With the arrival of standard time in full effect, I know the darkness at 5 p.m. will leave me feeling a little lazy and lethargic. It is about that time of the year when I lock up my bike for the winter and look for new ways to get the blood flowing and the energy level back up. Last night, a good friend and I endured our first hip-hop instructional dance class.  The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater is located on West 55th Street and 9th Avenue in Manhattan. The Ailey Extension offers an array of classes, ranging from ballet to street jazz to Zumba Latin fitness. On the walk to the theater, our nerves started racing, as we weren’t quite sure what to anticipate. We hadn’t given the class much consideration before registering. Once we got into the studio, we quickly claimed the far back corner in an attempt to avoid any embarrassing hip-hop slip-ups. Suddenly, the room grew silent. Our instructor, Tweetie, walked into the room. She had a short, urban hairstyle with a wave of blond covering one eye. Her sweatpants appeared to be four sizes too big and were rolled up to just below the knee. A small wife-beater tank top revealed a tiny tattoo on her right arm. When Tweetie walked into the room, she didn’t even so much as lift her head to see who was in attendance. Instead she walked straight to the stereo and suddenly The Black-Eyed Peas shook the whole studio. At that moment, we knew we were in the right class. Tweetie took the lead and started stretching as we all followed suit. Stretching for hip-hop dance is similar to stretching for yoga, but with some shoulder bumps and head nods to the beat thrown in. After only the first 10 minutes, my friend and I were grinning from ear to ear. By the end of the class, we had a short dance routine down. By no means were we great, but it was probably one of the best workouts I’ve had in a long time. This dance class was a fun way to exert myself, while having the end goal — a dance routine — in sight. I tend to space out in gyms and lose focus. I highly recommend a beginner dance course for anyone looking for a fun way to make it through the rough winter ahead of us! — Courtney Centeno, account executive