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Tour de Formoso

At the age of 24 Marta Formoso still has a lot of time to cross her life’s goals off her list but ‘bringing a new form of workout to Dubai’ is one she can now put a line through with pride

MARTA’S PASSION FOR dance began at a very young age. Growing up in Switzerland and being of Spanish heritage meant her fiery Latin personality thrived among the more demure Swiss population. She has always believed in living fully committed to the moment and felt dance allowed her to express herself like no other art form.

Marta (pictured above right) however, has not limited her skills to the dance world but managed to translate this enthusiasm into the world of fitness. She achieved presenter and educator status at 18 and now, at only 24, is a Fitness Global Ambassador for Adidas and a rising international star within the fitness industry.

Graceful, charismatic, and fluid in the way she moves, Marta inspires those who share the same passion in self-expression through movement. Her training spans - but is not limited to - ballet, modern, hip-hop, reggae, and Latin. She was even casted in a Bollywood movie as a back-up dancer.

One of the most sought after instructors within Europe, Marta is committed to creating and supporting a strong and energetic dance fitness culture. Her dance fitness programmes are innovative and creative, garnering a considerable following who feed off her amazing energy and Spanish flavour. Her teaching methods break down dance concepts into easy-to-follow movements, while her workouts combine a blend of fresh choreography with fun and excitement, offering a unique experience. Marta’s technical experience in the world of dance, can-do attitude, confidence, and a true sense of self have all earned her a reputation as an up-and-coming star and dynamic personality.

Here we speak to Marta on the new workout she has brought to the region along with gymnasium chain Fitness First.

Can you tell us specifically what you are doing over here in Dubai?

I’m over here to run a fitness academy in cooperation with Fitness First. We are introducing three new fitness programmes from Adidas. I’ve been running a few classes and the programmes will available exclusively at Fitness First from January.

What do your classes entail?

I mix mainstream dance with fitness. There are always a lot of people who would love to dance but always think they are not going to be good enough to do it. They believe their coordination isn’t good enough. So what I do is give them basic steps from aerobics and flavours of different dance styles. I make a fun workout where people can just sweat and improve their coordination within one hour and forget they are doing cardiovascular exercise, which they can’t if they’re on a treadmill.

Who are the classes aimed at?

Everybody can do it. What I do is focus on the breakdown of the choreography so that the structure can apply to everyone. We start with basic movement and then work up, including arm movements and more difficult steps until we are doing full routines for the more advanced.

How did your relationship with Adidas come about?

I was always into fitness and dance. At 16 I did my aerobics certification so I was able to teach. Then at 18 I started to travel more to business conventions and Adidas were looking for someone who could handle more advanced group fitness and take it around the world so one and a half years ago they approached me. It’s been a great relationship because they have the knowledge of what equipment you need when you workout. I’m in my trainers eight hours a day so if they’re not good my feet will suffer and I can’t work. They give me their knowledge on equipment and I give them mine on dance and fitness. It’s a great partnership.

What prompted you to get into this line of work in the first place?

I think I always knew what I wanted to do. I’m a Capricorn so I’m determined. I always loved to just move. People always ask if my mum was drinking Red Bull when she had me because I’m always jumping around. I knew I couldn’t do something where I had to sit at a desk for eight hours. For me dance is expression. It is an option to express how you feel without saying anything. This job is an opportunity for me to do something that I love and help people at the same time. If they walk out of the room with a smile then this is my dream job.

What’s your impression of Dubai and the state of fitness here?

My impression is that it is an interesting place because you have so many cultures coming together in one spot. It means everybody has an open mind. When I got people together everyone was so open to what I was doing, no-one felt restricted. Everyone is really friendly here. It has been a great trip and to let you in on a secret my students made me cry because I was so proud of them working so hard on something they had never seen before. They worked really hard for nine hours straight one day and the next day came in one hour early just to make sure they had the points right. They even got me a little present at the end and I felt really at home here.

What have you got planned for the future?

I have a lot of things going on. We have many fitness academies in each country around the world and then there is a global one where representatives come from each territory to learn new things so I have to keep working on my new programme.

Marta Formoso’s dance-fitness programme will be available at all Fitness First gyms from January.

david@khaleejtimes.com