Famed choreographer hip hops in from New Zealand

New Zealand choreographer Gandalf Archer was whisked into Freeland’s Island Athletic Club after being picked up at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. There was just enough time for him to grab his workout gear before his highly anticipated dance class.

By Patricia Duff • August 27, 2009 1:55 pm

A healthy crowd of women (and two guys) waited by the door to the dance studio.

“Hello Whidbey Island!” he shouted over the deep bass of the music.

“Are you ready to dance?” he shouted again.

“Woo-hoo!” was the pumped reply.

“G,” as Archer is known in dance aerobics circles, had come as a grand prize to teach his world-famous BodyJam class, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Island Athletic Club’s BodyJam exercise crew. Group exercise director Chizue Rudd and instructors Sarah Berger and Jane Gerlach had spearheaded the spring silent auction for the Dance4Life campaign, an AIDS-awareness program begun by Archer’s employer, the Les Mills Group Fitness System headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. The Island Athletic Club group managed to inspire the Whidbey community to raise more than $5,000, a figure that beat every other club in the world that participated in the Dance4Life challenge.

Archer has been the company’s main BodyJam choreographer since 2001. He said he practically grew up in the New Zealand gym where the fitness program was created.

“I was 13 when I started, and I was always there in the gym,” Archer said. “When the original choreographer left, it was natural for me to step in.”

Archer said he loves the energy on the island, and told the class he had already started thinking about moving here.

“It was awesome to hear that it was Whidbey Island when we found out who won. You can really feel the sense of community here, unlike in the big cities. I love it,” Archer said.

Small or no, the body jammers at the Island Athletic Club were ready to dance with Archer.

“They had the energy and that is great for me, because when I turn the music on I tend to just go 100 percent,” Archer said.

“It’s not that hard when I walk into the room and everybody is already on board. It was awesome.”