Inpulse: one of the best dance experiences of my life in Lyon, France

Published: 2018/08/27

8 months of dance bliss at Lyon’s very own Inpulse

Let me preface this by saying that I am kind of a dance fanatic. Always have been, always will be. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I am any good but if I could spend all my time watching people dance and/or take dance classes, I would. I was also brought up on a particular style, which was ballet: it happens to be a family thing as well as a passion.

How I found out about Inpulse

Now, I had to move to Lyon two years ago for my studies. Needless to say, I was heartbroken at the idea of leaving my amazing school and teacher behind in Dijon (shoutout to the Gavino École de Danse!). I was determined, however, to find classes here.

I spent a year and a half searching, miserable and extremely out of shape because I don’t get the idea of exercising plain and simple, it’s not my thing…
Ok, I’m also a little bit lazy but let’s not dwell on the details.
I was just so focused on trying to find a school that offered ballet classes and, at the same time, wasn’t too expensive. Let’s be honest: that is really difficult in a big city like Lyon. Or so I thought.

Then, the heavens opened up and plopped an opportunity right in my lap. I met someone who took dance classes at this place called Inpulse and loved it. I immediately looked it up online and, sure enough: jazz, street jazz, hip-hop (L.A. Style and New Style), lyrical, ragga, girly, waacking… You name it, they’ve got it. Except for ballet.

Entrance to Inpulse. © Rebecca Wise

This is where I made a mistake: I was disappointed and I never thought I would be able to do any other style of dance so I told myself to forget it. I kept going back and forth and waited (like an idiot: learn from my mistakes, folks) until January to push myself and try it out.

One trial class and I was sold: what made this experience so special

In fact, if it’s your first time at Inpulse, you can try any class out for free as long as you call ahead and tell them which one, which is amazing. It’s also very smart: one class is all it took to win me over. I could immediately tell how welcoming and nice the teachers were as well as how enjoyable the classes seemed: it was a challenging yet laid-back, be-yourself-and-enjoy type of environment.

It was all uphill from there. I started trying out more and more classes and ended up with 6 hours of dance a week, which was not what I was expecting or what I was necessarily going for, but I couldn’t stop. I was addicted.

Studio A, the largest at Inpulse and where most dance classes take place. © Rebecca Wise

How couldn’t I be? Inpulse has classes ranging from beginners to all levels to intermediate-advanced in so many different styles, which I mentioned earlier. It’s such a great way to discover dance! Not to mention that I have never met a more motivated, passionate, talented, encouraging, sweet, fun (the list of compliments could go on, but I will restrain myself for your sake) group of people, who happened to be my teachers.

Don’t get me wrong, they’ll give you a little kick in the butt if they need to. They will push you outside of your comfort zone and challenge you in many ways, but that’s only because they believe in their students and are so set on seeing you do better every day. They don’t just settle with regular ol’ teaching: they’ll tell if you if something can be improved, they’ll answer all of your questions and they’ll help you whenever you need it.

The video above is a small glimpse at the advanced street jazz class, with choreographer Fanny Ramihone (middle), who also teaches Lyrical, and Natalia Chojnacka (right), who teaches Girly and New Style.

At the end of August (when, unfortunately for my dance high, I will be moving again), I’ll have spent 8 months at Inpulse. In that short amount of time, I’ll have grown as a person and learned so many things, the two most important lessons being: take risks and be confident (or at least fake it until you make it!). My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner!

Inpulse: for sports/training-enthusiasts as well as dancers

ANYWAY, enough of the mushy gushy stuff! For those of you brave enough, Inpulse also offers a ton of sport classes, from yoga and pilates to fighting and biking, and everything in between! They also have a diverse variety of payment options which can fit all types of budgets, including special fees for students!

This center is a safe space where the door is always open (well, technically it’s open from 12:00 to 10:00 PM but you get what I mean!), filled with positive vibes, where everyone is learning and evolving, so don’t hesitate!