It was a LaBlast
Hi friends! How was your day? Hope you’re having a lovely Indian Food Wednesday.
I didn’t participate today.. but did celebrate vinegar chip Wednesday 😉
Heh heh.
Today was extra exciting because I got to spend my day with this guy right here:
Louis Van Amstel from Dancing with the Stars 🙂
He trained the new dance instructors at the resort (myself included) for his program LaBlast, which is a ballroom-based dance cardio class. He had so much knowledge to share and it was so much fun.
We learned the Cha-Cha, Salsa, Jive, Merengue and Disco… such a blasty. Or a LaBlasty 😉
If they offer classes near you, I’d definitely suggest checking them out. It’s an extremely effective dance cardio workout and the bonus is that you can bust out some fancy footwork next time you’re out dancing 😉
I’ve already received quite a few questions about Louis himself so I will go ahead and say:
-Yes, he’s fantastic, insanely talented and a lot of fun and
-Yes he has a nice bod 🙂
I was going to ask for a picture with him but it’s hard to cross that fan/work line since many celebrities stay at the resort. Today was a little different because he was training us instead of taking a vacay, and I’m sure he would have been cool about it if I told him about the blog, but I decided not to.
Here’s a video of LaBlast if you’d like a sneak peek:
Work snackage:
-gluten-free bagel with goat cream cheese
-Vosges chocolate bar (this one had black sesame seeds, ginger and wasabi!!)
-organic apple
-pickles… 😉
After training all day, I went to take an acupuncture nap. It’s been quite a few weeks since I’ve been to acupuncture and my favorite chair was waiting for me. It’s GIANT recliner and swallows me up into a peaceful slumber 🙂 It was very nice.
I was planning on going to dance cardio tonight, but since there’s already been a lot of dancing today, I’m going to hit up a yoga class. I’ve been ditching out in the yoga department and miss it- it always feels so good when I practice regularly.
Hope everyone has a great night and I’ll see ya in the morning <3
xoxo
Gina
Something to talk about: Have you ever had the chance to be trained or learn something from someone whom you really admire?
Something to think:
“While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. That is why I dance.”
Hans Bos
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Louis!! That is so darn cool – he’s such a fabulous dancer!
Hehe, I love your eats – pickles and chocolate.
right? haha
ive never actually heard of that guy, but ive watched some of the shows. so that is pretty cool that someone like that came and taught the class!
I would love to take a dance class!
Don’t pickles taste so much better now that your pregnant? Not sure what it is about them, but I had never truly tasted a pickle before being pregnant!
omg… i liked pickles before… but now i looooooooove pickles
I would LOVE to take that class! I took a regular ballroom dancing class once and it was SO. FUN. I should’ve been born in the 1800’s 🙂
So Gina, your pregnancy cravings are pretty much my everyday cravings… I really don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m preggers haha.
I’m trained by someone whom I greatly admire on a huge basis daily. Her name is Zuzana 🙂
hahah! AMEN
AMEN
i miss bodyrock so much.
Haha I love the pickles pregnant lady : )
I just found your blog yesterday and it’s great. I love that Louis is teaching his LA Blast class all over. I’ve known Louis for nearly 10 years! I have worked with him on various jobs in Hollywood (was a former pro-ballroom lady myself in my former life…) and have always wanted to attend his fitness class, some of my good friends are his instructors in LA. He was just starting it up when I left So Cal (decided to start my fam)–so I feel like I’m having one of those Oprah “full-circle-moments.” lol He really does have an amazing knowledge of the body and movement and he is a lot of fun. So glad you got to experience cardio ballroom. 🙂
Anyway, you’re blog is awesome and best wishes with the rest of your pregnancy!
thanks girl!
that’s awesome that you’ve known him for so long. he’s an insanely talented guy 🙂
welcome to the little blog too! xoxo
I got to take class taught by Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, choreographers for So You Think You Can Dance. Amazing teachers and material!
ahhhhmazing!!
I love pickles and chocolate too…Hrmmmm…. wonder what that means 😉
I met one of my fitness idols a few weeks ago – and acted like a total star struck goober. Of course it didn’t help that it was the last session of the day of a fitness conference so I looked like a gross mess, and she came in (after teaching spin ALL DAY) looking beautiful and totally put together….
Anyway I blogged about it here http://www.confessionsofafitnessinstructor.com/2011/05/meeting-one-of-my-fitness-idols.html
I’m pretty stoked that I’m going to get to meet (or at least be trained) by Gina Grant in a few weeks at the Zumba convention. She is hands down my fav. celb Zumba person so that will be pretty awesome for me!
Chips, chocolate and pickles eh? I think you’re covering all the pregnancy food groups 😉
I celebrated Indian Food Wednesday on your behalf with TJ’s Garlic Naan and Channa Masala! Foodgasm everytime. 🙂
whoo hoo! that sounds lovely 🙂
That dance class sounds like a ball! 🙂
That’s my favourite Vosges bar – sooooo good!!
That is so cool! I understand…when you want to get a photo with someone but it miiiiight be a bit too soon to cross that line. 🙂 Happens a lot to me out here in Hollywood. 😉
Sounds like a fun day! I haven’t tried the Vosges chocolate. I always eye it, but then check out the price tag and walk away. Maybe when I feel like splurging myself a little, I’ll get one!
What a FUN day you had! Wow!
Glad you got your acupuncture nap on after your big day with all the dancing and Louis.
I am super impressed that you are keeping up such an active pace in your early pregnancy. Girl. I was.so.sick. when I was pregnant it wasn’t even funny. The first 20 weeks are one big blur. I lived in the bathroom. The next 18, still sick, but not as bad..but I was like…a walker. And some super gentle yoga. I couldnt do anything. I was sick and tired! lol 🙂
I am AWFUL at picking up steps so I don’t know how much I’d like that class but it does sound fun! And dancing with any professional dancer is bound to be fun!
Liking the work snacks….hehe about the pickles! Just as long as you don’t start dipping them in icecream! LOL!
Haha aw, loves the pickles!
That’s so cool about the ballroom class.. My mom used to teach ballroom dance professionally, and she swears it was the best workout ever..
WOW! That is amazing! You are amazing!!! I am looking to relocate, I am a Nurse Practitioner and RNFA, with athletic training, single mom of 3. You are in Arizona now? I would really like to move out there as I think there are more options for me out west vs east right now. How do you like it? Would appreciate any input. Thanks 🙂
I love your work eats — totally random and all totally delicious 🙂
That is really cool that he taught the class! I hope to take a dance class before I get married (and after)!
Lucky you! That’s sounds like a lot of fun. I probably would’ve bailed on asking him to take a pic too.
oh my gosh, i am TOTALLY not a dancer and would be scared to death, but if Louie is teaching it i’m in. he’s one of my favorites!
LaBlast! It looks so fun!
In a week, I’m starting yoga teacher training with a few teachers I’ve reallyyyy admired over the past few years – the best part of New York is you get to work with THE BEST. My bff and I will be getting our RYTs at about the same time so we’re planning on celebrating by going to practice with Sri Dharma Mittra … can’t wait. Also in September I’m going to a Pilates conference where I’m doing an eight hour workshop on reformer sequencing with Lolita San Miguel, one of the original Pilates Elders who was ‘officially certified’ by Joe himself…. I am *so* stoked for that!
That’s pretty cool that you got to learn from Louis! I once got to meet Jane Goodall at a wildlife conservation conference. I just got her autograph and took a picture with her, but I was so excited because I admire her so much!
That is a GREAT quote!!!
I got to sing under the direction of my favorite choral composer, Eric Whitacre, in high school. It was a choir of over 100 singers at an invitational and we performed only his works the way he wanted them performed. It was amazing.
I wish I saw Kelly’s season. I really like her on The Fashion Police!
me too- she is so cute!
Yes, I’m lucky enough to close to the studios in LA where Louis teaches! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LaBlast!!! Also, fortunate enough to attend cooking demos with Top Chef Season 5 Fan Favorite, Chef Fabio Viviani 🙂
me = jealous
Acupuncture sounds great! I’ve been reading your blog for over a year but this is my first comment 🙂
I just started getting acupuncture and I’m still getting used to the super-sleepy feeling I get afterwards… I have to work out in the morning because I can’t do anything productive afterward!
WOW! That is amazing that a famous/professional dancer was able to teach you and the other instructors some dance moves. I would have been totally star-struck! 🙂
What an awesome experience!!!
SO COOL!!! SO JEALOUS! Though if it been Derek Hough, I just might have had to knock you off and assume your identity.
I have always loved checking out your eats but now that you are preggo, it’s even more fun! When I was pregnant with baby number 1 I was in love with anything sour and super salty! Vinegar chips were on the list along with dill pickle chips, pickles in general, lemon heads candy and Lemonade!
I have never trained with someone “famous” but have a lot of group x instructor friends, and I always love going to a class taught by a friend!
It makes me feel like such a geek but once I went to see some of my favorite comedians talk about how they got in the biz and became a part of it in such a powerful way. While zero part of me wants to become a stand-up comedian, it was so fun to hear them IRL and talk to them. I totally fan-girled out, too, and got them to sign my tshirt!
Hey! Sounds like an awesome day. I know you love your acupuncture… and I’m sure you are well aware, but just wanted to make sure you know some acupuncture points can induce labor and are not used on pregnant women. Just wanted to make sure you have taken these precautions. I’m absolutely sure there are many benefits of acupuncture for a healthy pregnancy!
yep- my acupuncturist knows i’m pregnant 🙂 he’s doing pressure points to make sure things stay healthy and the way they’re supposed to, plus points for my hip pain and fatigue
oh fun! I want to take dance classes so bad…I will keep an eye for his class
I have been enjoy lots of pickles over here too, love them lately
You should have asked for the picture – I am sure it would have made his day! 😉
Wow. I would have loved to have been in that class! I went on the Jillian Michael’s cruise last fall. I had the opportunity to take a class taught by her and her awesome instructors.
I have been wanting to try a La Blast course for a while now I am very impatiently waiting for something to come to somewhere near here. I love “interesting” cardio and adore dancing. Besides that I adore ballroom and an a huge DWTS/Louie fan. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
Your chocolate sounds amazing, I have never tried that particular combo but I think I should.
Gina! Congratulations on your pregnancy! I was told you can’t do accupuncture while you are pregnant. Is this just something that is up to the accupuncturist?? I wanted to try it out, but was told I couldn’t because of being preggers.
i think the prob is starting it when you’re pregnant if you haven’t done it already. i’ve been going for about 7 months, so it was no big deal for me to continue (and actually good for the baby and some of the symptoms i’ve had)
My fav pickle treat of all time is kosher dills (that you cut yourself, they stay crunchier that way) on top of sea salt potato chips. Depending on how much potato you want the Organic Kettle Chips (thick) or the Whole Foods Organic chips (thin) I have loved this always and while pregnant it was AMAZING!!
omggggggggg
i’m all over that hahah
How cool! Sounds like a really fun program. I kinda felt that way on the celeb factor when I did Zumba training with Tanya. I felt bashful asking for a picture, but in the end I was just another of the like, 100 people there who did it too, so a photo was had! Sounds like you made the right decision on the workplace vs. fanplace thing though.
That Vosges sounds so good right now–I love me a Barcelona bar fo sho. We give Vosges as client gifts at my company and every time I place an order I’m like, no one would notice if I had a duplicate sent to my place for quality control…right? 😉
That quote is beautiful!
Hey! I am still catching up on all the old posts, but I wanted to say hello! I love you and your blog very very much. One time at a dance conference I got to take a class from a man named Marti, who was Justin Timberlake`s choreographer at the time! I defs have a pic with him to prove it! It was majah cool.
Omg that class looks soo fun! I bet I would suck at it though, although I’m a former dancer, ballroom was never in my training!