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Business & Tech

Farmington Valley Jazzercise Moving to Avon

The relocated Jazzercise center will open May 1 on Route 44.

In just over two weeks, Avon will boast a new place to dance the night, afternoon or even morning away. 

Farmington Valley Jazzercise is moving from Canton to Route 44 in Avon on May 1, in an effort to expand the franchise and offer more opportunities for its clientele. Currently, the Albany Turnpike location is shared between the Jazzercise center and Valley Ballet. 

“We have a great relationship, but we are limited when we can offer class time,” said Shari Nastri, who has been an instructor for Jazzercise for five years. 

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The center has been able able to offer only three classes in the morning, two in the evening and a total of four over the weekend. With the larger space, the instructors will teach classes at 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. during the work week, which will accommodate the working crowd. They are also looking into a 12:30 p.m. class to hit the business lunch crowd. 

“The convenience factor, I think, is huge for exercising,” Nastri said.

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“I’ll have even more opportunities for adults' classes and kids' classes,” said owner Brittany Vaughan, who took over the facility in 2010. “We have so many customers, we need more class times.”

In addition to regular Jazzercise classes that focus on cardiovascular and strength training, the center offers Junior Jazzercise and dance classes for the younger crowd. 

Vaughan and Nastri said the new location will offer the business a more centralized facility, convenient for their clients from surrounding towns. 

“For the people that we hit right now, it’s a nice central point,” Vaughan said. “The space we found was perfect for what we needed.”

Nastri said the Jazzercise center is one of three free-standing facilities in this area, with the two others in Southwick, MA, and East Hartford. Additionally, there are a few instructors in West Hartford who teach in churches and synagogues, but don’t have their own facilities. 

“We’re kind of ‘it’ around here,” Vaughan said. 

Nastri said the community of Jazzercise is “not a cutthroat environment” that is very competitive. Her view, she said, is the more facilities, the better. 

“We just want people to exercise,” Vaughan said. 

Simsbury resident Carla Kiel has been doing Jazzercise classes on and off for more than 20 years, and said it is the unique music and dance aspect of the workout that has kept her from going back to the gym.

“I’ve been to gyms and been on ellipticals and treadmills and it’s just boring,” Kiel said. “You get motivated by the people around you and it’s not judgmental.”

Avon resident Dena Neseralla agreed. 

“From the first class, I loved it,” she said. “The instructors are energetic and motivating, and it translates to us.”

Farmington Valley Jazzercise is  located at 140 Albany Turnpike in Canton, but will be relocating to 192 W. Main St., Route 44 in Avon. For more information, call 860-392-8636, email brittanyvb@me.com, or visit their website

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