“Swivel those hips!” may be the new anthem for fitness-minded women, or at least the rhythmically advanced ones frequenting Urban Fitness in West Seattle (4700 California Ave. S.W., 206-938-4119). Co-owned by the founder of Urban Striptease Aerobics, Tricia Murphy, Urban Fitness has become a mecca for women looking for aerobics with some extra benefits.
Intrigued by any workout that encourages the removal of clothes, I decide to try this stripping phenomenon for myself. Clad in baggy sweats and towing a close friend to share the possible humiliation, I step inside the classroom and am immediately sucked into a crowd of milling women. (Oh, sweet Jesus—I’m supposed to gyrate in front of these strangers?) My friend and I try to comfort each other with tidbits remembered from preadolescent ballet/jazz classes, then grab spots in the back corner of the room. Looking around, we notice a variety of body types, but the majority seem to be athletic, in their mid-20s, and, frankly, reminiscent of sorority sisters. I’m relieved when an older woman sidles in beside me, my terror mirrored in her similar expression.
Instructor Murphy then takes front and center. After welcoming everyone back to their sixth and final class, she begins the routine they’ve been working on for weeks. My friend and I are screwed: Joining the others in pelvic thrusts and chest gyrations as best we can, it’s soon evident that one should not start a class in the sixth week of a six-week program. I attempt to emulate the movements, horrified that my rhythmically challenged body must stick out like a sore thumb.
There’s some sexy strutting, bending, kicking, thrusting—you name it. Then, somewhere amidst my friend and I bumping into each other, tripping on shoelaces, and laughing uncontrollably (much to the dismay of the other students, who had apparently evolved beyond such immaturity), I realize: I’m having a damn good time. When was the last time I actually enjoyed working out? Murphy is good at explaining the moves, and as spastic as I am, I catch onto the maneuvers after a little repetition. I’m feeling proud of myself, although I doubt that any significant other would find my rendition of this stripping routine especially “sexy,” not yet anyway.
As Murphy will tell you, though, that’s not the point of this class at all. What she really hopes women take away from her classes is a feeling of self-confidence and empowerment—regardless of body type, flexibility, or experience.
“I’m not here to help you convince your boyfriend or husband that you’re sexy,” she says, explaining that, instead, she’s trying to help women understand their own sensuality by introducing a unique way to enjoy their bodies.
The veteran dancer’s efforts studying stripper moves have clearly not been in vain. Murphy isn’t the first to combine stripper style with aerobics—such classes have long been available in Los Angeles and New York—but she’s the first to bring it to Seattle, and her classes at Urban Fitness and Rain Fitness (159 Western Ave. W., 206-283-7246) have a loyal following. Even conservatives in the area have yet to make a fuss about Tricia’s provocative lessons, perhaps because no clothes are actually removed during the classes and because what Murphy’s doing is about more than eroticism—it’s a safe, women-only environment in which you can gyrate without risking harassment.
The initial skepticism I felt that first night has been replaced with an appreciation for Murphy’s mission. Some women in the class may be in it to excite the men in their lives, but others take the experience as one that can evoke confidence and, yes, even humor. Believe me, you’d be laughing at my moves, too, if you’d seen them.
For those not really wanting to shake their stuff in front of strangers, the Urban Striptease Aerobics DVD ($23.95) is available at www.urbanstriptease.com or at Easy Street Records, Elliot Bay Books, and Amazon.
