SAN DIEGO BRIEFS

Jazzercise founder Judi Sheppard Missett of Oceanside has received Working Woman magazine’s Harriet Alger Award as “Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year.” Missett, whom the magazine describes in its November issue as the “Passionate Pioneer of Fitness Franchising,” will be honored in ceremonies Nov. 15 in New York City. Missett developed the concept of Jazzercise in 1969 while performing as a professional dancer and dance teacher in Illinois. Realizing that dance students without professional aspirations dropped out at a high rate, Missett tried blending jazz-dance choreography, calisthenics and aerobics as an appealing alternative. The idea led to Jazzercise Inc., founded in 1979, and the Carlsbad-based company now has about 4,000 franchised instructors and nearly half a million students in more than 30 countries.