Build your skills with courses designed to provide you with a foundation in wellness, specific sports, training styles, and more! From learning the basics of boxing to deepening your knowledge and practice of yoga, our instructors will create an experience for you to grow and connect with yourself and the world in new ways.
Getting Started
- Princeton University students and Dillon Gym members must register through our online portal.
- Some programs may require you to provide your own equipment - review the descriptions below.
Spring 2023 Upcoming Offerings
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Boxing 101
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Instructor: Jared Jones
Time:
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Session A: Mondays, 7:00pm - 8:00pm OR
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Session B: Fridays, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Dates: 3/20 - 4/28
Location: MPR (Dillon Gym)Cost: $50
Learn the skills and movements of the science of boxing from head movement, footwork, and mental strategy that forms self-defense.
*Participants must bring their own gloves.
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Figure Skating I
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Instructor: Figure Skating Club
Time: Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:15am - 10:40am
Dates: 2/20 - 4/18
Location: Baker RinkCost: $55
Focusing on the fundamentals such as stroking, stopping, and basic turns, this class will be an introduction to figure skating for anyone who is completely new to the sport or has little experience. This is am 8-week program.
No Dillon Gym membership is required for this class as it is held at Baker Rink.
Skaters from this level will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Princeton University Figure Skating Team's Winter and Spring shows where they can show off their new skills to family and friends around the Princeton Community alongside experienced Princeton skaters!
This will run side by side with Figure Skating II.
*Participants must bring their own skates.
Please arrive at 10am for an off-ice warm-up and preparation for class.
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Figure Skating II
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Instructor: Figure Skating Club
Time: Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:15am - 10:40am
Dates: 2/20 - 4/18
Location: Baker RinkCost: $55
Building off of the basic foundational skills, this class challenges skaters to enhance their basic skills while also taking on new challenges such as more complex turns, spins, basic choreography, and beginning jumps. This class is very tailored to the needs and goals of each individual skater - therefore, whatever skills you would like to work on, we are here to support you! This is an 8-week class. No Dillon Gym membership is required as it is held at Baker Rink.
Skaters from this level will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Princeton University Figure Skating Team's Winter and Spring shows where they can show off their new skills to family and friends around the Princeton Community alongside experienced Princeton skaters!
This will run side by side with Figure Skating I.
*Participants must bring their own skates.
Please arrive at 10am for an off-ice warm-up and preparation for class.
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Intro to Strength Training
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Instructor: Erika Liskovec
Time: Thursdays, 12pm - 12:50pm
Dates: 2/9 - 3/9
Location: Dillon Gym (GFR)Cost: $50 (free to students)
If you've ever wanted to try lifting weights or simply get stronger, but don't know where to start, this is for you! In this five-week course, you'll build a foundation for strength training by learning the mechanics of movement, exercises to build muscle and definition, and the theory of strength programming.
Classes will be low intensity to focus on learning and understanding the techniques, and participants are encouraged to lift to their comfort level. Class breakdown is as follows:
Class 1: Introduction & Finding Baselines: Squat, Deadlift, Press
Class 2: Upper Body Movements
Class 3: Lower Body Movements
Class 4: Core Exercises
Class 5: Recap, Baselines and StrategizingThroughout this course, you will work with Erika to craft goals and build your own strength program specific to your needs so you'll have a framework to follow once the course concludes.
*Princeton University Students are admitted for free, but MUST pre-register online.
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Tai Chi 101
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Instructor: Yevgen Kashchenko
Time: Tuesdays, 6:30pm
Dates: 2/21 - 4/18
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $40
Do you want to take the first steps on the path to discovering the true power through comfort and inner peace? The skills you pick up on the path will put you in a different league not only in the martial arts but also in other areas of your life.
You will have the opportunity to connect traditional Chen-style Tai Chi with up-to-date physics understanding and see ways to use this insight to your advantage. -
Yoga Basics
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Instructor: Angela Quinn
Time: Mondays, 5:30pm
Dates: 2/6 - 3/6
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $50 (free to students)
Are you interested in starting your yoga journey, but don't know where to begin? Yoga basics is a five-week course that will touch upon all of the foundational postures and practices that you will encounter as you begin your yoga journey. Gain an understanding of proper alignment, modifications, and basic principles of yoga so you can move forward feeling comfortable and confident attending any and all yoga classes.
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Ballroom Dancing 101: Dancing with the Princeton Students
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Instructor: Ballroom Dance Club
Time: Wednesdays, 4:30 - 5:25pm
Dates: 3/22 - 4/26
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $35
For the first four classes, we will introduce a new style of ballroom dance to the group (Cha-cha, Jive, Waltz, and Tango), including the basic step and some fun moves to go along with the basic. Lessons will also include individual instruction between students and the members of Princeton Ballroom Dance Club. Dancers of all levels are welcome, whether you have never danced before or are an experienced dancer in a different style!
At the end of the program, dancers will have the opportunity to participate in Ballroom Dance Club’s spring show, Dancing with the Princeton Students, where they can show how much they’ve learned and have the chance to dance with members of the ballroom team! During the last week of class, students will have the opportunity to choose a style of dance they would like to perform and prepare for the show. -
Arm Balances & Inversions
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Instructor: Angela Quinn
Time: Mondays, 5:30pm
Dates: 3/20 - 4/10
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $50 ($25 for students)
Arm balances are a fun and challenging way to gain strength, balance, body awareness, confidence, and humility. Inversions in our yoga practice encourage us to see the world from a different perspective. If you've been curious or intrigued by how to advance your practice, join us for this four-week journey into postures such as headstand, forearm stand, crow, firefly and so much more! Challenge your body and your mind along with deepening your connection to yourself and one another through these playful yoga practices.
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Mind-Full to Mindful
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Instructor: Ildy Meixner
Time: Thursdays, 12pm
Dates: 3/23 - 4/27
Location: VirtualCost: $35
Increase Resilience as You Lose Anxiety, Stress, and Sleep Issues
This 6 weeks course is designed to be an oasis of stress and anxiety relief for you to recharge your batteries and feel sane again. When you are relaxed you become more optimistic, productive, energetic, healthy, and happy. You’ll feel a natural pull to take action to achieve your goals with newly found clarity and ease.
- Overcome challenges with confidence and a new, better perspective
- Create a better-balanced mindset
- Realize that challenges are opportunities to grow and change
- Discover mindfulness and other strategies to reduce anxiety, stress,
- depression to live healthier
- To develop new healthier habits in the way of thinking and living
- To feel more fulfilled, relaxed, and joyous
- Enhance awareness, focus, cognitive function, and performance
Participants will be emailed a Zoom link before the program start date.
Seminars
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Self Defense Series: Krav Maga
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Instructors: David Kahn ’94 & Molly Seltzer
Three Seminars:
- Sunday, 2/19: 2-4pm
- Sunday, 3/26: 2-4pm
- Sunday, 4/23: 2-4pm
Location: Dillon Gym (GFR)
Cost: Free
Krav Maga is a no-nonsense, world-renowned danger detection and self-defense system. The course focuses on identifying potential dangers, escaping danger, and, if necessary, a few highly effective, adaptable self-defense tactics applicable to myriad situations. David Kahn '94 and Molly Seltzer will teach the course.
David has taught these tactics to the FBI, US Marshals, Secret Service, DEA, Federal Air Marshals, Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Marine and Air Force Special Operations among others along with star NFL players. Course topics include:
· How to fall down safely (kinetic and non-kinetic situations)
· Awareness and recognizing pre-violence kinesic indicators
· Defending grabs
· Defending pushes
· Defending chokes
· Defending takedowns
· Defending the most typical punch attacks
The subject matter we cover will is featured in the book, Krav Maga Defense, by David Kahn (St. Martin's Press 2016).
Build your skills by attending all three seminars for a complete, comprehensive experience or sign up for any single seminar to learn techniques!
Registration for each day will be separate - if you intend to go to all three seminar dates, please make sure to sign up for each date individually.
Seminar 1: February 19th, 2-4pmSeminar 2: March 26th, 2-4pm
Seminar 3: April 23rd, 2-4pm
Instructional Programs Schedule
Previous Instructional Program Offerings
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Yoga 201
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Instructor: Angela Quinn
Cost: $50 (free to students)
Yoga 201:
This eight week yoga course* builds off the knowledge and understanding of comprehensive yoga practice, as taught in Yoga 101. Designed for any practitioners who are interested in understanding yoga more in depth, more individualized attention and a steady, mindful pace of exporation of each asana (posture) and those practitioners who are ready to generally delve deeper into their yoga journey. Leave with a deeper understanding of yoga practice, asana, pranayama (breath awareness), meditation and yoga philosophy. This information will carry with the practitioner as they continue on their respective yoga journeys.It is recommended that you bring your own yoga mat. Limited mats are available. Course will have hybrid option.
*Princeton University Students are admitted for free, but MUST pre-register online.
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Group Fitness Instructor Development Program
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Instructor: Erika Liskovec
TBD - Spring 2023
Cost: Free (see below for certification details)
This program is designed to provide a foundation of knowledge for students to successfully teach group fitness classes. The focus will be two fold: how the human body works and presentation skills. Students will learn about anatomy, the mechanics of movement, muscle activation and sequencing of exercises. On the presentation side, students will have the opportunity to develop and refine instructing skills and learn the nuances of music playlists, technology for teaching and more.
This program entails six group meetings from 8:30-9:30am on Mondays (March 14th - April18th) and two additional one-on-one development meetings with the Coordinator of Recreational Programming or another mentor instructor. It will also require participants to attend/shadow group fitness classes they are interested in teaching.
This program is available to undergraduate and graduate students for free. It is encouraged that students obtain an instructor certification (ACE or class specific) within three months of the program's end date. if the student chooses to obtain certification, Campus Rec will:
- Reimburse 50% of the certification fee after becoming successfully certified.
- Reimburse the last 50% of the certification fee after the student has taught classes for Campus Rec for a full semester.
If you already have a certification and are interested in teaching group fitness classes, please email Erika to set up a meeting.
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Krav Maga 101
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Instructor: David Kahn
TBD
Cost: $40
This four-week introductory course will be taught by David Kahn '94. David has authored seven krav maga books and became a krav maga subject matter after completing law school. He has taught the Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations, FBI, Secret Service, and US Marshals and appeared in more than two dozen national publications. The course will focus on thwarting the most common types of unarmed aggression including pushes, grabs, punches, and takedowns. This training is designed for beginners and martial arts practitioners alike.
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Fundamentals of Running
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Instructor: Running Club
Cost: $40
Princeton Running Club's Fundamentals of Running program is designed to help new to intermediate-level runners dive further into the running world and learn how to improve fitness, develop lifelong healthy habits, and prevent injuries. Fundamentals of Running focuses on teaching participants everything they need to know to get started with running consistently. Topics such as running form and techniques, training periodization, goal setting, injury prevention and recovery, running gear, race preparation techniques, trail finding, and making running feel fun, will all be covered.
Throughout the course of the program, participants will learn from experienced runners from Princeton Running Club, and explore beautiful running areas around Princeton University. The program will build participants up for success in Princeton University's Tiger Trot 5K, which will be held on Friday, November 18th.
Registration is closed.
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Functional Fitness - Small Group Training
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Instructor: Erika Liskovec
Cost: $25 for students/$50 for staff
What is functional fitness? Think of movements and exercises that reflect how we live our lives - pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, reaching, etc. The idea behind functional fitness is to train movements such as these so that we can build muscles and movement patterns that will help us live more fully. So how do we do that? You can start here!
Classes will start with a warmup and instructional section on different strength movements. The second half of class will be a sweat-inducing workout that will be a new format each week, incorporating both new and familiar movements. You’ll walk away with not only some new skills but exercise options you can use in the gym.
Come prepared to move and workout.
Similar to: Bootcamp, CrossFit
Registration is closed.
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Yoga 101
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Instructor: Angela Quinn
Cost: $50 (free to students)
Intro to Yoga:
In this eight week yoga course*, students will learn the basics of yoga, including asanas (postures), breathing techniques (pranayama) and mindfulness meditation. Each class will build upon the prior week’s practice, so the course will be progressive in nature. Every student will leave with the knowledge and confidence to attend other yoga class offerings both on campus and beyond.It is recommended that you bring your own yoga mat. Limited mats are available.
*Princeton University Students are admitted for free, but MUST pre-register online.
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KO Boxing
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Instructor: Tony Stitt
A former amateur boxer, Tony Stitt, will teach you the technical skills of boxing such as jab, cross and hook.
Participants must provide their own boxing gloves.
Register for an Instructional Program
If you are a non-student, you must have a Dillon Gym Membership in order to participate.
News & Announcements
Welcome back to campus! We're so excited to share what we have to offer this Spring, so you can continue to engage in your overall health and well-being!