Jasmine Sanker-Twiggs, CEO of DeeVa Dance and Fitness located on 735 Port Washington Blvd., has created an all-encompassing dance and fitness experience for children and adults taking classes at her studio.
Sanker-Twiggs started dancing at the age of five, and the passion she had then has been a constant throughout her professional career. Sanker-Twiggs took dance classes and participated in various dance schools and competitions. She eventually received her Bachelor of Arts degree, which incorporated dance and choreography. She said choreography is something that has helped contribute to her business today. She danced professionally, attended the Alvin Ailey Dance School and taught fitness classes and dance to children in Manhattan. Her résumé is impressive, but it was the birth of her son that changed her career path. Traveling to the city took up a lot of time and she decided working locally would give her more time with her son. While teaching classes at various studios in Port Washington and elsewhere on the North Shore, she noticed that people were following her from studio to studio just to participate in her classes. As Sanker-Twiggs put it, “It was then that a light bulb went off, and I thought, I can do this on my own.”
By 2014, DeeVa Dance and Fitness became a reality due to her strong will and the encouragement of her clientele. Port Washington was the perfect location to open her business. Port is central between Roslyn and Great Neck, where she also taught, and as Sanker-Twiggs put it, “Port was meant to be.”
Sanker-Twiggs also lives in Port, right around the corner from her studio, in fact.
There are a variety of classes offered at DeeVa Fitness—Dance Cardio, Pilates, Cardio Kickboxing, Barre and Interval Training. All ages are welcome. Her “baby” and the most popular class is DeeVa Dance Cardio. This class incorporates all types of dance including African, ballet, jazz and hip hop.
“It’s a wonderful mixture of different kinds of dance fused together with 17 different songs, creating a 60-minute cardio dance class and full-body workout, as well as a warm-up and cool down,” said Sanker-Twiggs.
Her husband, Manny Twiggs, is professionally trained in dance and martial arts. They share a love for dance and fitness. He teaches boys Hip Hop and Breakdancing at DeeVa Fitness. 
Their mission is promoting self-esteem, confidence and coordination through movement and music. Sanker-Twiggs spoke about understanding rhythm and counting beats while dancing and how this helps children in other areas of their lives.
Children experiencing fine and gross motor issues are encouraged to participate in a class where movement is broken down so they understand it. Sanker-Twiggs noted that dance and music help eye-hand coordination. “Rhythm and music are therapeutic for children and adults,” said Sanker-Twiggs.
For more information about DeeVa Dance and Fitness, go to www.deevadance.com. DeeVa Dance and Fitness is located at 735 Port Washington Blvd.
