It’s been a lovely holiday season. I’ve really enjoyed spending cozy time inside, watching wind and rain out the window while singing and playing at home with family and friends. But I’m very ready for that uplifting feel of hanging up a fresh empty calendar and starting a new year.
I hope you are also enjoying seasonal celebrations and a restorative down-time!
eBay has several sealed original 4 DVD sets (2005) for under $30 with free shipping. Consider picking up this set that has fun routines, plus overviews of the basic steps that you will find in every Zumba class. Many consider these original DVD’s to be the best!!
Look at “Buy It Now” for minimal hassle or go ahead and bid if you enjoy the thrill of the hunt!
p.s. be sure you are buying all 4 DVD’s as a set. This is the most economical. Also check out the seller feedback to make sure it is mostly positive!
I was fortunate to attend a two-day workshop in Phoenix last weekend presented by the founder of Zumba, Beto Perez, along with several Zumba Education Specialists from across the country. There were no top secrets, complicated formulas, or earth-shattering revelations. The dance steps we went over were far from intricate wow-their-socks-off-crowd-pleasers. We were reminded over and over again to just keep it simple, put our students’ needs foremost, and present the highest quality program we can.
Now I am an extremely skeptical person but I have a hard time finding fault with anything Zumba Fitness does. This is a successful company, run by honest and sincere people, with a fantastic product. There is a warmth, genorosity and optimism in their actions. It is a top notch organization that I am happy to be associated with. And Beto is just an incredibly nice and charming man who brings out the best in everyone he encounters. Oh, and he can dance like you wouldn’t believe! Nothing over the top– just so controlled and connected with the music and the students. I hope you all get a chance to take a class with him one day.
I’m very excited to apply what I’ve learned toward tweaking how I lead my classes, streamlining things a bit, getting a regular flow of new songs going for the new year…. it’s great to get a little outside inspiration once in awhile!
A great snack - portable, easy to peel, seedless, sweet and juicy. Enjoy them while you can!
I am so glad that when I watch you all in class, I don’t see this!! Thank you for taking my lead and then rolling with it in a way that makes you comfortable. By modifying steps to increase or decrease intensity, protect any body parts that need TLC, or just to add your own style, you are making those 60 minutes count for you.
Ok, so I can’t get out a protractor and make sure our legs are all matched in perfect 162 degree angles? Thank goodness. Rock[ette?] on!!
In the past couple months, I’ve had some time to take Zumba classes with other instructors at various facilities around Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. It is so fun to be jumping around with the rest of the participants and just relaxing and having a good time. It is also important for me to experience what you all experience from your “side” of the room, so I can think about how to make my classes better for you.
The first thing that really stands out in my mind is to keep the steps simple and easy-to-learn, but still fun and interesting. Of course I knew this already but the occasional reminder is very necessary!
Second, variety in music is important. We all have different tastes, and if one song isn’t my cup of tea, hopefully the next song will be more to my liking.
There were other things I noticed these other wonderful instructors doing, and hopefully I can incorporate their methods to improve my teaching. But the final thing I wanted to share here is something for both of us to keep in mind: It’s very easy to coast when you’re not in front of the room, and especially easy in spaces with no mirrors. Now, understandably when a song is new and the steps unfamiliar, we are more tentative as we concentrate on learning the moves.
However, once we have a feel for the dance, it’s time to rev up the energy and put some intensity behind our movements– even in the slower songs. Getting feet and hands in the right place is one thing, but actually putting in the extra “oomph” so that our time in class results in an effective workout…. well, that requires some internal motivation! So let’s all make it a goal to push ourselves a little extra during our Zumba classes together. It’s especially important this time of year filled with sweet temptations!