Is Freestyle Step Dying?
Once upon a time Freestyle Step was Australia's biggest fitness craze. People used to step all over each other just to have a go. People traveled from different towns, cities, states, even countries just to attend some of these classes. However, these days Freestyle Step can hardly be seen in gyms and health clubs. What's happened to Freestyle Step; where has it gone? Could Freestyle Step be reaching the end of its life?
Just a few years ago, Freestyle Step was big business - not just in Australia, but in many countries around the world. Literally thousands of people went to classes every week; if you didn't go to one yourself, because Freestyle Step wasn't for you then you knew someone who did! Freestyle Step was pretty much Australia's way of keeping fit. You could even go as far as saying that Australia’s standard of freestyle fitness classes was incredibly high, and..... Yes Sir! Us little fair dinkum Aussies were the Freestyle step world leader - we were also home to some of the best instructors in the world, such as Marcus Irwin, Lexie Williams, Michelle Dean, Anton Scott, etc… These guys were good, they knew it, we knew it, and the entire world knew it. We were such a hot little bunch that it ended up 'what Aussies did the world followed'.
Since then, there has been one heck of a decline in popularity. Where Freestyle Step was once filling every gym in the country, now you'd be hard pushed to find a place that offers it. Gyms seem to be struggling to keep it as a viable option, due to the lack of Freestyle Step instructors. For casual gym-goers and those who expect basic step classes, this might not seem like a big deal, but for Freestyle Step fanatics like you and me, it's devastating.
Where did it all go wrong?
Is it that step simply had its heyday and now it’s time for the fitness industry to move on? Maybe, but there are still plenty of step-a-holics out there. It is still a favorite class to teach between many of today's instructors.
There are many reasons why Freestyle Step may be dying a slow, painful death. Australia is not a big fitness market. Not even close. Thus many of our ‘Masters’ of freestyle group exercise decided to try in the bigger and greener pastures. We felt these departures quite a harshly. At one point it seemed that whoever had left before was calling the next little Aussie instructor to follow. ‘Master’ after ‘Master’ were packing up their homes and calling other countries 'home'. We also had ‘natural regression’ where some of these instructors left the business due to health, financial commitments, family responsibilities, etc....
Why didn’t other freestyle step instructors pick up the reins? … well, they did. Or should I say they tried. Many attempts to fill these shoes took place, but many failed. The difference in style, aptitude, knowledge, skill, etc… was too grand to just jump in and take the bull by the horns. People felt cheated with the unparalleled replacements. Don't get me wrong. We had awesome ones as well, but the sheer number of mediocre instructors, versus the few good instructors was too great for the Australian freestyle members community of the time.
Everywhere in Australia, as well as many other countries around the globe, step is experiencing an industry-wide slow-down that it might never recover from. Is it due to lack of interest from instructors, or lack of interest from group participants, or is it because it is easy to manage due to its "cookie-cutter" instructor availability? Likely, it’s a bit them all.
And then… probably the biggest factor that influenced the spiral free fall of Freestyle Step is the timely introduction of pre-choreographed classes, such as the Les Mills programs, which seem to be the new "must have" trend for gyms. Some of these great instructors did join the ‘dark side’ and became part of the pre-choreographed programs. What were the creators of these programs thinking, rolling in and stealing our thunder and our ‘Master’ instructors?
Joking aside, Les Mills BodyStep is gaining popularity in gyms nowadays. Despite the fact that Les Mills has a predefined routine which the instructor has to follow week in, week out (you do as you're told, no matter your skill level), in many ways it is similar to regular Freestyle Step. Both include a set of movements on, off and around a platform, so it's clear to see why so many people made the transition. The program from Les Mills is the same every week in every gym, by every instructor, so any BodyStep instructor can lead any class in any gym. One huge benefit of this is that if an instructor becomes unavailable at short notice, their class can be covered very easily by another instructor. Gone are the days of trusting your instructor to keep using their imagination, as with Freestyle Step. Now, it's all about letting the program do all the hard work for the instructor.
However, that's not all. Another reason why Freestyle Step has gone through a drop in popularity is because many gyms didn't cater for the different Freestyle Step levels to match everyone's needs. Some of the gyms that did, had some instructors making their basic and intermediate classes more advanced to cater for those advanced members in the class (and to fight their own boredom during the class), losing in the process the few basic step members that may have been able to ‘grow’ into intermediate or advance classes. it made the newbies ask themselves the question "Is Freestyle Step for Me?"
A lot of fitness participants who didn’t first learn step choreography and step terminology back in the "Yah Olde" times are now lost. The scarcity of traditional basic and intermediate step means no more beginning step members making the "cut" into intermediate and advanced classes. Traditionally choreographed step classes have a steep learning curve for everyone, compared to a lot of other group exercise programs. Learning the movements of the step, how moves transition and relate to each other, the step language itself (each instructor has his or her individual language) and timing of the music takes a significant amount of time and practice. They were the days where it was acceptable to members for new instructors to begin teaching before their skills were perfected. Group fitness members of now expect new instructors to be refined in their skills as soon as they step on at the head of the class. Being a step instructor was not for everyone. There was a special passion for this program. Although rhetorical, you knew that freestyle step was for you, when dawn on you that freestyle step was for you. :-)
The jump from beginners' classes to advanced classes was too steep for many newbies, which put a lot of them off developing their skills. At the other end of the spectrum, there were regular and advanced Freestyle Step class members who grew bored because they weren't being challenged enough on the basic and intermediate classes, or stopped attending classes because they developed joint problems, became too old, competition between gyms having Freestyle step classes on the same slot in their time table, or simply didn't like their instructor. As such, these factors led to people discontinuing their involvement in Freestyle Step, which, in turn the fact that class numbers started dwindling, gave it a bad name, and classes started to be removed from the time table - it never looks good if classes have to be cancelled. It gives the impression of not being worthwhile. It was a bit of a vicious circle for Freestyle Step...the more technically advanced the classes became, the more it led to cancelled classes. After that, becoming less popular was inevitable - it was just a matter of time. Sadly, that time came all too soon, and Freestyle Step began its downwards spiral.
Despite this, the same negative effect wasn't felt the whole way around the world. It's already been stated how Australia led the way for the rest of the world, so it stands to reason that it was us who had furthest to fall. In other countries, Freestyle Step never reached quite the same heights as it did in Australia. This means that when Les Mills BodyStep (and other fitness fads) came along, the competition wasn't as fierce. You know what this means? Freestyle Step has stuck in terms of popularity in other countries around the world.
There's hope for it yet!
When you look elsewhere, for example at America and certain European countries, Freestyle Step is still just as popular as it ever was. You can find a class in pretty much every gym - there aren't millions to choose from, but that's the way it should be. That's one of the reasons why those guys are keeping Freestyle Step alive, where Australia has failed. Is it possible that this steadfast popularity in other countries make its way back round to Australia again?
They say that clothes are always coming back into fashion; the same can be said for fitness trends. What was popular 20 years ago might have gone out of fashion, but it's influencing how we live today - that's why vintage fashion is such a big market. The world of fitness is somewhat similar, in that everyone's looking for a new way to push themselves. They're looking for a new style, or something more challenging. That's why trends come and go, as people search for the next best thing. However, once they've moved on and forgotten the wonders of something (in this case Freestyle Step), when they come across it again in time to come, it will seem even more marvellous than it did the first time!
Looking ahead to the future, what can we hope for Freestyle Step? Or - perhaps more realistically - what can we expect?
It seems as though the aforementioned revival is a very real possibility. Whether it's brought about from the influence of other countries, or the fact that trends tend to come back around, it doesn't really matter. The point is that hopefully Freestyle Step has reached its lowest point, so from here on in the only way is up. The very fact that we are talking about it and bringing the debate into light shows that there must be at least some interest in keeping it alive!
For those who have been following Freestyle Step since its introduction, looking back does make you realise how far we have come. It's obvious that Freestyle Step is nowhere near as popular as it once was. However, we hope that is all about to change. When you think about it, Freestyle Step could never die out completely - it's such fitness staple that it will live on in gyms in one way or another, even if that means reincarnated inside other fad’s such as Les Mills BodyStep. It influences so many other ways of keeping fit - what would Les Mills BodyStep be without it? Nothing - it is a cut down, locked down version of Freestyle Step. Freestyle Step's basic moves and styles have become hard-wired into us, so it's here for the long haul, whether we like it or not. It may be a slow burner at times, but aren't all fitness crazes? Ultimately, the only way that you can ensure that Freestyle Step lives on is to keep it going yourself! Keep working out, keep moving and keep having fun. If others can see how much you enjoy it, you will play a part in bringing its popularity right back up to speed.
Next month I want to talk about the standard line: "Is Freestyle Step for Me?" which is used by many as a real question, but by many others as an excuse not to get involved in Step.
Until the first week of September... I hope you find happiness while stepping around your step!
#freestyle, #FreestyleStep, #step,
Bruno Jimenez
August 2014
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| is Freestyle Step Aerobics Dead? |
Since then, there has been one heck of a decline in popularity. Where Freestyle Step was once filling every gym in the country, now you'd be hard pushed to find a place that offers it. Gyms seem to be struggling to keep it as a viable option, due to the lack of Freestyle Step instructors. For casual gym-goers and those who expect basic step classes, this might not seem like a big deal, but for Freestyle Step fanatics like you and me, it's devastating.
Where did it all go wrong?
Is it that step simply had its heyday and now it’s time for the fitness industry to move on? Maybe, but there are still plenty of step-a-holics out there. It is still a favorite class to teach between many of today's instructors.
There are many reasons why Freestyle Step may be dying a slow, painful death. Australia is not a big fitness market. Not even close. Thus many of our ‘Masters’ of freestyle group exercise decided to try in the bigger and greener pastures. We felt these departures quite a harshly. At one point it seemed that whoever had left before was calling the next little Aussie instructor to follow. ‘Master’ after ‘Master’ were packing up their homes and calling other countries 'home'. We also had ‘natural regression’ where some of these instructors left the business due to health, financial commitments, family responsibilities, etc....
 |
| Where did it all go wrong? |
Everywhere in Australia, as well as many other countries around the globe, step is experiencing an industry-wide slow-down that it might never recover from. Is it due to lack of interest from instructors, or lack of interest from group participants, or is it because it is easy to manage due to its "cookie-cutter" instructor availability? Likely, it’s a bit them all.
And then… probably the biggest factor that influenced the spiral free fall of Freestyle Step is the timely introduction of pre-choreographed classes, such as the Les Mills programs, which seem to be the new "must have" trend for gyms. Some of these great instructors did join the ‘dark side’ and became part of the pre-choreographed programs. What were the creators of these programs thinking, rolling in and stealing our thunder and our ‘Master’ instructors?
Joking aside, Les Mills BodyStep is gaining popularity in gyms nowadays. Despite the fact that Les Mills has a predefined routine which the instructor has to follow week in, week out (you do as you're told, no matter your skill level), in many ways it is similar to regular Freestyle Step. Both include a set of movements on, off and around a platform, so it's clear to see why so many people made the transition. The program from Les Mills is the same every week in every gym, by every instructor, so any BodyStep instructor can lead any class in any gym. One huge benefit of this is that if an instructor becomes unavailable at short notice, their class can be covered very easily by another instructor. Gone are the days of trusting your instructor to keep using their imagination, as with Freestyle Step. Now, it's all about letting the program do all the hard work for the instructor.
However, that's not all. Another reason why Freestyle Step has gone through a drop in popularity is because many gyms didn't cater for the different Freestyle Step levels to match everyone's needs. Some of the gyms that did, had some instructors making their basic and intermediate classes more advanced to cater for those advanced members in the class (and to fight their own boredom during the class), losing in the process the few basic step members that may have been able to ‘grow’ into intermediate or advance classes. it made the newbies ask themselves the question "Is Freestyle Step for Me?"
A lot of fitness participants who didn’t first learn step choreography and step terminology back in the "Yah Olde" times are now lost. The scarcity of traditional basic and intermediate step means no more beginning step members making the "cut" into intermediate and advanced classes. Traditionally choreographed step classes have a steep learning curve for everyone, compared to a lot of other group exercise programs. Learning the movements of the step, how moves transition and relate to each other, the step language itself (each instructor has his or her individual language) and timing of the music takes a significant amount of time and practice. They were the days where it was acceptable to members for new instructors to begin teaching before their skills were perfected. Group fitness members of now expect new instructors to be refined in their skills as soon as they step on at the head of the class. Being a step instructor was not for everyone. There was a special passion for this program. Although rhetorical, you knew that freestyle step was for you, when dawn on you that freestyle step was for you. :-)
 |
| Newbie stepper developing her skill |
Despite this, the same negative effect wasn't felt the whole way around the world. It's already been stated how Australia led the way for the rest of the world, so it stands to reason that it was us who had furthest to fall. In other countries, Freestyle Step never reached quite the same heights as it did in Australia. This means that when Les Mills BodyStep (and other fitness fads) came along, the competition wasn't as fierce. You know what this means? Freestyle Step has stuck in terms of popularity in other countries around the world.
There's hope for it yet!
When you look elsewhere, for example at America and certain European countries, Freestyle Step is still just as popular as it ever was. You can find a class in pretty much every gym - there aren't millions to choose from, but that's the way it should be. That's one of the reasons why those guys are keeping Freestyle Step alive, where Australia has failed. Is it possible that this steadfast popularity in other countries make its way back round to Australia again?
They say that clothes are always coming back into fashion; the same can be said for fitness trends. What was popular 20 years ago might have gone out of fashion, but it's influencing how we live today - that's why vintage fashion is such a big market. The world of fitness is somewhat similar, in that everyone's looking for a new way to push themselves. They're looking for a new style, or something more challenging. That's why trends come and go, as people search for the next best thing. However, once they've moved on and forgotten the wonders of something (in this case Freestyle Step), when they come across it again in time to come, it will seem even more marvellous than it did the first time!
Looking ahead to the future, what can we hope for Freestyle Step? Or - perhaps more realistically - what can we expect?
 |
| Light at the end of the tunnel. |
For those who have been following Freestyle Step since its introduction, looking back does make you realise how far we have come. It's obvious that Freestyle Step is nowhere near as popular as it once was. However, we hope that is all about to change. When you think about it, Freestyle Step could never die out completely - it's such fitness staple that it will live on in gyms in one way or another, even if that means reincarnated inside other fad’s such as Les Mills BodyStep. It influences so many other ways of keeping fit - what would Les Mills BodyStep be without it? Nothing - it is a cut down, locked down version of Freestyle Step. Freestyle Step's basic moves and styles have become hard-wired into us, so it's here for the long haul, whether we like it or not. It may be a slow burner at times, but aren't all fitness crazes? Ultimately, the only way that you can ensure that Freestyle Step lives on is to keep it going yourself! Keep working out, keep moving and keep having fun. If others can see how much you enjoy it, you will play a part in bringing its popularity right back up to speed.
Next month I want to talk about the standard line: "Is Freestyle Step for Me?" which is used by many as a real question, but by many others as an excuse not to get involved in Step.
Until the first week of September... I hope you find happiness while stepping around your step!
#freestyle, #FreestyleStep, #step,
Bruno Jimenez
August 2014
