Retrosweat Is Bringing Its Gloriously 80s-Style Aerobics Class to Brisbane for the First Time

Spandex leotards, chunky leg warmers and feathered hair at the ready, Brisbanites: it's time to get sweaty 80s-style. Sydney favourite Retrosweat is finally bringing its throwback aerobics class our way, making its debut appearance more than ten years after setting up shop down south in 2011 — all for one fitness-fuelled evening.

If you're new to Retrosweat, it was founded by Shannon Dooley, who studied at the Fitness Institute Australia and also at NIDA (learning from Baz Luhrmann's official choreographer John 'Cha Cha' O'Connell, among other teachers). The vibe really is all there in the name, combining bending, stretching and all the usual aerobics moves to 80s tunes — aka a fitness-fuelled step back in time.

So, if you turned to streaming Aerobics Oz Style during pandemic lockdowns to keep fit, you'll know the drill — or you might've actually checked out Retrosweat's own at-home workout, including its VHS workout club, too, or its recent Olivia Newton-John tribute.

None of the above fits? Perhaps you became obsessed with aerobics as a form of exercise thanks to that phenomenal Key & Peele sketch. Or, the ace Rose Byrne-starring Physical might've done it for you. You could just like the attire, and might've been waiting for an excuse to bust it out.

In Sydney, Retrosweat hosts several weekly sessions; however, for its first-ever Brisbane class, it's holding a one-off hour-long stint from 6.30–7.30pm on Monday, October 10 at the Bombshell Burlesque Academy Studios in Bowen Hills.

Fingers crossed that this 80s-loving motivation to get active comes back Brisbane's way again, because everyone deserves to star-jump, flick-kick and grapevine to tunes by Prince, Madonna, David Bowie, Bananarama, Pat Benatar, WHAM! and more.

Retrosweat's first-ever Brisbane class will take place at 6.30pm on Monday, October 10 at the Bombshell Burlesque Academy Studios, 12 Jamieson St, Bowen Hills. Head to the Retrosweat website for further details and to book.