| Rebecca Small Step Choreography Guru February 1, 2006 © 2006, Fitness Organica LLC |
| You may know and love Rebecca for her complex, interesting, and fun step choreography, but she has many other talents you may not know about. She's also a cook, an ancient history buff, and more . . . . |
No one can say Rebecca Small isn't dedicated to her craft, traveling
eight months out of the year for conventions, as well as making time
for filming videos and teaching locally. For Rebecca, convention
season begins at the end of January, goes every weekend until July,
then resumes again in September until the end of November. She
presents at approximately 35 conventions a year worldwide. It's
tough to become established in the presentation world, and to receive
so many invitations to these conventions is a remarkable
accomplishment which speaks highly of Rebecca's expertise.
As a girl in Australia, Rebecca was very athletic and always involved in
sports. She describes herself as a tomboy, always into everything the
boys were doing -- riding BMXs, climbing trees, and surfing. She
joined a gym at age 15, and as soon as she was old enough (18), she
took her first fitness trainer's course. Rebecca started teaching right
after high school. At age 19, she went to live and teach in Hong Kong
full-time before going to college. Upon returning to Australia, she
resumed teaching classes and used the money to put herself through
school.
Rebecca graduated from college with a degree in Naturopathy
(natural medicine), and is a qualified nutritionist, herbalist, and
homeopath. Other favorite subjects were home economics, because
she loves to cook, and ancient history. But the call of teaching fitness
was very strong, so she continued down that path after graduation.
eight months out of the year for conventions, as well as making time
for filming videos and teaching locally. For Rebecca, convention
season begins at the end of January, goes every weekend until July,
then resumes again in September until the end of November. She
presents at approximately 35 conventions a year worldwide. It's
tough to become established in the presentation world, and to receive
so many invitations to these conventions is a remarkable
accomplishment which speaks highly of Rebecca's expertise.
As a girl in Australia, Rebecca was very athletic and always involved in
sports. She describes herself as a tomboy, always into everything the
boys were doing -- riding BMXs, climbing trees, and surfing. She
joined a gym at age 15, and as soon as she was old enough (18), she
took her first fitness trainer's course. Rebecca started teaching right
after high school. At age 19, she went to live and teach in Hong Kong
full-time before going to college. Upon returning to Australia, she
resumed teaching classes and used the money to put herself through
school.
Rebecca graduated from college with a degree in Naturopathy
(natural medicine), and is a qualified nutritionist, herbalist, and
homeopath. Other favorite subjects were home economics, because
she loves to cook, and ancient history. But the call of teaching fitness
was very strong, so she continued down that path after graduation.
"Then, after I finished on Sunday
afternoon, they took me to the
train station. They bought my
train ticket to the airport and they
physically put me on the train
and told me to get off at the
airport in 40 minutes. Well, 40
minutes comes and goes, and
no airport in sight! I stay on the
train, waiting, waiting, waiting . . .
. Finally I asked someone when
we would be stopping at the
airport. To my surprise, they tell
me that this train is an express
going in the opposite direction of
the airport! Agh! "So I got off at
the first station I could and
waited for a train back to the city
-- only to find out that I had
missed my plane, as well as any
other plane leaving Switzerland
that evening or, in fact, any
planes until after midday the
next day!"
"It was now 8 p.m. on Sunday
evening, and I was still in
Switzerland with no way to get
back to London. So I had to take
a train to Germany and sleep in
a hotel on Sunday night, then
take a plane out of Frankfurt on
Monday morning."
"After the whole weekend was
finished, I came home 800 Euro
poorer and I arrived home at 5
p.m. Monday afternoon. It was a
nightmare, but so unbelievable it
was funny -- I had to laugh after I
stopped crying!"
afternoon, they took me to the
train station. They bought my
train ticket to the airport and they
physically put me on the train
and told me to get off at the
airport in 40 minutes. Well, 40
minutes comes and goes, and
no airport in sight! I stay on the
train, waiting, waiting, waiting . . .
. Finally I asked someone when
we would be stopping at the
airport. To my surprise, they tell
me that this train is an express
going in the opposite direction of
the airport! Agh! "So I got off at
the first station I could and
waited for a train back to the city
-- only to find out that I had
missed my plane, as well as any
other plane leaving Switzerland
that evening or, in fact, any
planes until after midday the
next day!"
"It was now 8 p.m. on Sunday
evening, and I was still in
Switzerland with no way to get
back to London. So I had to take
a train to Germany and sleep in
a hotel on Sunday night, then
take a plane out of Frankfurt on
Monday morning."
"After the whole weekend was
finished, I came home 800 Euro
poorer and I arrived home at 5
p.m. Monday afternoon. It was a
nightmare, but so unbelievable it
was funny -- I had to laugh after I
stopped crying!"
Rebecca has also had other disconcerting experiences while on the road. The scariest was witnessing a friend
collapse on stage due to heat exhaustion. "He had to have his lung pierced because he couldn't breathe, and
was rushed to the hospital."
She says the strangest thing about travelling is "seeing the black market selling of your DVDs in Russia and
Mexico. They blatantly will buy one DVD, and then you see your products being sold on a stand at the convention
-- but they have been burned and the cover photocopied, and they're being sold at half price. You can't do
anything about it. This is the way it is in these countries -- it's all black market."
In addition to a full schedule of travel and presenting, Rebecca also enjoys teaching at local clubs. "I believe it's
absolutely essential for a presenter to teach at a club, to keep them in the "real" world of fitness. Before I moved to
the U.K. six months ago, I was teaching at a club three nights a week. I'm currently looking for a suitable gym
where I live now so that I can continue to teach."
Rebecca teaches live classes a little differently than the way she teaches on DVDs. "I teach nine blocks of
32-count choreography in my DVDs and I teach three blocks of 32 in my live workouts. I only teach combinations
on my DVDs that I have tried and tested live so I know that they work and I know that they are not too much. But I
choose carefully which combinations to put together in class so my students are not too overloaded. For example,
I might combine one complex block of 32 with a medium complexity and a simpler block. But I do teach the
actual combos that are featured on my DVDs. I don't really find people having too much difficulty with my combos.
At least live anyway. That's my specialty -- getting people to do things they thought they never could!"
collapse on stage due to heat exhaustion. "He had to have his lung pierced because he couldn't breathe, and
was rushed to the hospital."
She says the strangest thing about travelling is "seeing the black market selling of your DVDs in Russia and
Mexico. They blatantly will buy one DVD, and then you see your products being sold on a stand at the convention
-- but they have been burned and the cover photocopied, and they're being sold at half price. You can't do
anything about it. This is the way it is in these countries -- it's all black market."
In addition to a full schedule of travel and presenting, Rebecca also enjoys teaching at local clubs. "I believe it's
absolutely essential for a presenter to teach at a club, to keep them in the "real" world of fitness. Before I moved to
the U.K. six months ago, I was teaching at a club three nights a week. I'm currently looking for a suitable gym
where I live now so that I can continue to teach."
Rebecca teaches live classes a little differently than the way she teaches on DVDs. "I teach nine blocks of
32-count choreography in my DVDs and I teach three blocks of 32 in my live workouts. I only teach combinations
on my DVDs that I have tried and tested live so I know that they work and I know that they are not too much. But I
choose carefully which combinations to put together in class so my students are not too overloaded. For example,
I might combine one complex block of 32 with a medium complexity and a simpler block. But I do teach the
actual combos that are featured on my DVDs. I don't really find people having too much difficulty with my combos.
At least live anyway. That's my specialty -- getting people to do things they thought they never could!"
And while we're on the subject of DVDs . . . Rebecca is
considering making some consumer-based DVDs in 2006
and will be filming with Evolution Video (Marcus Irwin's
company) again in March. "Marcus Irwin is very cute to
film with," she says. "The shoots are always very relaxed,
easygoing. All the presenters he works with are not divas
(well, most of them anyway), so it's always a lot of fun."
Rebecca is 35 years old, and married to fellow presenter
Steve Schiemer. When she's not teaching, presenting, or
filming, she enjoys cooking, mixing music, eating out,
reading, and playing her pinball machine and Playstation.
"But only the karaoke and dancing games," she adds.
Although there are no children yet, Rebecca hints that
there may be. "Ask me again in three years."
considering making some consumer-based DVDs in 2006
and will be filming with Evolution Video (Marcus Irwin's
company) again in March. "Marcus Irwin is very cute to
film with," she says. "The shoots are always very relaxed,
easygoing. All the presenters he works with are not divas
(well, most of them anyway), so it's always a lot of fun."
Rebecca is 35 years old, and married to fellow presenter
Steve Schiemer. When she's not teaching, presenting, or
filming, she enjoys cooking, mixing music, eating out,
reading, and playing her pinball machine and Playstation.
"But only the karaoke and dancing games," she adds.
Although there are no children yet, Rebecca hints that
there may be. "Ask me again in three years."
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Her career blossomed in Australia. She had worked her way up
into doing tours, conventions, and training instructors. In 1997,
Rebecca felt she had gone as far as she could in the Australian
fitness industry, and started to look overseas. "It was time to either
change careers or change locations, so I chose the latter," she
says. Rebecca moved to Germany, where she lived for eight
years, and then moved to the U.K. six months ago.
With all the travel Rebecca does, she has visited some interesting
places. "Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon are all great
to work in. The people are all so friendly and fanatical about
fitness. The irony is that they all hate each other, but don't realize
how much alike they all are! Eastern Bloc countries are also nice
to visit because they're so appreciative of you. I really like working
in Italy, too. I've worked there for about seven years now, and I
love their attitude toward fitness. They have fun, don't take things
too seriously, and will try anyone or anything new."
I asked Rebecca what funny experiences she might have had in
her travels. "It wasn't funny at the time, but I had a convention in
Switzerland last year, and I actually arrived on the wrong day to
teach. I arrived on Friday night and thought I was teaching on
Saturday and had booked my flight to go home Sunday morning.
I was so excited because I thought I had my first Sunday off and at
home in six months. I had all these plans to have a wonderful day
with my husband and it all totally backfired! After finding out that I
had to teach on Sunday and not Saturday, I had to buy another
flight home, at my own expense, on Sunday night. So that was all
okay. I had to pay for an extra ticket and stay an extra day -- fine."
into doing tours, conventions, and training instructors. In 1997,
Rebecca felt she had gone as far as she could in the Australian
fitness industry, and started to look overseas. "It was time to either
change careers or change locations, so I chose the latter," she
says. Rebecca moved to Germany, where she lived for eight
years, and then moved to the U.K. six months ago.
With all the travel Rebecca does, she has visited some interesting
places. "Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon are all great
to work in. The people are all so friendly and fanatical about
fitness. The irony is that they all hate each other, but don't realize
how much alike they all are! Eastern Bloc countries are also nice
to visit because they're so appreciative of you. I really like working
in Italy, too. I've worked there for about seven years now, and I
love their attitude toward fitness. They have fun, don't take things
too seriously, and will try anyone or anything new."
I asked Rebecca what funny experiences she might have had in
her travels. "It wasn't funny at the time, but I had a convention in
Switzerland last year, and I actually arrived on the wrong day to
teach. I arrived on Friday night and thought I was teaching on
Saturday and had booked my flight to go home Sunday morning.
I was so excited because I thought I had my first Sunday off and at
home in six months. I had all these plans to have a wonderful day
with my husband and it all totally backfired! After finding out that I
had to teach on Sunday and not Saturday, I had to buy another
flight home, at my own expense, on Sunday night. So that was all
okay. I had to pay for an extra ticket and stay an extra day -- fine."