PM360 recently spoke to Shauna Horvath, Global Head of Marketing at Amylyx, about why her love of dance has endured through the years.
PM360: How did you first get into dance?
Shauna Horvath: When I was little, I was actually pigeon toed and had no arch in my foot. The doctors told my parents I needed to do something to correct that and one of the ideas to help was to sign me up for dance. So I started taking classes when I was three and really loved it. My dance studio also had competitive rhythmic gymnastics, which I joined when I was six and stuck with until early high school. But I also continued dancing, taking a number of dance classes all the way through college.
What made you decide to keep it up through the years and even into now?
I did stop a little bit right after college as I was busy starting my career. Though, I was in New York at the time and I took a couple classes at Broadway Dance, but not a ton. Then when I moved back to Massachusetts, which is where I grew up, my old studio was operating adult classes and I decided to start taking them again. It’s just something I love doing and it’s also a great way to work out while having fun.
What’s your favorite style of dance?
Now it’s jazz, but as a kid I really enjoyed ballet. However, ballet is more regimented and after a day of working and making decisions, it’s more fun to do something that’s a little freer like jazz.
What classes are you taking now?
Right now, I only take one, it’s a jazz and hip-hop class that incorporates both styles. Hip-hop was new to me as it wasn’t big when I was a kid so it’s probably not my strength, but it’s just about having fun. I started again back in 2007 and have been doing it since, and in that time, I have danced pregnant twice now. So, both of my daughters danced with me while they were in my belly and now they have taken up dance. My youngest one is really little, so she’s not doing a lot, but my older one dances five days a week on a competitive dance team.
Are there any other classes you are interested in exploring in the future?
I have taken some ballroom classes over the years and I would love to do some more of that in the future. Maybe, maybe, I could convince my husband to do it with me, but he is not that big into dance. [Laughs]
What about your daughters? Do you spend time dancing with them?
We do have a lot of dance parties in our house. And I help my daughter when she’s learning new things or preparing to try out for her team. If something is hard for her or she’s having a difficult time remembering then I will try to help her without being an annoying mom.
