Frome woman Ginny Adams has started a new fitness phenomenon called Mojo Moves, which combines comedy theatre and dance aerobics, to help improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing.
The idea came to Ginny earlier this year when she found herself unemployed, depressed and overweight.
“I’ve been a comedy performer for years, but was struggling to find work,” said Ginny. “I was also overweight and pretty miserable.”
“Mojo Moves came to me in a lightbulb moment; I could run aerobics classes as a comedy character!
“I have a background in dance and physical comedy and studied the Alexander technique, so I understand how the body works.”
Ginny set up Rare Species Community Interest Theatre Company with her partner Nelly Fowler. In 2017 the couple (who have a three year old son) found themselves dancing on Britain’s Got Talent dressed as the Queen and Prince Charles.
“That was a strange experience; we don’t really do a stage act but were asked to go on the show and even though our act went down well and was televised, we didn’t get a single enquiry afterwards. That kind of thing knocks your confidence as a performer, I completely lost my mojo.”
The experience made Ginny put performing on the back burner but several months in a ‘day job’ in the charity sector confirmed what she already knew – that she needed to perform for her own sanity – and in 2018 Mojo Moves was born.
The classes are run by larger than life character Cheryl, a neon clad cross between Su Pollard and Mr Motivator with a soundtrack from the 70s, 80s and 90s and a few TV theme tunes thrown in for good measure.
“I am a natural-born comic who loves making people laugh, ordinary jobs send me spiralling into depression. With Mojo Moves I could create regular performance work, get fit and, as the class tagline says, ‘reclaim my mojo back from the universe.’”
The feelgood classes have been running since June and have been a hit with the people of Frome, so much so that they voted for Rare Species in the town council’s ‘People’s Budget’. The pair received a small grant to enable them to deliver six free sessions in the town centre this Saturday 18th August and Saturday 1st September on the newly-refurbished Market Place (11.30 am, 1pm and 2.30pm).
They are also appearing at the Bath at Twilight event on the 23rd August and as the warm up to the Dorothy House Hospice moonlight walk on the 15th September.
Rare Species currently run classes three times a week in Frome and Trowbridge and launch in Bath on 5th September. They can also be booked for hen-dos and parties. For more information go to www.mojomoves.co.uk
