Dawn Dentato

It was May 1987 and I had just graduated from college.  I had my first  junior high school teaching job all lined up and I was moving to a new location.  I still had to find an apartment, but was able to move in with my aunt until I did.  Jane Fonda was all the craze, and I wasn't able to join a gym just yet.  So, when I told my aunt I wanted to use her VCR to do my video workout, she was ready to stop me in my tracks.  Due to political reasons, "Jane" was NOT allowed in the house.  After a few days, my aunt realized how much I valued my workouts, and she finally conceded to let me do my thing in the basement.

Well, once I found an apartment, and I had my first few paychecks, I quickly joined a gym and got into the fitness craze.  I fell in love with group fitness and soon became a "regular".  When I moved to Danbury, CT,after getting married and becoming pregnant, finding a new gym was a priority.  For the three years that I stayed home with my two children, I worked at the gym, but not as an instructor.  My focus was on raising my kids and making sure that they were well cared for while I got to do my workouts.  Therefore, I worked in the day-care of the gym and got to know all of the moms, dads and kids. 

When I went back to work full-time, my workouts were still important to me, and I missed the frequency of attending group fitness classes.  I made a commitment to attend Sunday morning step class and really connected with the instructor, Debbie.  She noticed my consistency and noticed that I was also a "regular" in the summer for her 5:30 am class.  During some of her routines, she would call out to follow different class members.  I was one of those memebers, and others sometimes even commented that I would make a good instructor.  I loved the idea of becoming an instructor, but wasn't ready to make the move.

Finally, one day, Debbie asked if I would consider being a substitute instructor for her.  I never remembered her missing class, but she was looking for a backu -up, because 5:30 am is a tough class to get coverage for.  I told her I would love to, and she started to train me.  She would give me several minutes in her class to do my own routine, and she got me all of the information that I needed to contact AFAA to get certified.  In 1997 I got my step certification and was on my way to be an instructor!

I soon found out the Debbie also worked at another gym, and she got me on that sub list as well. Very soon after, a position opened up and I had my own class in Brewster, NY.  At the time, I had moved away from Danbury, and my attendance in group fitness classes dwindled as my kids were now 7 and 5.  Driving 30 minutes to Danbury was a rare treat, but the location in Brewster was only a few minutes from my new house.  I was thrilled to be at a local health club with my very own class.

By the summer of 1999, I noticed construction in the parking lot of my local grocery store.  Rumor was that Gold's Gym was moving to Carmel.  As soon as I saw activity and a sign for "accepting applications", I marched into the trailer to introduce myself.  I filled out an application and explained that I would be interested in teaching a Sunday morning step class.  I got the job, which started that fall, and I have been instructing there ever since.  Still working full-time and raising two elementary school children, I was able to carve time out for one more class.  I asked for a Tuesday evening class when another instructor left, and I still have that time-slot as well!

Fitness is a very important part of my life.  I love keeping to my regular schedule, between classes that I instruct and personal workouts that I do, but I also love to switch things up. I love to teach an introduction class once every other month.  I get to meet people who are new to group fitness and I get to focus on form methods.  During my school vacations, I often teach back-to-back classes as a substitute several days in a row.  We have a great group fitness staff and we all support each other.  We enjoy co-teaching classes and we love to go to trainings together annually.