A Chestnut Hill resident, Ana Maria Arkan, contacted me recently to say, “I would love for you to do an article on Dance Fit in Chestnut Hill because I don't want to see it close. It means so much to me.”

Beth Buxbaum, of Oreland, is also a fan. “I absolutely love this studio!” she said. “Dance Fit has been my lifeline, even before Covid! There is something for everyone, from different music genres to a wide variety of exercise/dance styles. The instructors are amazing — upbeat, positive, welcoming and all wonderful dancers ... Bria (the owner) is so committed to her clients, and we love her and all she has done for this community of people who want to keep on 'moving.'"

“Bria's studio has forever changed my outlook on exercise,” added Rachael Grallnick, of Roxborough. “It's a place where I have fun and dance away my problems.”

Owner Bria Moss-Wilkerson, 28, a native of Columbia, MD, went to Temple University for media studies and entrepreneurship, but she was also a musical recording artist from 2011 to 2017 who toured as an R & B solo act. “My father had a Motown cover band since I was 5,” she said.

“He toured the first time when I was 9, and I begged him to let me sing with the band, and he finally did when I was in 8th grade. My first song was “You'll Always be my Baby,” by Maria Carey. I was in school musicals, girls choir and cheerleading. I got my feet wet in the acting world. I have always loved performing. I still do, but I stopped singing because I was in an unhealthy situation. I do miss the stage, though.”

In order to be able to huff and puff on stage, Bria was always a fitness buff. When she moved to Chestnut Hill in 2017, she was unable to find a boutique studio where she could “work on cardio,” so she decided to open her own. As a result, Bria opened Dance Fit on Nov. 27, 2017 at 98 Bethlehem Pike, a building that had been a storage facility for five years and an antique store before that. In her early days most customers either came in by word of mouth or by driving by and observing the workouts through the window.

“We have had people who never took a fitness class before,” said Bria, “or who had a child and want to get back into a healthy lifestyle. My motto is 'Disguise your exercise.' Have fun but don't torture yourself. You won't even realize you are working out if you're having fun. Fitness is a byproduct of fun. We have had clients create lasting friendships, become like family. Some went on cross-country trips together (before the pandemic).”

Pre-pandemic, Dance Fit would have up to 16 clients dance/exercising at one time but was only allowed to have four after the pandemic started, so in-person classes were halted. There were no online classes before the pandemic, although some clients had been asking for them, so Bria began them, although she “was concerned about how to keep it special and replicate the energy on a computer screen. But the first online class after shutdown had 20 people, which was great. I was blessed. Online classes are not for everyone, but many now do it every day. We now have clients from as far away as North Carolina and Maryland, even Canada and Mexico. Some say, 'Thank you. You have gotten me through the pandemic.'”

In addition to online classes, Dance Fit started outdoor dance classes four days a week on March 27 jointly with Spa Elysium, and they plan to run aqua Zumba classes once or twice a week at the Flourtown Swim Club starting in June or earlier. Indoor classes probably not until late summer.

“I am 70 years old and have Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis,” said Dina Kirschner, of Hatboro. I started with Bria before Covid and took in-person classes that were always exhilarating. Moving to Zoom classes has been a life saver … On my 70th birthday I had a Zoom fitness party, and Bria's staff and others from the Dance Fit family donated money in my name to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.”

According to Bria, “I'm very grateful to be in Chestnut Hill. People who live and work nearby have been very supportive. This small black woman-owned business could not have made it without a loyal clientele.”

For more information: dancefitex.com or 215-242-3324. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com