What is Le Bran?

Le Bran is a unique dance fitness routine that utilizes movements from popular Latin dances and translates the same into body kinetics which delivers lasting fitness benefits in mind and body. It is pioneered in the Philippines by Mr. Brando B. Balmedina, who has been conferred the title Fellowship in Latin American dances by the United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing.

What are the benefits of Le Bran?

If you're looking for a great way to keep fit and are tired of going to the gym and running, then try getting into Le Bran. It's not only a fun and great way to socialize, mix, and mingle, but is also a good way to stay physically fit. The health benefits of Le Bran are numerous:

Physical Benefits

Le Bran is constant movement, and it covers everything from cardio and strength training to balance and control.

• It aids in weight loss and it is a great way for people of all ages to stay in shape.
• Being an aerobic exercise, it benefits your cardiovascular system and increases your lung capacity. It also tones and tightens the major muscle groups of the body.
• It helps you burn those calories away, while improving your stamina. It can burn anywhere from 150 to 200 calories in 30 minutes (or more, depending on the tempo).
• It can lead to a lower blood pressure and an improved cholesterol profile.
• It requires dancers to perform moves that require bending and stretching, thus increasing their flexibility.
• The constant and low impact movements allow your joints and bones to strengthen, reducing the risk of sprains, breaks and arthritis later in life. This also helps in the prevention or slow loss of bone mass associated with osteoporosis.
• The side-to-side movement strengthen your weight-bearing bones like tibia, fibula and femur.
• It may be helpful to avoid having a slipped disk later for people who work at a desk all day humped at a computer. It keeps their bodies mobile and their joints moving.

Personal and Social Benefits

• It helps you to relax, reducing stress and tension.
• It boosts self-confidence.
• It elevates your mood by raising your endorphin levels and thus increases the sense of well-being.
• It is a great way to meet new people and make new friends.

The Le Bran regimen trains you on proper mind and body coordination. It involves activities (such as learning and memorizing steps and concentrating on the rhythm of music) which strengthen and exercise your brain. A recent published study found that dancing at least twice a week made people less likely to develop dementia. In addition, the Le Bran regimen can improve balance, flexibility, posture, and endurance.

The regimen integrates body kinetics founded on popular Latin dances like Bachata, Salsa, Chachacha, Samba, Jive, and Rumba, among others, and their respective music, making the regimen enjoyable and easy to follow. As the regimen intensifies, the dance movements level up both in technique and choreography.

Le Bran is open for everyone ages 17 years and above. Classes are regularly at 10:00am every Monday-Friday, and 6:30pm every Monday-Thursday, plus 9:30am every Saturday for kids, at Dancing Queen studio, 2F Makati Cinema Square, Chino Roces Avenue (former Pasong Tamo), Makati City.

Please contact +639164011490 or +639175024677 for inquiries regarding Le Bran and technique classes (in standard and Latin ballroom).


*Photos courtesy of Myrone Gabay.