To broaden my offering of formats, I decided to get my BollyX Instructor Certification. BollyX is Bollywood-inspired and driven by the heart-pumping, energetic rhythms of Bollywood, the film industry of India. This is one fun workout that keeps a smile on your face the whole time. We dance to the infectious and joyful rhythms of Bollywood, Bhangra, and Indian Folk. If you are looking to add a new format to your offerings, I'd recommend this training. If you are looking to try out this class, hit this link and you can see what classes I have coming up! 

I enjoyed the Zumba® Pro Skills Training.  It was great to take a step back and work on the most essential skills as an group fitness instructor, cueing and leading. Cueing helps the students follow you and if they can't follow you, they won't want to come back to class. This is something I plan to continually work on as I move forward. You can never get enough practice time in cueing as a fitness instructor. This class was taught by ZES Lucretia Venosta


From the website: ZUMBA® PRO SKILLS - Gain Leadership and Presentation Skills - Learn how to lead your class like a pro with the most valuable training for improving instructor skills. This top-rated training teaches the importance of cueing, body movement and student interaction.

In addition to the license, Zumba®  offers additional online education & training via additional studies in different rhythms around the world. I chose Africa first because these are some of my favorite world rhythms! The online training was a lot of fun! Here is the description from the Zumba®  website: 

ZUMBA® WORLD RHYTHMS: AFRICA - A variety of climates, spectacular landscapes and incredible animals make Africa the most diverse continent on earth, and the deeply rooted music and moves are no exception! Discover four new rhythms — Kwela, Kwaito, Sega and Kuduro — and get ready to take your class on an African adventure. The easy-to-follow e-learning capsule features brand-new steps, music and choreography inspired by the global rhythms that move us.

On the same day as I did the Africa online class, I also took Brazil, because that's my second favorite place in the world for glorious rhythms. From the Zumba®  website: 

ZUMBA® WORLD RHYTHMS: BRAZIL - With the flavor of Brazil, you can turn your class into a carnival! Explore four new rhythms, Axé, Capoeira, Brazilian Funk and Frevo, and learn new ways to take your fitness-party to the next level. The easy-to-follow e-learning capsule features brand-new basic steps, music and choreography inspired by the global rhythms that move us. Get ready to spice up the studio!

Let's talk about B2 training. This has been one of my favorite trainings since joining Zumba®. Nick Logrea is one of my favorite ZES (Zumba® Education Specialist).  Did you know he trained in ballet? He gives it ALL to his classes, energy, vibes, fun, everything you could ask for in a Zumba®  instructor. Here is what we learned: 

ZUMBA® RHYTHMS 2 - 6 new rhythms to pump up your classes! Keep things fresh with advanced dance techniques and six new rhythms (belly dance, flamenco, tango, samba, soca and quebradita) to incorporate into your Zumba® class!

I would recommend this training to anyone who already has their B1 license, you wont' be disappointed. 

After getting my Zumba® license, I wanted to make sure I had all the knowledge I needed to run my classes the way they should be run. I decided to pursue getting my AFAA Certification as a Group Fitness Instructor. This was not an easy task, as I had no medical background, so all the terms for muscles, bones etc., were all new to me. I broke up all of the chapters and modules and began learning all this information bit by bit over the course of 13-15 weeks (I also work full time). I started around March and tested on August 4th. I passed!!!! Now, the reason why I look so happy in this photo is because this test IS NOT EASY. Many people do not pass on their first try and have to retake, so props to me, because during the test I wasn't so sure I would pass! One amazing source I would highly recommend is joining is AFAA Study Group on Facebook, which was full great information and camaraderie among those studying for the test. I also bought the whole package on the AFAA site (book, free retest, practice tests etc.). Note, if you got your Zumba® license first, they offer steep discounts on the certification so you can save a lot of money.  Now that I have that out of the way, I feel educated and equipped to run my classes in a safe manner. 

This is me heading out to the Zumba® B1 training with Irena Meletiou who is a Zumba® Education Specialist (ZES™). As you can see, I was super excited to have finally jumped on the Zumba® bandwagon as I had been thinking about it for a while. Class was an absolute blast. We danced ALL DAY and we learned so much about the organization, the core rhythms, how to run and manage our classes, and being welcomed into the Zumba® community. We broke down the basic steps and variations to four of the Zumba® core rhythms: Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, and Reggaeton. I've always loved to dance and find dancing an easy, fun way to burn calories without even realizing you are exercising. I'm excited to be on this new fitness journey in my life!