ZUMBA!! Dancing IS A Workout!

By Tanya

When I was in high school I had many debates with people as to whether dancing is a sport.  I was convinced that if they could just see all of the behind-the-scenes blood, sweat and tears it took for my dance team to become State Champions they would surely know otherwise.

When people think of dance, perhaps they envision professional dancers who move with beautiful precision across the stage to a choreographed piece of music.  Or perhaps they envision nights spent out at the club where dancing is a social event bringing people of all ages and cultures together to shake and move their bodies as an act of freedom and expression.  Both are fantastic forms of dance on their own, but put both together and you have ZUMBA!

According to their website Zumba is: “Exercise classes that are fitness-parties that blend upbeat world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography for a total-body workout that feels like a celebration.”

My Hips Don’t Lie: I Was Made to Dance

By Tanya

I was born to dance.  My mom can tell countless stories of me as a baby doing the “gooby down dance” (my mom's name for my baby bopping) to any music being played.  And of the million times I made her watch the dance performances I choreographed for myself and the neighborhood kids. Dancing has always been a way that I can express myself. When I dance every part of my being feels connected and alive. I feel fully free and fully me.

But somewhere around the 4^th grade I started to gain weight and become self-conscious.  The once outgoing and fun loving girl I was became shy and introverted. I allowed my insecurities to steal my joy and silence my voice.  Afraid of what others would think, I stopped dancing. 

Of course without dance I continued to gain more weight and withdrew further into myself. I stayed in that dark place for three years until the 7^th grade when I was given the choice to take traditional P.E. or Dance for my physical education credit. By that time I was pretty out of shape.  I knew I loved to dance and the thought of running the torturous mile in P.E. class made my decision pretty easy.