| Type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Physical fitness |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder(s) | Judi Sheppard Missett |
| Headquarters | Carlsbad, California |
| Revenue | $96 million for fiscal year 2009/2010 [1] |
| Employees | 228 corporate staff [1] |
| Divisions | Jazzertogs, JM DigitalWorks |
| Website | Jazzercise YouTube Channel |
Jazzercise is a dance-based group fitness program. Each 60-minute Jazzercise class features a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, and Latin-style movements set to popular music. The Jazzercise program was founded in 1969 by Jazzercise CEO Judi Sheppard Missett. Today, Jazzercise involves 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in all 50 states and 32 countries. In 2009/2010 Jazzercise reported 96 Million in revenue. On the 2011 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list, Jazzercise ranks as the #1 fitness franchise and #17 overall. In March 2009, MSNBC placed Jazzercise in their top 5 list of proven franchises that provide growth opportunity. [2] Jazzercise has partnered with two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion Cheryl Burke, a company spokesperson through 2011.
Jazzercise instructors are franchise owners and therefore have individual locations, class hours, and pricing.
In Ron Howard's movie adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch's schedule has an hour blocked off for Jazzercise.[3]
In the episode of 'TAXI' entitled "Louie Goes Too Far", Andy Kaufman (playing Vic Ferrari) suggests to Christopher Lloyd (playing Jim) that he take up Jazzercise as a way of meeting beautiful women.
In the episode of Futurama "Parasite Lost", the parasitic worms are seen Jazzercising Fry's muscles. [4]
The Flight of the Conchords episode "New Zealand Town" of their second television series features a song called "Fashion is Danger" which is a parody of 1980s music and style, and contains a reference to Jazzercise.
"Jazzercise Instructor" is featured as a job in The Sims 2.
In the third series of The Mighty Boosh, Howard Moon goes to 'Jazzercise' classes.
In Glee's "Bad Reputation," a tape is found of Sue Sylvester Jazzercising to Olivia Newton-John's "Physical."