Dance Fitness Round-Up Of 2013.

Between my roles as a ballet teacher, contemporary/lyrical teacher and Zumba instructor I did a lot of choreography in 2013. Most stuff I videotape (if it's my choreo then I'm almost certain to forget it unless I do it a billion times) and some of it I post. I love all the opportunities I get to create my own work, as well as learn from others (I'll never stop loving that!).

Here's a small collection of stuff I posted during 2013. Did someone just say it was time for an impromptu dance party? I'm in!


"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore. The link is to my original posting of it which also includes the uncensored video of Macklemore's music video. Yes, uncensored, so you've been warned if you click on his vid.

"Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore (my fantasy choreo boyfriend).

"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. (Click on the link to the original posting). Robin Thicke definitely stepped into the thick of it with this song. The song has been deemed everything from the most sexist song towards women ever made to just a song about a guy being immature and cocky. Regardless of the controversy (and I've read a great deal about it) most everyone who loves a good tune agree that this one gets one grooving. Oh, and my Zumba class freaking loves it!!

"You're No Good" by Major Lazer. (Click here for my original post).

"Girl On Fire" by Alicia Keys.

Hope 2014 is filled with lot's of joy, love and DANCING!!!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Dance Fitness Routine; "Girl On Fire".

I think I promised awhile ago that I would throw together a video of this routine for my Zumba class. The choreography was inspired by my love of contemporary jazz dance.

 I filmed it after a long day of teaching dance classes, hence my refusal to wear shoes for another minute. I've been trying to foster "Bun Solidarity" so as to encourage consistent bun-age among my youthful ballet students. Push-ups will be the prize for failure to comply come 2014. 10 for no bun, 5 for pathetic attempts. You've been warned my lovlies!

All that aside, here it is. Replete with my signature crazy dance faces. I dare you not to sing along or make a show of some passion to this fabulous song (click link to buy "Girl On Fire" on iTunes) by the amazing Alicia Keys.
The video has a kind of abrupt ending, so don't scream or anything. In the event that a loved one does wander out to see why you were screaming, make them dance with you.

Thanks for hanging out and watching.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Dancehall! {I'm gonna fake it till I make it!}

I love Dancehall style of dancing. I'm still in the fake it till you make it phase. I'll probably be here for awhile. Zumba has lovingly embraced the music and dance stylings of Dancehall. It is a presence at Zumba conventions, including visits from such Dancehall greats as Sean Paul. One of my favorite Zumba Jammers, LaToya Bufford, a Dancehall master, infuses her amazing routines with her special flav of DH.

I told my Zumba class that I would record and post one of my Dancehall inspired dance fitness routines.

Here it is.

Together we can fake it till we make. It's more fun that way!

Every choreographer needs to search for their inspiration. It might be through literature, paintings, poems or screen. Or the fabulous You Tube!

Here are a couple of routines that I found that helped to inspire some the moves. If you watch them you will notice that they are much more complex than the dance fitness routine I choreographed. That's because they are choreographed as dance pieces for trained dancers. Dance fitness routines are usually choreographed to make fun dance moves and great musical flavors accessible to a larger population, one that doesn't necessarily need to have an extensive dance background. Dance is for everyone. Everyone needs to dance.

This one is a great ensemble piece.

This girl got moves! Perhaps in my next routine I too will include twerked out splits (jk).

Interestingly, Dancehall is very popular in places like Russia and Ukraine.

Thanks for hanging out.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin.

What's your favorite "fake it till you make it" thing? Found a great sounding Dancehall song? Let me know! 

Thrill The World; It's Coming!

Last year was the first year I have ever done the international sensation Thrill The World, a day when, all over the world people dress up like zombies and collectively dance to Michael Jackson's iconic "Thriller".



This year will be the city of Chico's 5th year for participating in the event.

For me how it all started was I just wanted to learn the dance. The song and video came out in 1982. I was twelve years old. All these years have gone by and I had never learned the dance.

I thought it might be fun to make it something that my morning Zumba class could learn too. Learn it just for fun. Nothing more.

So for about 6 to 8 weeks, a couple of mornings a week anyone who was at the gym fifteen or so minutes before class joined me to learn it bit by bit.

Then came talk of performing it with the rest of the TTW zombies in our downtown plaza.

Some of my Zumba goers kiddos joined in the fun. Even more amazing was that people, who in their whole lives, had never done anything like TTW got "their zombie on" and joined in the dance. That, to me, is magic!

Saturday, October 26th 2013 marks this years TTW event. So it's time to get crack'in! So starting this Friday morning...

Zombie March

(forward) right left right left
(take-it-back) right left right left
(to-the-front) right left right left
(take-it-back) right left right left

Last year I scheduled a 2 hour block on a Sunday afternoon to really dig in to the choreography and to give people who weren't necessarily part of the Zumba crew to learn the dance. I'm hoping to do at least two this year. Dang! I better start planning this out!

Although, just like with last year, learning the dance doesn't mean you have to perform it. Learn it just for fun. Be part of the camaraderie. You can always come out and watch your fellows zombs. Plus, you can whip the dance out at parties!

Last year my family showed their love and support by coming out to the event location, which had a huge audience. Maybe this year I can talk a few of them into participating. 

One of the great things about TTW in Chico is that there are practices scheduled in our city's beautiful park, as well as a couple of other locations. Many groups coming together. Click here to find out more about those practices. To find out about locations all over the world, click here.

Most TTW organizations raise money for a local cause. To find out more about Chico's (Arts For All), click here.

Have you ever done the Thrill The World event? Got any favorite tips to "get one's zombie on"?

Thanks for hanging out and reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Happy Monday! Dance Fitness Routine; "Blurred Lines".

I grew up watching ABC's "Growing Pains". Alan Thicke played the lovable and wise patriarch of the family. Leo Dicaprio appeared on the show early in his career.

When the hell did Mr. Thicke have a hot son? It appears Robin Thicke has had quite a career in music, but only recently has he been shuttled to the top with the hit "Blurred Lines", ft. T.I. and Pharrell Williams.

Questionable intentions behind the lyrics perhaps (sort of a modern "Baby It's Cold Outside". Dude, she said she really must go!), but catchy as all get out. And I'll be the first to admit, sexy as hell.

Fun song to dance to under most any circumstances (unless you are trying to escape some drink pushing creeper's house on a winter's night).

So here is a dance fitness routine;

You know Alan Thicke is not without his own musical merits and legacy. Within this link is the proof. Warning; the unrated "Blurred Lines" video is in it as well. I don't know if I have watched the unrated version or not. So you've been warned. I don't know how risque they's is gonna get. Also, your mind might be blown with some of the most spectacular aerobics choreography that the 80's had to offer. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Thanks for hanging out!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Miss Erin

Dance Step Tutorial; Leg Circle With Body Wave.

For a few months I've been using a dance fitness routine in my Zumba classes to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's "Crazy In Love". It's a fun song, and I think, a pretty fun routine. Below is a link to a tutorial on how to do one of the moves. Right after the tutorial I show some of the dance routine itself. Why not all of it? Well, when we recorded it my husband thought it would be better lighting in a room different than the one I usually film in. He was right about the better lighting. But because of the shape of the room, I was much closer to the camera. Which also meant that my crazy dance faces where closer. I put up what I could handle seeing. The rest shall remain buried deep within my computer.


Leg Circle With Body Wave Tutorial


Usually I like to upload the video directly onto my blog, but for some reason the little cyber elves claim I don't have anything in my "My You Tube Videos", when normally I do. Erg. But the link should work.

Thanks for hanging out.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin.

Dance Fitness Video; "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (feat. Ray Dalton).

I love Macklemore and Ray Lewis's new song "Can't Hold Us".

I know the video is in black and white. What do you think?

 

 

Want some more Macklemore and Ryan Lewis? Here's my dance fitness video post for "Thrift Shop"

 

 

 

Thanks for watching!

 

Enjoy the dance that is life!

 

~Erin

Oh So Sassy! New Zumba Wear! And A Way To Help With World Hunger!

If I was roll'in in dough I would probably go broke buying Zumba Wear. I can always rely on them to come out with some super cute stuff. They also carry my overall, all-time favorite cut of sports bra. And booty tassels! How could I live without my booty tassels.

Before I go further, I'm going to mention my Zumba affiliate code:

mserinzfit

 

Save 10% when you shop at zumba.com. **Full disclosure- I get a little love too when you use my affiliate code at check out time. Some love for you. Some love for me. Some sassy, booty tassel-y love for all!**

Now it looks like Zumba Wear has gotten a little sassy (as if they already weren't). I dig it!




Love it!

 



There are a few others. I think these are pretty darn cute!




                  


I think it's time for some new kicks! In all honesty, the Zumba shoes I bought awhile ago are still my most favorite for doing Zumba in. Ever.

 

Saturn Harem Pants. Fun and chill!


Be sure to check out the "On Sale" stuff too. mserinzfit to get 10% savings!





Zumba has a new campaign;







Go to zumba.com to find out more about The Great Calorie Drive.


It's easy to join The Great Calorie Drive<sup>™

You just download a free app and use it to check in whenever you shake off calories in a Zumba class. The average caloric burn is 750. Zumba will donate a calorie for each one you burn!

Go to zumba.com to find out more and get started!

Want to get an idea of what different families in the world have for their families to eat for a week? Check out this fascinating collection of photos; What The World Eats- A Week's Worth Of Groceries. 

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin</sup>

Don't Wait...Feel The Joy Now!

I have found this to be so true. So many times I have heard stories from people, who having spent so many times watching from the outside, afraid to come in, finally just stepped. Once they did they realized there was nothing to worry about! The steps will come! But what you get right away is the joy!

Other amazing things I have heard from Zeoples (Zumba people);

" Doing Zumba has helped me get through a really stressful and uncertain time in my life."

"I have finally learned to move the area of my body between my shoulders and knees. All the places my mom told me not to move. And it feels so good!"

"I look forward to exercising now. I actually get excited about going to the gym!"

I have heard these and more, and they make my heart soar every time I hear them!

So don't wait! Get on the other side of that glass and start feeling the joy!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Wobble!

"Wobble" by V.I.C. is a song I've been using for awhile in my Zumba class. It's my Friday morning song!

There is one sequence of movement that came into question a few months ago. It seems that I was free styling a bit and changing things around at whim. So I buckled down and set those steps right.

Tomorrow we WOBBLE!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

New Zumba Wear! Save With My Affiliate Code! And A Tutorial! {A Repost}.

Whoo Hoo! There are some fun, new Zumba wear items out now! You can click on the link above, and it should take you to Zumba.com and hook you up with my affiliate code to get a 10% savings!

I say should because this is the first time I've tried out my embedded web banner. My friend Kelley will be so proud of me :)

Here are the steps for the good ol' fashion way though. Just in case.

Go to Zumba.com

Select "SHOP" from the top menu.

Look around! Mother's Day is coming up. With both accessories and clothing options, you can find a great gift for a beloved Zumba-Lover in your life. And don't forget about YOU!

Be sure to use my affiliate code for a 10% off savings!

mserinzfit

 

 

 

It's that easy!

 

                                   

 

Astral Baseball Tee                              Galaxy Loose Racerback                

I'm loving this look!                               This too. Comfy yet sexy!                   

 

 

Eclipse Capri

I would wear these all

day!

 

 

 

 

 Okay. Now for the tutorial!

 

This is a repost of a step from awhile back. Click here for the original post. There was a request for this tutorial from one of my Zumba participants. I really love this step. You can keep it low-impact. Or, if jumping is something you like to add to your movement repertoire, you can pump it up with a little side leaping action. The upper body action is great for both core and agility.

 

 

 

I use a variation of this step in my "Jump" dance fitness routine.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading and watching.

 

Enjoy the dance that is life!

 

~Erin.

                                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

 



Oh Yeah, We be Twerkin'! A Valid I.D. Required And Will Be Checked At The Door.

Okay, clearly there is no way for me to check I.D.s, but you get my point. Although, I'm pretty sure most teens (and, gasp, younger) have many of these moves fairly dialed in. Whenever I work with a group of teens, I try to tone things down. Not because I think I will protect them from ever seeing these moves, but more out of respect for their age. Like not swearing in front of your grandparents, even though you've heard tales of their epic swear fests in their own youths.

Every week I look at numerous You Tube videos of dance routines and tutorials. Hip Hop, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, Zumba, fitness, body weight training and general booty shaking. I watch entire dance routines and tutorials for individual steps or maneuvers. Sometimes I'm hunting for something out of desperation, but for the most part I love my searches.

If you have ever done the You Tube shuffle then you probably know that you start with one video, and quickly find yourself going off into a few, if not many, different directions.

Anyhows, I found, what I think are some pretty good tutorials for I step I didn't realize that I didn't know the name of; Twerking.

I always thought this move was called "brunking". Oh, technicalities. One of the things I appreciate about this tutorial is the use of isolations in the hips. Using the fingers to help you learn whether you are emphasizing the pulsing back or pulsing forward movement. It just adds to body intelligence. Yes, booty shaking can be a part of the body (or should I say booty) intelligence matrix.

This next presenter is a goddess in my opinion. At some point, I will get this tutorial dialed in. Body rolls are something many people like to work on because the move can be fun and challenging. Even when one understands the concept and parts of a body roll, getting it to feel natural and smooth can take a long time. But it is one of those moves that the journey is part of the fun.

I love how she expresses gratitude to fans that have regaled her with tales of showing their new moves to their beaus, but reminds everyone that her tutorials are for dance training purposes. I think she did a pretty good job of differentiating.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Miss Erin

Cross Blog Monday. (And, I Went To My First "Glow Party"!)

It's another episode of Cross Blog Monday. In an effort to learn my way around WordPress and to explore a secret love of mine (writing) I started another blog, welcome2mycave.wordpress.com. Less about tutorials, more about recipes and the stuff banging around in my mother of four head. Ha! That last sentence makes it sound like I have four heads. Mother-of-four head. Talk about having eyes in the back of your head!


First, some recipes;

Garlicy Shrimp and Cauliflower "Rice" with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers.

"Grab What There Is" Slow-Cooker Chicken.



Dance teacher talk!
I was originally going to post this on this blog, but Blogger was being poopy that day.



Listen Up! It's Your Dance Teacher Talking...

Balancing out the issues of balance.


Random!

Weekend Wind Tunnel.

Here are some topics that have hit my radar this week, caused me pause to think about or gave me food for thought (which is just another way of saying “gave me pause to think about”).


And...Now I yammer on some more!



                                                                      

So I went to my first Zumba "Glow Party" this weekend. If you're not familiar with the term, it's basically a big dance party with disco ball effects and black lights. Usually multiple instructors will present routines. The "glow" comes from the black lights picking up white anything; clothing, make-up and in my case nail polish. To be more exact the party was a combo of Zumba and U-Jam Fitness. I was one of the Zumba instructors, so that made it extra exciting. Plus, my long time friend who happened to be swinging by with her husband decided to join me, having never done Zumba or U-Jam before. Two "virgins" hitting the town (remember, it was my first "gp").

Well it was nothing short of a blast! If there are two things I love in regards to dance they are getting out and hitting the dance floor and getting to do other instructors' routines. Of course I love leading a class and whipping out original choreography, as well as bringing to life the choreography of others. But pretty much all instructors start off as students. That's where the first sparks of Zumba-love are lit. I think for most, that flame burns eternal. I've been to licensing and choreography workshops full of other instructors. They are pretty fun, but given the choice I prefer opportunities with a mix of instructors and Zumba lovers and enthusiasts. That love of just busting out and dancing comes through with a purity unmatched.

More often than not I wake up the morning after a night of dancing, whether it be out in the bar scene, a master class or the occasional party or reception wondering "How crazy was I?" or "Man, I'm pretty sure I made a ass/fool/spectacle of myself." My one saving grace, I actually make sure it is a sanctioned dance floor and that I am not some crazed lunatic dancing all by myself. Just a crazed lunatic dancing among others. I can't help but dance with every fiber of my being, unless I am injured. Then it's just best I stay away from any open space and booming music.

When I am teaching Zumba I am the queen of the goofy faces. I don't know why I can't just leave it at a serene and pleasant smile. "The Frat-Boy", "Maniac's Grin" and the "Ohhh, Guuurrrl!" are among my regular mugs. To be anything else, especially at this point, would be unnatural and insincere. Case in point, about a year ago my household had suffered a tragic emergency over a weekend. The light of Monday morning brought with it many unknowns, worries and concerns. Really, I should have just found a sub for my Monday morning Zumba class, but my mind was still reeling from all that had happened over the weekend. Everything I did was an exercise in "going through the motions". I actually did have a pleasant and serene smile. And everybody knew something was horribly wrong. I had no intention of telling my students about what was going on, but between the looks of concern on their faces and having one of them be a neighbor who saw an ambulance at our house I had to come clean. Not just to assuage anyone's concerns, but also I felt the need to get as many people praying for someone who was fighting for their life (not one of my family members, but my oldest daughter's best friend). I'm glad I did. Hands to hold and shoulders to cry on. Within the week there were people on the other side of the world adding their prayers and support. And I had tons of support to help carry me as I tried to cope with watching my daughter loose her last bit of childhood innocence in watching a beloved friend pass.

I guess all that to say "Smoke 'em when you got 'em" or rather "Dance your ass off every chance you get!" Life is short and unpredictable. I've waged my battles against demons in my life, as so many others have. The world is filled with a never ending supply of joy, enough for everyone. Unfortunately the same holds true for misery. As long as it isn't hurting anyone else, GO GET YOU SOME JOY WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Enjoy the dance that is life!

"Thrift Shop" Dance Fitness Video.

I. Love. This. Song.

What song? "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Wanz).



The concept of making a catchy, hip, funny song about thrift store shopping is appealing enough, but in my opinion the creators of the song hit the ball outta the park. Fun to just listen to, but even more fun to get moving to. The music video for Thrift Shop just brings the words to life.

Language Warning!

Given the choice, the original is the one I sing to myself when the younger of my brood are not in my presence. But when it comes to presenting routines for my Zumba and other dance classes, I try to keep it as "clean" as I can. At least in regards to swear words. More often than not people will say they don't care, but I do. Within my natural environs I'm no beacon of vocabulary building word choices, something that is brought to my attention on a regular basis by my husband and children, and extended family when on rock and roll excursions with me. Another story when I am in teacher and instructor mode though.

So imagine my glee when I found a "clean" version of the song.

I videotaped this dance fitness routine at the prestigious Grungy Rug Studio. Okay, it's my garage. Lest you think I have unlocked the secrets to an organized garage I would like extoll the virtues of camera angles and field of vision. After the dance I give a little tutorial for a couple of the steps.

My husband brought in the wicker screen to class the joint up a bit. Super sweet, considering the day before I chased him out of the house because I wanted to do a tutorial about rolling out the glutes and piriformis. He is a treasure.



Thanks for hanging out, reading and watching.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

Bump That Step Up; Use Your Head!

The human head holds many things. A brain, thoughts, dreams and in my case, lots of choreography and dirty limericks. The human head also holds the ability to work as a mace. A ball on the end of a chain (spine). Just like trying to control the weight of a kettle bell during a swing, our heads have a considerable amount of weight that our bodies, preferable our cores, have to try and control. This can be used to our advantage when we want to bump up the heat on a step.

Let's take the basic Salsa step used in the Zumba format.

The following video progresses from the basic Salsa step to one with a little more umph. Then further progresses to a more challenging version that uses the weight of the head to increase the work that the core must do.

Take a look...

The next time you feel free and easy with your Salsa step, throw in some sass and use that head!

Switching from Zumba to Balletone- here is a post that I was trying to put up a few days ago, but Blogger was being poopy. So I put it on my other blog
welcome2mycave.wordpress.com. A perspective on balancing.

Thanks for hanging out.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

Dance Fit Video! Jump!

The song is "Jump" (Radio edit) by The Cube Guys and Luciana. You can find it on iTunes.

As always, make sure to warm up a bit before you engage in any exercise. Check your footwear. Move furniture outta the way and be on even ground. Let me know if tutorials for some of the steps would be helpful, now that I have a handy dandy webcam :)

Hope you have a great weekend filled with happiness and joy as we get ready to usher in the New Year!

Thanks for watching.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

Dance Concept; Don't Lose Your Marble.

 

 

 

So I've been teaching Balletone classes on a more regular basis. I'm pretty psyched about it. For the gym I teach at it's been kind of a "filler" class (covering for a regular instructor who teaches step aerobics. I don't do step. That would be more of a comedy/slapstick hour thing for me to do), I've been kinda doing a hybrid Zumba/Balletone sampler plate. People seem pretty enthusiastic about the Balletone format, so it's looking like Balletone will become a regular class at this particular gym. It's been fun doing the first half hour as a Zumba, sometimes even a little Zumba Toning, then kicking off the shoes and socks and getting into our Balletone zone. This morning it was fun and functional, if not down right necessary. The group ex. room was like a freaking penguin den!

 

Regardless of the room temp at any given time, the demands for balance, agility and mind body connection in the movements of Balletone, or dance related movements often gets my brain spinning for the best ways to explain a movement concept. Also, many an interesting conversation about challenges in movement have come up. I love it! I could probably talk for days on end about it, as some unlucky souls I'm sure have found out the hard way.

 

I'm going to talk about only one right here.

 

Maintaining proper hip and pelvic alignment through a series of moves, or for a singular pose, can be challenging.

 

Think of a marble on a tabletop. If you keep the tabletop level, the marble will stay centered.

 

 

A brief tutorial...

Hope this little tip helps. I know it helps me when trying to connect my mind to my body.

Thanks for hanging out!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

Dance Step Tutorial.

So I got a new laptop. Yeah! For the most part I'm all but clueless. But since I'm clueless about many things I'm well within my comfort zone.

One of the bells and whistles on my new toy is a webcam (I'm sure its pretty standard on most laptops these days. Just guessing, 'cause remember, I don't know sh*t from Shinola when it comes to techy stuff).

I wanted to do a tutorial on this fun dance step, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to play with my new webcam.

It was definitely a process. I think I had to download a couple of things and at one point a high pitched air raid siren started going off. I was ready to abandon the whole task and grabbed my 15 yrear old's Flip camera. Couldn't find any of my mini tripods and the batteries crapped out mid filming. Erg!

But success was finally mine...depending on how you measure it :)

 

 

I love this step. Whenever I am choreographing a ballet piece that has any hint of Latin flavor I will usually do some variation of it.

 

Its not just fun, but a pretty good workout step as well.

 

The action of the leg works both hip abduction (when the leg lifts up and out to the side) and adduction (when the leg crosses in front of the other leg).

 

The jump, while small, offers some lower intensity plyometric movement, as well as a balance challenge in that the leg is held for a moment in the air before it comes down and crosses.

 

An important function of the obliques is to stabilize the torso and maintain proper placement of the pelvic area and spine through movements (a good article on the subject). The actions of the upper body and arms in conjunction with the lower body's movements through this step do just that.

 

In addition, there is a syncopated timing in the step. Its not all even. This is great brain food at any age! As well as the cross lateral movements of the limbs, which cause the two hemispheres of the brain to "converse".

 

If you know the exact name of this step, used in this context, don't be shy. Let me know!

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Enjoy the dance that is life!

The Real Deal; Go With A ZIN™!

You love your weekly Zumba class, or classes. You greatly enjoy your regular instructors (okay, right here is where we are going to assume that your regular Zumba instructor is a ZIN member).


The holidays are here, and for many of us that may mean traveling to see loved ones. It also means traveling right out of our regular routines. Right into a potentially gastric nightmare compared with the oldest stress know to mankind; the hassles of travel and holidays with the family!

Not the best time to be forced to ditch your workout regiment.

With travel comes an opportunity for new experiences. You can, if location (visiting loved ones on the outskirts of Siberia?) and time allows, why not check out a Zumba class in the area you are visiting?

Best way to find an instructor? If you are visiting someone who is familiar with the Zumba program in their area you can ask for a recommendation. Or better yet, go to zumba.com, click on the "Find An Instructor" option located in the menu across the top of the page. This will tell you about the location of all the ZINs in the area you are seeking.

You may even have the opportunity to introduce friends and family to the joy that is Zumba!

Okay, next I'm going to give a short explanation of what a ZIN is, followed by a bit of mild ranting and blathering. Wanna pass? Just scroll on down till the text goes go back to the color black.

What's a ZIN?

ZIN stands for Zumba Instructors Network. Once licensed through completing a Zumba Basic 1 workshop, a Zumba instructor can sign up and subscribe to being a ZIN member. For the monthly fee ($30.00) comes discounts on everything from clothing to specialty workshops, monthly deliveries of either new music or new music and a DVD loaded up with tons of choreography that we as ZINs can use or not use or modify, marketing materials, resources and a links to chat online with other ZINs throughout the known galaxy. In addition, ZINs can promote charity events or Zumbathons and sign up for special classes only available to current ZINs.

I'm not trying to sell anyone on the ZIN program itself. But I do want to emphasize what opportunities and resources are available to ZINs, as opposed to someone who calls themselves a Zumba instructor, but is not a ZIN. If not a part of the ZIN program, one must get re certified every year, and as far as I know, they don't have all the ZIN resources available to them.
 
Over the last year, Zumba HQ has put out at least one promo video about encouraging folks to go for the real deal. The one video that I have seen has a very mock video feel. It features a rather dumpy looking character with a horrible hair piece butchering basic Latin dance moves. All the while text appears throughout the video of the hazards of going with anything but a ZIN when seeking a Zumba instructor. Silly and quaint, it was mildly entertaining to me. But the realities are that someone claiming to be a Zumba instructor (past the basic one year non-ZIN time limit) and to giving the authentic Zumba experience may actually deliver a good to great class. Here's my, for lack of a better term, issue with that; if one really believes in a program (hopefully in themselves as well), then commit to properly representing them by their terms. Otherwise, nut up and start your own damn brand. Additionally, who knows what gaps in the knowledge of safety may exist with such a shameful usurper!

For what its worth, there are times that I will train an eye of suspicion on the virtues of ZINdom and what's coming out of Zumba HQ. But more often than not I am surprised, delighted and/or grateful for the opportunities they give us ZINs.
                           For example;

The Zumba affiliate program! Use my code; mserinzfit to get a savings of 10% on Zumba wear!

Or visit my ZIN website at erindeniz.zumba.com

That's all for right now. More tips for "dancing" your way through the holidays to come!

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

 

 

What A Thrill!

Thrill The World 2012 was last Saturday, the 27th of October. I had never participated, watched or learned the dance. But back in September I thought it would be a fun dance to learn, bit by bit with my Zumba class.

Well, bit by bit we made one heck of a team of Zombie dancers! I posted back in September that I got by with the help of some friends.

We had so much fun! The sense of team spirit was amazing. I was so honored that people who had never done something like this before, or at least not in a long time, were willing to follow me into this Zombie adventure! I may have been their fearless leader (Ha!), but they gave me the courage with their enthusiasm, spirit and dedication! A definite team! I'm so proud!

I really started feeling some serious excitement when we met up with the other TTW Chico groups. Then it was time to Zombie walk over to the performance location. We, over 200 of us, literally stopped traffic as we crossed the street in Zombie mode. Zombies are slow!

Awaiting us were crowds of family, friends and eager audience members as well as videographers and photographers. TTW is an international event!

Ready to load up and head over to Beauty Queen Central.

I had so much fun doing the finishing touches of getting ready at my friend Melanie's house. A group of moms and their lovely Beauty Queens, as well as a pretty cool dude, really got into their Zombie Zone! Thank you Melanie for sharing your beautiful home with us riff raff!

Even as the "Undead", our Zumba crew couldn't miss one another!

So much fun getting into character!

Performing with the big group of both friends and strangers was a blast! And with a cheering crowd!

Next year? Oh yeah!

Now that I have dipped my toe in, I want to go bigger! I'm hoping next to be more involved with the TTW Chico organization (granted that they need my help) as far as helping with rehearsals and teaching the dance.

You with me?

Hope so!

Have a fun, happy and SAFE Halloween!

Enjoy the dance that is life!