The Casual Dance Teacher's Podcast

Maia
Welcome to the Casual Dance Teacher's Podcast. I'm your host, Maia. No matter who, what, or when you teach, I'm here to share all my best tips and tools, along with real and practical conversations with fellow dance educators to help you be the very best dance teacher you can be.

Let's talk about it. Hi everyone and thank you so much for joining us today. I'm sure most of us listening probably have taken some kind of dance fitness class at some point in our lives.

I personally don't teach dance fitness and have never taught a class like that, but whether you currently teach dance fitness, if you're interested in it and becoming certified as a teacher or looking at what the options are to teach dance fitness classes, if you are a studio owner looking to expand into some additional areas of dance and think that dance fitness might be a good fit for you, whatever your current status is as a dance teacher, today's guest has so much insight to share about the dance fitness industry, what it's like to teach, what it's like to choreograph for those classes, and how she actually started her very own dance fitness program, her background in that field, what went into it. She has such a fascinating story and I am so excited to get into it. But first, let me formally introduce today's guest, Mariana Santos.

Mariana is the founder of Brazily Fitness and the creator of Brazily Dance, which is a bold and uplifting Brazilian dance fitness program designed to build confidence, courage, and community. With over 20 years of experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, she helps people transform their lives from inside out through movement, music, and mindset. She's the host of the Dance Yourself Brave Show podcast, where she interviews dancers and change makers about how dance can awaken self-belief, fuel resilience, and spark lasting transformation.

She also leads instructor certifications and partners with gyms, studios, and universities to help spread the Brazily movement worldwide. Without further ado, let's welcome her to the show. Mariana, thank you so much for being here.

Mariana
I am so excited to talk to you today about all things dance. Thanks for having me.

Maia
I am so interested in getting into dance fitness because as an, I've taken dance fitness classes, but as an educator, it's not something that I'm as familiar with.

The first thing I want to do, and I've been listening to your podcast and really enjoying hearing a little bit about your background there. So we can let people know like towards the end of the show where they can get the whole story, but in sort of a spark notes version, can you tell us a little bit about your very interesting story of how you got into dance fitness and started Brazily Fitness?

Mariana
Yeah, for sure. So yeah, like very condensed version.

So I'm from Ottawa, Canada. So I was born and raised here, but my parents are Brazilians. So when I was 14, my dad got a job in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and we had to move there.

Like my sisters and I are whole family. And at the time I didn't speak Portuguese. And I was like that super shy, awkward kid who hated gym class.

And like the last one chosen for teams that's in sports and stuff like that. So it was quite an adjustment, right? Like just a culture shock and everything leaving behind my friends. And through that, it was really hard for me to find myself.

And it's a culture where they're very focused on their appearance and things like that, right? So just kind of dealing with that was a struggle, especially as a teenager. I developed an eating disorder. And then what helped me to kind of break out of that was when I was introduced to Brazilian dance and just like fitness and the overall lifestyle.

And so like I fell in love with that. And I was like, you know what? This is what I want to do. I want to help people find their confidence in ways that are not necessarily like related to sports, right? Because like to this day, I don't play sports, right? And when I was growing up, I thought that was like the only way you could be healthy and fit, right? Yeah.

So I came back to Canada, went to college, started working as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor. And then when I was 25, I just really missed Brazil and just, you know, couldn't stand the winters here anymore. So I ended up going back to Brazil by myself this time with a completely different mindset where I was like, you know, it's my decision now.

So, you know, I took learning the language a little bit more seriously and all of that. And then I actually met my husband taking his dance class. So that's how we connected.

And at that time, you know, I had already been teaching a number of dance fitness classes. So that really like brought us together. And then about almost seven years ago now, I was like, hey, let's go live in the cold.

So brought him here because we wanted to start a family, right? And just thought it would be better here in Canada. And yeah, and we're like, you know what? We have something that brings so much joy to our lives. And just like, you know, it's like a celebration, right? Like in Brazil, dance is more of just like a way to celebrate life.

And it's not just like something so structured and that you have to be so good at to like reap the benefits from. So I was like, this is what we can do and offer this to the world. So yeah, that's how everything started.

Maia
That's so beautiful. I love that you get to do that with your husband. It's like a family thing.

That's really special. I'm curious, because I know there are a lot of different dance fitness programs and classes out there, and they all kind of have their own unique brand and personality and offer something a little bit different. So when you were setting out to create your own, what were some of the primary things? I mean, you mentioned the joy and the celebration, the Brazilian dance background.

But can you talk a little bit more about how you built that program and the things that you chose to kind of set it apart and what makes it different and special and unique?

Mariana
Yeah, so that's such a great question, because there has been so much thought put into this. Because I've been in the fitness industry now for, oh my god, almost 21 years now. There are a lot of things that I love about the industry, but there are a lot of things that I just have never agreed with.

And a lot of the messaging in the fitness industry is about join this quick eight-week challenge and lose 20 pounds. And it's all about quick results and just losing weight fast, burning X amount of calories. And I've always been thinking that's not the way we should be talking to people.

I think that people should look at fitness as a way to build resilience and to build discipline and to learn that, you know what? If I want something, if I have this big goal in life, I should be willing to put in the work, right? And it's not going to be easy, right? It's about embracing the challenge and accepting that there's a journey to it, right? It's about the person you're becoming along the way. So when I first started our brand, I hired business coaches and mentors. And they were like, you know, again, my whole thing was like, no, I want people to boost confidence.

I want them to build confidence and resilience. And I don't want it to be about like lose weight, burn 800 calories in an hour. And they were like, well, if you do that, you know, you're just not going to attract people because people just want superficial results.

And I was like, well, I don't care. Like, because I'm not going to talk about these things that I just don't align with because I think that what we offer goes so much deeper than just, you know, a fun way to burn calories. So because my whole thing has been from the beginning about boosting confidence and resilience, I think you would agree with me, like the best way to do that is to step outside of your comfort zone, right? And dance does that in such a beautiful way because you go to the first class and you're completely lost, right? And then you have to like kind of build up that motivation and discipline to go to the next class and keep trying, keep trying.

You fall down, you get back up. So our class is structured that way. Like I would say that it's in between like a traditional dance fitness class and like a dance studio class.

So some of the songs are easier to follow where we don't really preview anything. But some of the tracks, which we call our level two tracks, we pause before the song. We're like, hey, let's learn this combo that we're going to use in the chorus, for example, right? And we do that really quickly.

And it's not for people to be like, oh my God, I have to get it down perfectly. But it's to remove that resistance that we get from the brain when something is overly complex or new, right? So it's still like a really good cardio workout because that doesn't happen too often throughout the class. But it also gives people the opportunity to kind of get that resistance away from the brain.

We're like, okay, I know what's coming, right? And then you also like realize that everyone else is like kind of trying to get it at the same time, right? And it's not just you. And that's what builds confidence, right? Is like having something to work towards class after class. So that's like a whole formula is set up that way for it to be an awesome workout.

But something that also challenges you, it makes you grow and like reminds you of your potential, right? Because that dream that you've been putting on the back burner, all you need for you to build up the courage to do that is confidence, right? And you can use our class as a tool to just remind yourself that you can do hard things.

Maia
Yeah, I love that. Okay.

So that's a little bit different, I think, than the you probably know what dance fitness class I'm talking about. Yes. The big one with the Z.

Mariana
I might have heard of it before.

Maia
I've done some of those before. And one thing that I was going to ask you about, but you kind of mentioned this already that your model might be a little bit different. Are you setting it up so that people are meant to commit to coming consistently for a set period of time?

Mariana
No, because it is also like we still preview this stuff.

Like every time it's a level two track, like we're still going to stop and show, right? So and we're always like putting new songs and everything. So you can start and stop whenever you want, right? It's not like you have to do like a set six to eight weeks or 12 weeks. The best day you want to start, like, that's great, right? And then, you know, obviously, we want you to continue, right? Because that's how you're going to keep getting results.

But it's not a mandatory, like three month package or anything like that. Okay. So aside from doing those previews for the level twos, if you have like a long timer that comes every single week for months and months, or even years and years, and then the person that's just stepping in for the first time, how do you kind of break down the barriers so that they both can feel really confident in that class and continue to be engaged and come back week after week? Yeah.

So the way that I do it is, first of all, I build a community, right? Where people are looking to support each other and grow, right? So I make that very clear. Like I make sure that we don't have any mean girl energy in our classes, right? So we all remember what it's like to come for the first class. And like I said, we're always introducing new music, right? So when I start to notice, okay, this person has been coming for the past two months, hasn't missed a class, like, and I have this new person coming in, I'm going to throw in a new song that's new for everyone.

That person who's been coming for two months, like she still has something that she's working towards. And there's always something that you, I always tell them, like once you get like the footwork down, then you start to get, you add on the layers with the arms, you start to add more attitude, more like facial expressions, right? So there's always something that you can layer onto it just to make yourself grow, right? So it's like not like, oh, I just got the choreography and now I'm perfect. No, like there's always something that you can add in.

And I don't feel like I have that kind of issue in the classes. Like to give you an idea, sometimes we have Brazilians who come to our class, right? And for them to do the samba is like the most natural thing in the world, right? But when I have, you know, Canadians who come to the class, they don't, they've never done the samba before. So I break down for them and everything.

And there was one student just recently who, she was going on our online platform, like she was gone for a month because she's Muslim. So she was fasting for Ramadan and stuff. So she was practicing from home.

And when she came back, like she was doing the samba like a natural Brazilian. And like the Brazilians in the class, they looked at her like, wow, they were just like applauding her, right? You know? So it's not like that kind of energy where like, oh my God, you know, like I already did this song. How boring, right? Like, and because the explanations are so quick, like I keep things very like quick because I want to keep their heart rate up, right? So it's not like a super long explanation.

It's like, okay, this, this, let's do a couple of times. So it's not, I've never had an issue with that.

Maia
Nice. Yeah, I know in my own classes, even the technique classes that I've taken as an adult fitness classes, I would consider myself a, you know, a pretty accomplished dancer, especially if you're just going into like a general population. But there's always so much to gain from that and just getting your body moving. And outside of the physical aspect, do you have some success stories that you could share? Because I love this idea of using it as a platform to build confidence and dance yourself brave, like you say.

So do you have any specific stories that you could share of examples of students gaining that from the classes?

Mariana
Yeah, just like simple things, like one woman who was a stay at home mom, and she was, you know, not feeling confident enough to go back into the workforce. And then she started taking the classes. And she's like, you know what, I can do it.

And you know, now she's applying for her jobs. I had one lady, it's funny, because when I tell this story, they're like, is this really a positive story? But she was in a marriage that she was just not happy in that marriage. And, you know, she just didn't feel fulfilled.

And then she started taking our classes. Then she all of a sudden was like, you know what, like, I deserve to be happy. And she left that marriage.

And so I was like, oh, so it's like you danced her out of her marriage. I'm like, well, that's one way of looking at it. But like you said, sometimes we have to do hard things to move on.

Yeah, get better. And, you know, and also now we're really focused on getting into colleges, right? So we started university clubs. So now just seeing these students, they're now getting certified to teach the program on campus and just watching them grow into that like leadership role, you know, where they're shy.

And then like after a few classes, they're like opening up, they're like, you know what, I want to teach this, right? So just seeing that spark where it's just amazing, right? I mean, you know, because you teach dance. But it's like for me, it's all those like the impact on the rest of their lives and not just like, oh, now they're dancing so much better than they were two months ago. It's like, okay, that's cool.

But also it's like, how is that change impacting? What is that ripple effect in their life, right, that I'm more interested in?

Maia
Yeah, very cool. And especially at the collegiate level, which I hadn't really thought of, what a great like resume builder to show that you took leadership and we're teaching a class. So in sort of a transition phase, if someone's interested in pursuing teaching dance after college, I can see that being an amazing opportunity.

Mariana
For sure.

Maia
Very cool.

I'm shifting gears a little bit here. But I just cannot stop thinking about kind of the differences between you and I with this particular situation where when I'm choreographing for my students, it's one dance for the whole year for one class. And, you know, I just have to focus on like highlighting basically what they're good at and what they learn throughout the year. And for you, you're having to churn out choreography so that it's fresh and it's new and so that it keeps their heart rate up and so that it's also fun and engaging for various levels and so that it builds their confidence.

And my brain is exploding thinking about this. So can you talk a little bit about like your choreographic process and how you do that?

Mariana
Yeah, so I love choreographing. It's funny.

It's just one of those things that comes very naturally to me. And I don't even know where it comes from, because I think I mentioned this to you. Like I don't have like a dance background.

Like I told you, like I went to Brazil at 14. Before that, I've never done like traditional dance. I've never done ballet or jazz, any of that.

I think my mom told me that once she took my sister and I to a ballet class and then our teacher made us smell our feet to do that like butterfly stretch. And we're like, we don't want to smell our feet. And then she's like, OK, you don't have to go back.

I was like, mom. So I don't have that background. But like I have this like ease when it comes to choreography.

The thing is that what I like to do is I and I put this in our course, like when we're training instructors, like make sure you know your music inside and out. So when I have like a new song that I want to use in the class, like I'm always like staying up to date with like what's new and like, you know, trendy, like in the Brazilian space, I listen to that song to death. I go on my walks and I just like listen, listen, listen, listen, listen.

I don't ever like go down into my studio to choreograph until like I know that song inside and out. I know like where the special like beats are, like where I can add some dramatic effect. I know where there's like a little bit of a difference where it's like the chorus repeats, but it's the second round isn't quite the same as the first.

Like I know all of that before I go to choreograph. So I think that makes my process a little bit faster. And I'm like that crazy person who goes for walks and I'm like listening to music and sometimes I'm like dancing on the street, like coming up with like choreography.

So that's how I do it. And yes, it's a lot of music because now the songs, especially in Brazil, like I'm really outdated with, you know, US music, Canadian music right now. But the songs are getting shorter and shorter.

Like I think because people's attention spans are shorter. So now it's like if I get a song that's three minutes long, like I'm lucky because they're usually like around two minutes, two and a half minutes. So they're very short.

Right. So that means like I have to have like a playlist of 16 to like sometimes 20 songs in a one hour class. Right.

So it's a lot of music that I have to be, you know, updating all the time. But what I like to do too is like kind of mix and match with some older songs. So there are some songs in Brazil that are just like classic party songs that everyone knows the choreography to.

And they bring back like some like nostalgia, especially for Brazilians who have been living here for a while and they miss like, you know, their their country and stuff. So I bring back some of like that carnival vibe, like old school songs. So there's always something new, but sometimes they bring back some old stuff.

So I'm always like playing around with my playlist like that. But yeah, it's a lot of a lot of work that happens behind the scenes to choreograph for sure. And that's why like when, you know, our instructors get certified, like they're going to be given all the choreography they need.

They're not going to have to choreograph anything because I know how time consuming it can be and how overwhelming it can be. Because when I used to teach that dance program that starts with the letter Z, which was like I think I did like the first training here in Canada back in the day. And they had their own choreography, but I never liked to use their choreography because I always felt like it was more fitnessy and less dancey.

Like it was like, and now in the middle of the song, let's do squats. I'm like, like, not my thing. Like, I just wanted it always to be more dance focused.

So I learned how to choreograph teaching that program. So even though like I didn't necessarily like teach it for very long, it's what taught me to make my own choreography. So I am really grateful for that process.

Because before that, I only taught pre-choreographed programs like the Les Mills, like Body Jam, Body Pump, Body Combat, where you receive all your choreography, you just learn it. So teaching this program was my first opportunity to learn how to choreograph. But I remember how long it would take me, right? So as a new instructor, if you're doing that from scratch, it can take a lot of time.

So that's why we're making sure that all our instructors get the choreography and, you know, they can just kind of learn it and go from there.

Maia
Okay, very cool. And that kind of brings me into just wanting you to share a little bit more.

We talked about the podcast very briefly, but share more about people that are interested in everything that you're doing and learning more about dance fitness and also just the idea of using dance as a platform to build confidence. Tell us more about your podcast, about your dance fitness program and anything else that you want to share about how people can connect with you and follow what you're doing.

Mariana
Yeah, of course.

So I think the best way to connect with us would be through Instagram. So we're very active on there. So Brazily Fitness.

So Brazil with a Y at the end. Fitness, all one word. BrazilyFitness.com too.

We have information about becoming an instructor. Even like if you have a dance studio or a gym and you're looking to bring some new programming in for your members, that's also a good way to get in touch with us to find out more. What's really like different I find from our program compared to the other program that starts with the letter C with, by the way, people say like, oh yeah, you do, you teach that Brazilian Zumba class, right? It's not Zumba.

Maia
Oh, dagger to the heart.

Mariana
Yeah, but you know what I've realized is just that some people don't understand that Zumba is a brand, right? They think of it as like any dance fitness is called Zumba. It's like us with Kleenex, right? Like we don't say like...

Maia
That's exactly what I was going to say.

Mariana
Exactly. Like I don't say like, oh, give me a tissue paper. Like, oh, you have Kleenex? So that's what it's become.

So like it's not a big deal. But when people take our class, they're like, oh, okay, this isn't Zumba. I get it, right? But what's very different is that it's not a license like it is in Zumba.

In Zumba, you take their training and you walk out of there and you get a certificate and you're a Zumba instructor. And with us, it's not quite that easy. Like we have to make sure that our instructors have like the musicality.

They know how to cue properly. We just want to make sure that we have the right people. Like we're not looking for quantity.

Like we're looking for quality instructors of people who really understand the mission. They're passionate. They have like that growth mindset.

They're willing to grow and pass on their knowledge to their participants. So there is like an application that happens with us before you are accepted into our training just because we want to make sure that we have the right people as we expand, right? So that is very different. So my podcast, the Dance Yourself Brave Show, it's about showcasing awesome dancers like you, right? And stories about how dance has changed your life.

Because that's my biggest mission, right? Is to remind people that anyone can dance. Anyone can reap benefits from dance. You just have to be willing to like let yourself like be a beginner and feel silly in the beginning and just keep going.

So that's what that is all about. We have our in-person training for Brazilian dance here in Ottawa at the end of August. So that's really exciting.

But for people who are not in Ottawa, we also have an online course. But lots of fun stuff. The best way to reach out would be through our website or on Instagram.

Maia
Okay, awesome. Yeah, I'm so glad that you brought that up about vetting the teachers a little bit more closely. First of all, I think that's a great lesson for anybody in the dance space is you do have to kind of look for quality over quantity because you can do a lot more harm than good as a dance educator.

I guess if you're more of a dancer that's put into a dance educator role and you don't understand the difference, it can be harmful. And I have definitely taken classes specifically, like you said, musicality from teachers that didn't understand the musicality. And it's like you're literally just learning steps.

Yeah, it's really frustrating. So I think that's wonderful. Thank you for bringing that up and for doing that in your program.

Mariana
Yeah, it's just it's a very different business model. I think that I have a very big vision for our brand. So even though we're nowhere where I envision it today, I'm protecting it from day one because I just want to make sure that the people who come on board, they have a similar mindset.

They don't have that mindset where they have to compete with everyone because that happens a lot in the fitness industry too where it's like comparison like, oh, her class has more people than mine. And how can I get, you know, like just teaching them abundance mindset, like no scarcity, like people are going to go to your class because it's you and that's it, right? Like and there's no reason for you to compete with anyone else. So yeah, it's just it's very, I think it's very important to make sure that we have the right people.

So that's why this is like part of our process.

Maia
Yeah, beautiful. I love it. And my next question, I also feel like you probably have so, so many just with the theme of your podcast, all the people that you talk to and the work that you do. But can you give us one quote related to dance that's like your favorite dance quote?

Mariana
Yeah. So one that I like a lot is by Martha Graham.

So it says, "dance is the hidden language of the soul." And I think that that one really resonates with me because I always tell people about how dance is therapy for the soul. Right.

And we just that's how we reconnect with ourselves. And we release, you know, stress and trauma. And it's so important to view dance in that light and not just like as like, oh, I'm going to dance because I'm going to be a professional dancer.

Like, no, just dance for yourself. And that's, you know, with time, like you'll improve your skills. But that's really and that's what I tell people when they come to the first class.

It's like today, all I want you to focus on is having fun, smiling. And if something's confusing, just freestyle, laugh it off. And over time, things start to fall into place.

Right. You just have to give yourself that time. And so, yeah.

And there's also like I'm sure you've seen the study that came out last year that showed that dance is the number one way to fight depression. So dance is such a powerful tool for you to just like, you know, reconnect with yourself and like let go of everything that's going on in your life that, you know, is stressing you out potentially.

Maia
Hey, this is Maia jumping back in.

I really wanted to conclude with Mariana's beautiful words reflecting on her own favorite quote within the dance world. Again, I'll just reiterate, I love her mission and the way that she's using dance, not just to build a business, but to actually build people's self-esteem, their confidence, and their own belief in themselves. So I hope that that inspired you as much as it did me.

Do take a peek at the show notes. If you want to connect with Mariana directly or look at any additional resources that I've shared there. And I also always share in the Casual Dance Teachers Network Facebook group.

So that's the best place to ask any questions, share any of your own insights and connect with us. You can also follow the Casual Dance Teachers podcast on Instagram. And if you haven't already, leave a review for us on whatever platform you're listening to the podcast on.

It really helps us get the word out to other dance teachers. A couple of thank yous, not only to our Casual Dance Teacher community, but also to GB Mystical who wrote the theme music for the show. Thank you again, and I'll see you next time.