Jess overcame mum's misgivings to become dance, fitness instructor

Jecinta Gitau, who is in her early 20´s, popularly known as Jess Gitau, is a dance fitness instructor, trainer and choreographer.

She tells us about her journey as a dancer from a younger age and how it lead her to pursue a course in line with her talent.

I had a sit down with her before she started one of her weekly training with her clients at Afro Fit gym.

How can you describe your upbringing?

I was born and raised in Molo, Nakuru county and went to Bishop Ndingi Primary School then proceeded to Njoro Girls for my O-level education.

I am the third born in a family of four. Two elder sisters and my brother. Unfortunately, we lost our dad when I was in Standard three, so our mother had to raise us singlehandedly.

How is your relationship with your siblings?

When we were still kids, it was fun. My sisters loved music a lot, we´d turn the house into a small concert hall.

It was around that time that I realised I had dancing skills. My sister encouraged me to participate in the church dance performances with the other kids.

When she was in high school, during holidays she would teach me new dance moves she had learned from her classmates. She was more exposed to what was trending since I was still young.

How was life in high school?

Pretty good, I loved sports and played hockey. I was also a member of the drama club at Form 3, where we managed to participate in the national finals in Mombasa.

We also had a culture weekend, where students would showcase their talents and together with my friends we formed a dance group and come up with different routines.

At this point did you have a career path in mind?

I saw myself being more interested in anything related to dancing and music but studying  Journalism or Psychology also crossed my mind.

Takes through your journey to joining the university

My sister introduced me to a gym and dance fitness instructor, who told me about a course in Recreation and Sports Management —It involved fitness and outdoor activities like hiking, swimming and coaching.

From the knowledge, he shared I decided to pursue the course at Kenyatta University.

However, my mother had some concerns about my choice but my sister explained it to her and she finally accepted. I applied for the course and was accepted.

Tell us about your life-changing moment at the university.

While in 2nd year, a guest dance instructor invited us to join his dance classes. I joined and during that period I learned new dance moves like salsa and rumba. That helped me to perfect my skills every day and I still owe much of my success to him.

Later, I joined the choreography dance group at the university for workouts. I also volunteered at the gym.

From my little experience as a volunteer, I started doing my own sessions even before I graduated and I got referrals as people were impressed with my work.

I also started to explore other activities which I realised clients were interested in like hiking. I got the chance to travel to the Coast and I climbed Mt Kenya, Mt Longonot and Ngong hills.

What is the response from your clients?

They like what I do and I think that is why they referee me to their friends. The secret is to work hard and be good at it.

Do you get any support from friends?

Yes, they came through for me when I opened my YouTube channel, they helped me acquire some video equipment for shooting my videos. They also volunteered to feature in my first videos.

For the channel, I post workout sessions and choreographed dance moves and make them simple for people to follow from the comforts of their homes.

Why dance and not anything else?

First, dancing gives you both aerobics and anaerobic fitness and is a good form of exercise.

It keeps your mind engaged, elevates your mood, relieves stress, increases physical strength, offers better sleep and improves cardiovascular health by increasing heart and lung endurance.

I´d also encourage people to incorporate other activities like weight lifting and crossfit.

Which companies have you worked with?

There are several but to mention a few, World Vision, Momentum Credit, ACK Church and schools like Makini and Peponi.

I have partnered with companies like Aberdares outdoor and Safari Yetu adventures.

Lastly, I have worked with several gyms to offer personal training including Afro fit, Trimax gym, Premier fitness and Bima house gym.

Does the job pay your bills?

So far, I have been able to meet my monthly needs. The younger me didn´t imagine my talent would turn into a career that will pay my bills.

How much do you charge?

I think I´m affordable in terms of the value clients get from my services. Also, if someone sees the overall benefit of a product, they won´t have a problem meeting the cost.

Where do you plan to be in the next five years?

I purpose to grow my business which I started this year with my business partner, Linet Mwangi.

The name of the company is Nfit Nfun. We organise outdoor activities like hiking for individuals and groups, dance programmes for children, unique choreographed dance routines for weddings and parties and fitness programmes for individuals and groups.

What do you do when not working?

When not working I do a lot of swimming, hiking, travelling and spending time with my family.

Describe yourself in one sentence

I´m a happy person who loves what she does and I respect everyone´s opinion.

Your parting shot?

It´s good to be self-driven in whatever you plan to do. When you love something, pursue it, don´t let anybody discourage you.