines and teaching classes. She has no plans to retire. “I’m going to do this as long as I can walk,” she says. Big change starts at home. Meet the people working to build and uplift their communities in our latest series, “The Brave.” Catch all the episodes right here: https://www.greatbigstory.com/brave/community SUBSCRIBE: https://goo.gl/vR6Acb Watch the complete Brave series now: https://greatbig.is/2mnwrOf #Jazzercise #Community #Dance This story is a part of our Human Condition series. Come along and let us connect you to some of the most peculiar, stirring, extraordinary, and distinctive people in the world. Got a story idea for us? Shoot us an email at hey [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com Follow us behind the scenes on Instagram: http://goo.gl/2KABeX Make our acquaintance on Facebook: http://goo.gl/Vn0XIZ Give us a shout on Twitter: http://goo.gl/sY1GLY Come hang with us on Vimeo: http://goo.gl/T0OzjV Visit our world directly: http://www.greatbigstory.com