Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

Clearly, he never took one of Aidan Nee’s sculpt classes at Studio78, where there are three things guaranteed:

1. You will start the class in child’s pose

2. A Tate McRae song will be playing

3. And you will walk out looking like you just took a dip at Carson Beach

But before there were lunges and squats, it was leaps and spin turns.

WARM UP – GETTING SITUATED 

Growing up in Dorchester, Nee was very close with his cousins. They went to elementary school together and after, if he wasn’t at hockey and they weren’t at dance, they were with each other.

One day it was “Bring Your Friends to Dance Day”, so Nee went with the girls to see what it was all about. Afterwards, he couldn’t stop talking about it and his mom put him in as many classes as she could. Before they knew it, he was trading in his skates for sneakers with glow in the dark soles – the classic dance competition accessory.

“Pretty much from there, I fell in love with [dance]. It became my favorite thing ever,” Nee said.

As he got older, he joined competition teams and made his own dance room in the basement by moving gym equipment, setting up mirrors and begging Santa for proper dance flooring.

Needless to say, Santa delivered.

ON YOUR MATS – CHANGE OF PACE 

Early last summer, Nee “took five” from dance and decided to try out a yoga sculpt class at Studio78 in Southie. Just like with his cousin’s dance class, he fell in love instantaneously, and it has since become his happy place.

At that time, Nee was about to head off to college. But after just one week of classes, he knew that campus life wasn’t for him. He made the decision to move back home and continue his marketing and business classes online, which is what he is doing right now. While it might not be the traditional college life, it aligns perfectly with his lifestyle.

With the flexibility that online schooling provides, Nee has been able to become a Pilates instructor at Studio78, pursue professional dance opportunities and grow his social media following on his Align With Aidan page. His personal brand focuses on “all things sculpt, dance & everything in between”.

He likes how “Align” and “Aidan” are kind of similar and he always catches himself saying that word during his classes. When he started instructor training, he couldn’t help but notice the cute matching sets that all the girls wore and saw a gap in the men’s activewear space. He decided he could fill that with a business called Align.

For now, he is trying to build brand awareness and sell accessories, but hopes to integrate fashion design down the road.

“My goal is to tie these all together somehow…fashion, modeling, fitness, dance. I do not know what the future may look like, but I know that all of my passions and interests will lead me somewhere great!”

COOL DOWN – REFLECT AND RESPECT 

The earliest memory of Southie that Nee could think of was from when he was 10 years old. His family’s house was being renovated so they had to move in with his Nana near Thomas Park for a few months.

Back then, to him, Southie was just Nana’s house and L Street Camp. But now, ever since he has started teaching, he has a whole new perspective.

“I feel like this past year I’ve seen a different side of Southie. Now, I have a mini community outside of my family and I feel like I really grew a connection.”

After class, his go-to is grabbing a French toast latte from American Provisions, where he’ll often see some familiar (and sweaty) faces of people he just taught!

On days when he teaches in the morning and the afternoon, he makes sure to squeeze in a lunch with Nana at Shy Bird.

The saying “You can go your whole life not realizing that what you’re looking for is right in front of you” rings true. For Nee, he didn’t need to go off to college to find himself or to learn what he wanted to do.

It was always some sort of studio, and it will always be in Southie.

AIDAN’S TEACHING SCHEDULE: 

Mondays @ 11:15 AM and 5:30 PM – Studio78, Old Colony

Wednesdays @ 8:15 AM and 7:30 PM – Studio78, K Street

Thursday Nights @ 5:30 PM – Dance Factory, Plymouth

Fridays @ 4:30 PM –  Studio78, Old Colony

Editor’s Note: Aidan is the son of Southie natives Kerry and Brian Nee and the grandson of Susan and Joe “Dodo” Nee.