Toronto class is so popular there hasn't been an empty slot in a whole year
There's a wildly popular musical theatre workout class in Toronto, and the power it's supplying, well, it's electrifying.
SHINE Fit Studio in Yorkville runs two 45-minute musical theatre classes in cardio and strength. Owner and fitness instructor Jess Takimoto tells blogTO that ever since they introduced the classes back in January 2024, they haven't had a single empty spot.
"Every class has a 130 per cent waitlist, and for fitness, that's unheard of," Takimoto says. "I cannot get coaches trained fast enough on our musical theatre format. They've just been so explosive in popularity."
Young women looking to sweat it out to tunes from Dolly, Mean Girls, Greatest Showman and Chicago are booking weeks, almost months in advance to get a spot.
Takimoto recalls a member who upgraded from her regular monthly membership ($269 for a Studio Membership) and paid for six months in full (meaning over $1,600) just to be able to reserve spots further in advance. She notes that those on monthly memberships can only book a couple of weeks ahead.
One way to keep up with demand is to onboard more trainers to teach musical theatre, which Takimoto explains is a rigorous process.
"Coaches who have done their 50 hours of training, have been coaching for six months, a minimum of 30 classes taught in a cardio format, then they can level up and get trained on musical theatre, which is another 10 to 20 hours," she says. This is all to ensure that SHINE Fit delivers excellent service to clients.
Takimoto says this month, the studio will have four coaches certified to teach musical theatre, and is looking to have it on the schedule up to five days a week.
Head coach Jess Takimoto, front centre.
With recent musicals like Wicked sweeping the nation, I had no choice but to stretch my jazz hands and take the class – $34 for a drop-in class, by the way – to see if the hype is real. And let me tell you, just like Glinda, I've been changed for good.
I am what TikTokers define as a "mid-sized baddie," and what I really appreciate about this particular studio is its size inclusivity. Instructors and members – mostly Gen Z and millennial women of various sizes – exuded confidence and empowerment.
At the top of the class, which Takimoto was leading, she explained that working out shouldn't be to get skinny but to feel strong, happy and energized. "You should sweat to feel good, not because you want to look good." Hearing that meant a lot to me, especially after attending many pilates studios in Toronto that, well, let’s just say they cater to a much smaller demographic.
Takimoto, who has been teaching fitness for eight years, can't quite recall how the musical theatre class came to be. She suggests it might have been when she had to choreograph a special birthday track for a member who chose a song from Mamma Mia!
"When you go to see a musical, there's an element of escapism; you get to go completely into this other world where everything always has a happy ending. And I think as adults we don't always have that feeling," she says.
As one of the world's largest theatre districts, after NYC's Broadway and London's West End, it makes sense that so many people in Toronto are shimmying their way to this musical-theatre workout class.
Takimoto hopes to grow SHINE Fit Studio by maximizing all primetime slots for its other programs, opening more locations in Toronto, and all that jazz.
SHINE Fit Studio
