Years ago... I was one of those people who said "I cant zumba". I was out of shape, had never taken a dance lesson in my life, and I was so very far out of shape as I watch those infomercials on late night TV I remember thinking... wow... must be nice but I could never do that.
Obviously I was wrong.
I invite people to my classes allll the time. Many of them say "OH I Can't Zumba" and sometimes it gets to me. Part of me wants to look at them and say "OK so what you are saying is I am not a good teacher" Because if I am the teacher and you come to my class and don't learn to zumba... then I have failed. They are judging my class before stepping into the studio.
Of course, I never say that... I mean.. I know their comment "Oh i cant zumba" is more about what their perception of Zumba is than it is about me.
What is fascinating to me is people automatically says "I Can't" which in reality they should be saying "I choose not to do Zumba". Because ANYONE can Zumba if they choose too. Now, I understand the hidden meaning behind "I cant Zumba" it comes from that same place I use to be .. comparing my body and my moves to those late night Zumba dancers, of course I could never Zumba ... look at how they move, look at those abs they have, look at those complicated steps they are doing.... I am NOT that co-ordinated/OR they say "I went to a Zumba class before and I was lost the whole time!" to which I would say, give me or another instructor a chance. Finding the right Zumba instructor for you is like finding the right personal trainer, sometimes it takes a bit of looking. Not all Instructors are created equal.
It took me years to give Zumba a chance, and what I didnt realize in those late night sessions as I sat rocking my babies, was doing Zumba is NOT a performance like it seems on the tv screen. Going to a Zumba class need not be intimidating, but sadly to most it is. So why is that? I think there are a few reasons.
Earlier this year after leading a 30 min Zumba session for a large group of people who had little to no experience with Zumba, I walked past a group of people who had been in the gym during the event. One lady said "Did you see her, I mean, she tried to do hip hop but man she NEVER got it, she just didnt have the moves for hip hop, Well, I mean I guess she finally got close at the end.. ... " .... She looked up at me and it was obvious she had been commenting about me and she was like "opps hope she didnt hear"
This lady made the mistake I made years ago, it one a LOT of people make, and a mistake that a LOT of instructors make, that is that a Zumba Instructor a Performer.
If you go to a class and see an Instructor Performing, they are not teaching Zumba correctly! Many of these instructors dont realize they are making it harder to get more people to come to their class. Zumba Instructors are suppose to be TEACHERS, not performers. We should be cuing, communicating, gesturing, encouraging and making our choreography such as it progresses so people could choose the level at which they wish to stay. I think this is one BIG mistake most instructors make, they get caught up in PERFORMING instead of teaching.
I am not a good dancer, I have NO desire to be on stage and put on a show. I do however LOVE to teach, I love to lead people in groupx classes, be it kickboxing, or boot camp or even running, I LOVE personal training, I love communicating with people about health and fitness. I dont want to be a performer. I want to TEACH people to love their bodies, to love music and moving their bodies, not performing while they sit back and watch while I move mine.
My zumba class is filled with people who said "i am not a good dancer", my zumba class has people in it that grew up not dancing, my zumba class has people of alll shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and personalities, my classes have housewives, moms, college students, grandmas, and yes a few dancers. There are people of every age and ability that Zumba.
So when People say "I could never Zumba", they are flat out wrong.
What is true is people who say they could never zumba are really saying "its out of my comfort zone", or "I dont want to look uncoordinated" or "I dont have the confidence to walk into a group setting and try to move like that" .. its not that they CAN'T its that they choose not to, and thats fine.
I totally understand that Zumba is not for everyone, but most people arent giving it the chance it deserves.
Zumba has filled my life with FUN, with JOY with hard work and silliness. I have learned a lot about myself since becoming an instructor and I hope that translates to the people in my class. Its OK to mess up, its NOT about being perfect, that we should love ourselves where we are while striving to be better, that Jesus LOVE YOU, and that your uniqueness brings something to each class that makes it better place than it would be if YOU weren't there. That YOU have the ability to inspire and encourage other people and that hopefully you leave happier and healthier than you did before you walked in the studio. I have learned to love myself and others more fully.
IF you have never tried Zumba, realize that going to a class can be a bit awkward at first, just like any new experience. If you have attended a Zumba class and it wasnt for you, if you witnessed a Performance instead of a learning situation, if you didnt like the instructors choice of music or moves, try a different class with a different instructor. It's ok too if you simply do not like to dance, because you might feel that its the right form of exercise for you and thats ok. BUT if you still wonder.... Don't give up until you find an instructor that suites you one that makes you feel comfortable and encourages you, because you CAN ZUMBA!
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