{{Short description|US multinational dance fitness center chain}} {{Infobox company | name = Jazzercise, Inc. | logo = 250px|Jazzercise logo | type = Corporation | genre = | foundation = 1969 | founder = Judi Sheppard Missett | location_city = | location_country = | location = Carlsbad, California | origins = | key_people = | area_served = | industry = Physical fitness | products = | revenue = $93 million for fiscal year 2015<ref name="Jazz">[http://www.jazzercise.com/companyinfo.htm] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104013103/http://www.jazzercise.com/companyinfo.htm |date=January 4, 2007 }}</ref> | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = 228 corporate staff<ref name="Jazz"/> | parent = | divisions = Jazzercise Apparel, JM DigitalWorks | homepage = [https://www.jazzercise.com Official website] | dissolved = | footnotes = }} [[File:Jazzercise Franchise Ann Arbor Michigan.JPG|thumb|Jazzercise franchise, Ann Arbor, Michigan]] thumb|A Jazzercise hot air balloon '''Jazzercise''' is a fitness franchise company founded by Judi Sheppard Missett in 1969 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, United States. The franchise's name is a portmanteau of "jazz" and "exercise."

Jazzercise combines dancercise, martial arts and strength training with popular music for a full-body workout. The company currently has over 8,300 franchisees worldwide in 32 countries.

==Early history== thumb|Jazzercise class in New Zealand, 1983

Judi Sheppard Missett created Jazzercise in Evanston, Illinois in 1969 after graduating from Northwestern University.<ref name="axios">{{cite news |last1=Shepherd |first1=Carrie |title=How Jazzercise started in metro Chicago 55 years ago |url=https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/06/02/chicago-jazzercise-cardio-workout-judi-missett |work=Axios Chicago |date=June 2, 2024}}</ref> After receiving a degree in theater and dance, she signed up to study with renowned jazz choreographer Gus Giordano at his Evanston studios.<ref name="chitribune">{{cite news |title=A Mover and Shaker |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/01/20/a-mover-and-shaker/ |work=Chicago Tribune |date=January 20, 1995}}</ref> She was teaching at a dance studio and noticed her classes had high dropout rates. Realizing students were attending for physical fitness and not for performance, Shepard Missett began to hold "just for fun" classes that began with a jazz warmup.<ref name="axios" /> These classes, originally named "Jazz Dance for Fun and Fitness," were eventually renamed "Jazzercise."<ref name="newyorker">{{cite web |last1=Schulman |first1=Michael |title=Born Before the Fitness Industry, Jazzercise Turns Fifty |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/jazzercise-is-immortal |website=The New Yorker |date=June 13, 2019}}</ref>

==Growth and franchising== Sheppard Missett's family moved to Carlsbad, California, where she taught classes in local rec centers. Jazzercise quickly took off in San Diego and Sheppard Missett trained new instructors herself. Many of those first instructors were in military families, so as they moved around the country, and the world, new populations were continually introduced to the program. Initially using VHS videos, Sheppard Missett was able to train franchisees from a distance and began to sell franchise rights for Jazzercise studios across the country. In addition to the franchised classes, Sheppard Missett produced recorded Jazzercise programs for home use, starting with an LP entitled ''Jazzercise'' in 1981 which was certified gold in 1982. Jazzercise was also introduced by Jerome somers to Campbell union sd in 1993 as newly incorporated in to school curriculum as physical education. <ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Grein |first1=Paul |title=CBS Holds 1982 Lead With 11 Platinum LPs |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT2 |volume=94 |issue=40 |date=October 9, 1982 |page=3, 70}}</ref> Sheppard Missett produced a second LP in 1982 entitled ''More Jazzercise'' and released her first VHS Jazzercise workout called ''Let's Jazzercise'' a year later.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Retailing: New LP/Tape Releases |magazine=Billboard |volume=94 |issue=46 |date=Nov 20, 1982 |page=26, 57}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=New Video Releases |magazine=Billboard |date=Oct 15, 1983 |pages=81-82}}</ref>

==In popular culture== {{inpopularculture|date=June 2023}} On ''A Bit of Fry & Laurie'', Jazzercise is claimed to be a portmanteau of the words "jazz" and "circumcise."

In Ron Howard's live-action movie adaptation of ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas'', the Grinch's schedule has an hour booked for Jazzercise.<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2000/11/17/2000-11-17_jim_carrey_makes_one_mean_gr.html |access-date=September 22, 2009 |archive-date=2012-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019172653/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2000/11/17/2000-11-17_jim_carrey_makes_one_mean_gr.html |title=Jim Carrey Makes One Mean Grinch |website=New York Daily News}}</ref>

In the ''Taxi'' episode "Louie Goes Too Far," Latka Gravas (played by Andy Kaufman) suggests to Reverend Jim Ignatowski (played by Christopher Lloyd) that he take up Jazzercise as a way of meeting beautiful women.

On ''The Golden Girls'', Dorothy Zbornak (played by Bea Arthur) admits taking up Jazzercise in the episodes "The Stan Who Came to Dinner" and "The Audit."

In ''Troop Beverly Hills'', the lead character, Phyllis Nefler, mentions that she hasn't been to Jazzercise in three weeks after chasing one of her troop members, who suddenly runs off during a troop meeting.

In the ''Futurama'' episode "Parasite Lost," the parasitic worms are seen Jazzercising Fry's muscles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0766131/quotes|title="Futurama" Parasites Lost (TV Episode 2001)|work=IMDb|accessdate=13 January 2015}}</ref>

The ''Flight of the Conchords'' season 2 episode "New Zealand Town" features the song "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 the ''Glee'' episode "Bad Reputation," a tape is found of Sue Sylvester Jazzercising to Olivia Newton-John's "Physical." In the following season's episode "Sexy," Holly Holliday is shown teaching a Jazzercise class in which Will Schuester participates.

On ''The Goldbergs'', Beverly Goldberg is frequently portrayed referencing or stepping to Jazzercise.

In the October 9, 2012 episode of ''The Daily Show'', Jon Stewart referenced Jazzercise in his opening monologue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/411611#i0,p11,d0|title=Watch The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Online - Free at Hulu|work=Hulu|accessdate=13 January 2015}}</ref>

Jazzercise was featured in both ''People'' magazine<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-01-28|title=Half Their Size: How Jazzercise Helped This Woman Lose 77 Lbs. {{!}} PEOPLE.com|url=http://people.com/bodies/half-their-size-weight-loss-jazzercise/|access-date=2021-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128082515/http://people.com/bodies/half-their-size-weight-loss-jazzercise/|archive-date=2018-01-28}}</ref> and ''Harper's Bazaar'' in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a14626590/history-boutique-fitness/|title=How Women Became Obsessed with Losing Weight|date=2018-02-14}}</ref>

Jazzercise was featured at the fictional Starcourt Mall in season 3 of ''Stranger Things'', where Dustin Henderson and Steve Harrington chase a suspicious-looking guy thinking he was from the Soviet Union, who turns out to be a Jazzercise instructor.

Jazzercise was mentioned in the song "Party with Your Body" (from the album ''All in a Night's Work'') by KC and the Sunshine Band.

Jazzercise was mentioned in the ''Rick and Morty'' season 6 episode "Juricksic Mort" when the dinosaurs present a list of things humanity has accomplished.

==References== {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == * {{Cite book |last=Friedman |first=Danielle |year=2022 |title=Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World |location=New York |publisher=G. P. Putnam's Sons |isbn=9780593188422 |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/645493/lets-get-physical-by-danielle-friedman/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408230750/https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/645493/lets-get-physical-by-danielle-friedman/ |archive-date=8 April 2022 |url-status=live}}

==External links== * [https://www.jazzercise.com/ Jazzercise official website] * [https://www.instagram.com/jazzerciseinc/ Instagram] * [https://www.facebook.com/Jazzerciseinc/ Facebook]

Category:1980s fads and trends Category:Companies based in Carlsbad, California Category:Aerobic exercise Category:Exercise organizations Category:Exercise-related trademarks Category:Franchises