Dorinda Medley wants you to sweat for a good cause. The former “Real Housewives of New York” star and professional aerobics instructor is teaching an ’80s-themed aerobics — or Dorobics, as she likes to call it — class on Moxie April 23. All proceeds benefitRonald McDonald House New York.
To get ready for the workout, PvNew asked Medley to name some of her favorite ’80s hits.
1. “Work That Body,” Diana Ross: “This song has the perfect aerobics eight-beat, and the music video of her dancing in a leotard is iconic. Diana’s solo career really blossomed in the ’80s, and this song fueled the aerobics movement to become more mainstream. It’s a must-play song in my Dorobics classes.”
2. “It’s Raining Men,” the Weather Girls: “Whenever I was with my girlfriends and this song would come on, we would just feel so sexy and empowered dancing in our leotards. Look at us! It’s raining men! Hallelujah!”
3. “Jump (for My Love),” the Pointer Sisters: “This is one of the most motivational songs to hear during an aerobics class because it really gets you going. You could be out of breath, but this song would come on and give you a boost of energy. Even if you felt like you were dying, you were going to jump!”
4. “Burning Up,” Madonna: “Madonna showed us that it’s OK to put yourself out there for a man, but she did it in a sexy way that was empowering. She proved that it was OK to be a strong woman and still express your sexuality and femininity. When “Burning Up” came out, it was exactly what I needed to hear at that point in my life.”
5. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” Wham!: “Not only is it a fantastic song and music video, but you just can’t not be happy and get up and dance when you hear it. And the hair in that music video! It’s an all-around feel-good song.”
6. “Billie Jean,” Michael Jackson: “Michael Jackson is the king of pop, and he really ruled the ’80s. I remember having the ‘Thriller’ album on my yellow Walkman and listening to ‘Billie Jean’ on repeat.”
7. “Pump Up the Volume,” M|A|R|R|S: “This was one of the first techno dance hits that I remember, and it was a departure from the disco-influenced music we were used to. It really threw us for a minute but was such a fun change of pace for the dance scene. It still had some elements of funk, but in a totally amped up way.”
