US dancer-choreographer becomes rhythm cycling instructor
Dancer-choreographer turned rhythm cycling instructor Sunny Walters has performed with Beyonce, Britney Spears and Hugh Jackman
US dancer-choreographer Sunny Walters, then 23, performed alongside pop diva Beyonce at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.
A year later, she was part of the entourage during US pop star Britney Spears' 2004 The Onyx Hotel Tour.
Last year, she starred alongside Hugh Jackman in the movie musical The Greatest Showman.
But it was in 2011, when Walters joined her first rhythm cycling class in New York, that she discovered her passion.
Rhythm cycling, which originated in 2006, is a cardio-intensive exercise where participants ride to the beat of music on bicycles which are fixed on the floor.
Walters, 38, is the rhythm cycling global master instructor for Thailand-based fitness brand Absolute You.
She was in town two weeks ago for the opening of the Singapore flagship studio at Peranakan Place.
It is the brand's first international outlet, where pilates and yoga classes are also offered.
Describing her rhythm cycling classes in Thailand and Singapore as "powerful and high-energy", she told The New Paper: "When you exercise in a group (of 40), you never feel like you're alone. It's not a solo mental experience and the group energy is what is attractive to me.
"Everyone has the same vision to work towards one goal and there's greater good for everybody."
With each 45-minute class, participants can expect to burn 500 to 800 calories with the workout focusing on the core, legs and arms.
Walters, who taught several rhythm cycling classes when she was here, also curates the playlists, with music ranging from soul to rock and electronic dance music.
Despite her busy schedule, Walters made time to be part of The Greatest Showman after receiving a call from her close friend Ashley Wallen, the film's choreographer.
She agreed to get on board and joined titular character P.T. Barnum's (Jackman) singing-and-dancing circus troupe ensemble as a Voodoo Twin.
She vividly remembers her first encounter with Jackman, whose commitment to learn all the dancers' names by the second day of rehearsals touched her.
GROUP ENERGY
Although the long, gruelling movie shoots and concert tours can take a toll on her body, Walters said that, like rhythm cycling, the group energy is what keeps her going.
Over the past year, Walters has noticed more women turning to rhythm cycling as a form of fitness.
She said: "People are realising that you can get a workout quickly and feel so good on so many levels. They feel an emotional attachment to come back for more and the full rooms are a testament to that."
She also believes the positivity in her classes is what draws participants back.
"Once you make one person smile, the positivity in the room is contagious," she said.
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