BESA African Dance Fitness Classes Return Nov. 9 to Columbia Athletic Club

The next round of BESA African Dance classes will begin on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Columbia Athletic Club, which is located at 5435 Beaverkill Road near the Harper's Choice Village Center. Classes will be held on Saturdays from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

BESA African Dance, created by Kwame Ansah-Brew, uses carefully selected choreography gleaned from the movement vocabulary of indigenous African dance. Learn about African culture while you dance to African beats and amp up your cardio level.

Attendees can register for a full session or pay for drop-ins. It is a low-impact workout appropriate for all ages, with kids as young as 8 welcome to join. The cost for a six-week session is $40 for Package Plan Plus members, $45 for Package Plan members, $60 for resident non-members, and $72 for non-resident non-members. The cost for individual drop-in classes is $10 for members and $13 for non-members. Register at the Columbia Athletic Club front desk, online at ColumbiaAssociation.org/login or by calling 410-730-6744.

Ansah-Brew has more than 20 years of experience teaching dance, music and drama to all ages. He is a master drummer, dancer and actor who has performed at the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian, Wolf Trap and more. He is the founder and artistic director of the Fritete African Drum and Dance Ensemble, which features African rhythms and dances, and which debuted at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.