At Your
Beat

It’s in our nature to imagine being someone else for a while. We get dressed up for dinner parties with our closest friends. We eat croissants to make us feel like we’re living fabulous lives in Paris (by way of Brooklyn). And we watch Beyonce music videos on repeat, in the hopes that one day we, too, can dance like Queen Bey.

Spoiler alert: If you’re in the latter camp, watching videos and imagining your way to the So You Think You Can Dance stage is not your answer. But we do have one. STAY WITH US.

Enter London-born dance-fitness newcomer, At Your Beat. They’re a Downtown Brooklyn studio, located in the City Point Shopping Center (the Alamo Drafthouse building), with a focus on making fitness fun. This one goes out to all those who exclusively dance in their bedrooms. Read: AYB is beginner-friendly.

The class types vary, but all of them are dance inspired. We like AYB Body: Dance Cardio & Tone (formerly FitBEAT), urbanBEAT, and videoBEAT, but no matter the style, all of the classes hone in on isolated muscle groups. For example, in one class we counted no less than 50 high kicks.

It’s a full body workout, but if you’re a true dance cardio stan and frequent places like AKT or the Tracy Anderson method, you’ll find At Your Beat less challenging. The class doesn’t quite take off in the same way, as it really is geared toward beginners. We’ve found that the intensity also varies by instructor.

In terms of pricing, it’s definitely reasonable. AYB is brand new, so prices hover around $20 for a drop-in class. Right now, it’s $160 for a month of unlimited classes. Or you can nab a five-class pack for $100.

In short, you’ll pay for founder Joelle D’Fontaine’s cool-kid choreography. But you’ll stay for every teacher’s skillful knack at putting your clumsy limbs at ease. We do have one caveat: you won’t turn into a professional dancer after these classes. They are still primarily about fitness, and because it’s beginner friendly, the moves never really build on one another to become a full routine.

All to say, AYB isn't for the person who could maybe make it through the first round audition for Bey's background dancers with some shred of dignity remaining. But for those of us who daydream about being that sort of dancer (especially those fellow dreamers who spend a lot of time in Downtown Brooklyn), AYB is perfect.