Burn Calories, Dance Away the Pounds at Easley's Newest Zumba Studio

When Kari Garzon teaches a class, she gives it everything she's got.

Her focus is on keeping her customers excited about what they are doing, worrying less about the steps or perfect rythmic moves, she wants them to have fun.

At a recent class at her studio near Furman University, Garzon told the "newbies" in the class that even if they got the steps wrong, "just smile and keep going."

It's that attitude that has kept her business growing.

Garzon will open her third Studio SI location at 1729 Powdersville Road, Suite A, Easley, on Saturday.

"We've expanded and exploded," Garzon said of her two other locations in Greenville. "Customers kept asking me to come to Easley, but we had to wait until the time was right to open here."

Garzon said she felt like she had a good following of people in Easley and that opening near Tri-County Tech's Easley campus would be a good fit for the growing business.

"We aren't really focusing on working out when people come," Garzon said. "We have a good time. They get a good workout and it's as if they have been at a club dancing for an hour."

The studio, in addition to Zumba, will offer classes in Zumba Toning, Hip Hop Hustle, Turbo Kick, Piloxing and PiYo.

But don't worry if you may be rythmically challenged, Garzon said it only takes motivation to get through one of her classes.

"If you have the motivation to get up and you can sway side-to-side, you can do this," Garzon said.

Garzon said she started to become interested in Zumba because she had grown up with a dance background.

"I missed dancing," Garzon said. "That's what has attracted many of my clients to the business, as well as my instructors."

Garzon said that while people are enjoying the dance moves and the Latin rythmns, they are also burning calories.

"It is so rewarding to see people come in and to watch that transformation of that person," Garzon said. "You see how their bodies are changing, how toned they are becoming and you see that smile. That's the amazing part of all of this."

Studio SI will open at 9 a.m. Saturday for the first Zumba class at the location. For more information or to check out the class schedule for the Easley location, visit Studio SI online.