Fit Fiyah Soca Series set to ignite ‘wining’ appetite for finale
Published:Wednesday | March 27, 2024 | 12:09 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
With the grand staging of Carnival in Jamaica less than two weeks away, socaphiles are gearing up for a tour which promises to whet ‘wining’ appetites and have everyone begging for more. If you’re looking to get in some last-minute cardio and learn a few new songs and moves in the process, personal trainer Shani McGraham-Shirley is encouraging you to have your fit and ‘fete’ for the final leg of her hot soca series.
“Caribbean Fit Fiyah Limited is a company that facilitates mass classes with different styles or formats of workouts but done with a specific formula and flavour. The Fit Fiyah Soca Series is a non-stop 90-minute dance fitness session, which incorporates fan favourite soca songs from the old and new era, while rotating instructors on stage,” McGraham-Shirley told The Gleaner.
The ‘tag team’ element is what makes the programme truly magical. Composed of five sessions in total, attendees go through a series of tempos, energies and intensities. Guided by the unique vibe of creative and innovative movement, and with no idea of who or what is coming next, gym and soca lovers are kept on their toes with all of the excitement.
“What’s cool about this programme is that it’s dance fitness stripped down to the basics. We’ve made it friendly and accessible to a wider audience. If ‘yuh cya dance, have two left foot, bad back, bad knee, or ‘directionally challenged’, it doesn’t matter. Once you are moving, laughing and sweating, the objective is met. But, if you really want to get the moves and feel like a superstar, we have modifiers on stage who further simplify the movements, which makes it a gazillion times easier to follow.”
She continued by noting, “By the end of the night, you are drenched in sweat and aware of every single muscle in your body – down to ‘yuh ears work’. It’s not just a class but a journey and an experience. No matter how tired you get, you leave in a state of euphoria, wanting more, and eagerly looking forward to the next session.”
The Fit Fiyah band of experienced instructors include the soca fitness queen herself – Shani, Steven Cornwall, Andro Henry, Latonya Style, Neisha-Yen Jones, Paige Nash, and Francisca Griffiths. “We have the best dance fitness instructors, who all bring a unique flavour and style. This team has been dancing and teaching together for 13 years now,” she said.
Operating like a family, the personalities are dynamic by nature and it doesn’t get more real than when they join creative forces. “It was no easy feat bringing together vivacious, bigger than life personalities, mixed in with a sprinkle of diva and a touch of crazy. But once woven with unconditional love and respect, our vibe as a tribe is unmatched ... Fit Fiyah is great because of each and every personality in the team. Are our meetings smooth sailing? No. Do we cuss and fight sometimes? Yes. But do we love each other unconditionally and offer unwavering support? Absolutely!”
The series, which began on March 13, will have its grand final today at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Going big, the final leg will combine the all-time favourite songs and routines to the field. Along with the session, McGraham-Shirley has included a subsequent soca fete, at no extra cost, with mixing moments from DJ Matt Camp.
“We decided to offer a colourful soca fete immediately after our dance fitness session for the finale, because our patrons wanted more. You would think everyone would be tired after dancing non-stop. But the energy and vibe makes you spellbound. You simply don’t want to leave. So, the best answer for that equation was to gi di people dem wat dem want. If they don’t want to leave, why not celebrate this with a little more vibe?”
With each week boasting a colour theme, today’s colour scheme is neon, so dare to ‘shock out’ in style.