Well… I never thought I’d be saying or doing this…after 9 years of having Zumba on my studio schedule, it’s time to let it go. Sad and happy at the same time. I started Zumba because of my LOVE of dancing. I have been moving to sounds since I was at least 7 years old. (Can’t remember earlier than that…lol). My parents were both music movers (social ballroom dancers). And when I saw Tanya’s Beardsley’s vid (like many of us) almost 10 years ago, I was hooked. I knew I had to teach Zumba.
It was so popular, that I held “how-to” classes for the community. Many of you came to those. And they were often free. They were a hit. My classes were a hit, as were the classes of my other instructors. Zumba was everywhere. As with many new formats, they have a peak, and then they drop into the valley of their comfort zone. Just as kickboxing did. It peaked in 2002-2003, and then started declining; but the decline was mostly in gyms. Private martial arts studios are still rocking with it today. It is still my most popular workout (KickAeroBix™).
In some areas, Zumba is still huge! The decline has been mostly in the USA, although some instructors can still draw huge crowds! Zumba will never go away. We are a dance community. It will be in Santa Cruz for a long time. And we have many quality instructors still teaching it all over our community!
Fast forward to today. My focus is clear now. When I went solo with my studio (2010), I had to go through lots of ‘changes’ and mostly they were in my head. At that time, there was no reason to let go of Zumba classes.
As I got more and more focused on my purpose and my brand, I realized that Zumba was not truly aligned with the rest of my programs. Although dance is my love, and has been for my entire life, the Universe has sent me into a slightly different direction. My programming has to reflect what my purpose has become.
I am so thankful and grateful that I provided Zumba classes. My circle of friends has grown because of Zumba! I’ve had the privilege of having some awesome instructors on my staff (and subs) over the years (in alpha by first names!) : Amanda Clark, Brenda Sproule, Carolyn Wormhoudt, Deb Voison, Dixie Mills, Elizabeth Charlton, Eugenia Rice, Itziar, Janet Antolini, Jenna Giuliani, Jillian Chesley, Joanie Vigil, Joann Tassone, Joanna Dover, John Perez, Linda Pearson, Michelle Bjorkman, Shauna Horton, Sierra Varela! And thank you to Terry DelDiego for teaching at our awesome Holiday Z Party, and Jim Furlong for drumming!THANK YOU ALL! It’s been a long and happy trip!
With that, I bid adieu to Zumba Fitness® classes, and HELLO to STRONG by Zumba®! Yes, we have a new format on the horizon. I will probably launch this in September. It is HITT training (as compared to HIIT). The emphasis on the first T is Tempo. High Intensity Tempo Training. I have already taken the training. I love this format! It will so closely align with my other programming. You can google YouTube vids and watch it. There is no dance in it whatsoever. They did have a bit of dance in the early stages of this format, as they felt they needed a transition for all the Z peeps who knew just dancing fitness.
Now they have realized that it is not necessary anymore and have phased out all dancing. It is STILL to the BEAT of the MUSIC! That is what makes it so fun. (What we do in KickAeroBix and BodyPump).
No worries, Pilates and Yoga peeps…those classes are a great complement to our other intense workouts. Pilates Barre (Brenda) Pilates Mat (Jenna) and Yoga (Connie) are awesome classes, and they are staying!
So stay tuned for info on our launch!
Until next time…
Clara E Minor
Master Instructor/Trainer @ Minorsan Self-Defense & Fitness
minorsan.com
contact@minorsan.com