If there’s one thing Jan Schantini enjoys about clogging, it’s how joyful it makes her.
On Thursdays at Manatee Recreation Center, Schantini, of the Village of Collier in Antrim Dells, offers a clogging class called Happy Feet Cloggers.
Because it keeps her moving and uses her intellect, clogging has remained her go-to form of exercise for years.
Schantini started clogging a few years ago after learning from a teacher and good buddy. She now teaches a weekly lesson to both beginners and experienced dancers.
“Once you get the gist of it, it all comes back,” she said. “If there’s a move you don’t know in a dance at the beginning of a song, you’ll most likely pick it up by the end.”
Schantini choreographs precise dances to her music, so they perform the same dance every time they play a song.
She began her Thursday session with a few warm-up tunes, such as David Ball’s “Amigo,” before moving on to a class favorite, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.”
Clogging is not just a means for Schantini to keep herself happy, but it is also a great way to exercise her brain, according to her.
“Making sure you remember all those moves, the coordination you need between your body and limbs, that all is a workout for your mind,” she said.
Learning and retaining along with repetition contribute to building a strong mind, according to Schantini, since it generates neural pathways.
It’s never too late to learn new things, she says, and it’s much better if you can do it consistently and with fun friends.
Schantini has a small class size and welcomes anyone interested in learning the dance on Thursdays at 1 p.m.