Last, but certainly not least was Zumba® World Rhythms: India. Having my BollyX certification from last fall, I've already experienced the flavor and rhythms of India, but it was nice to learn more styles and add to my repertoire of knowledge. As an instructor, if you are considering taking any of the rhythms courses, I highly recommend them. If you are a student, I can't wait to bring these rhythms to our next classes! I love world music and world rhythms. What a diverse, beautiful planet we live on and we are so lucky to experience so many different cultures, sounds & tastes. 

From the Zumba® website: 
ZUMBA® WORLD RHYTHMS: INDIA - Travel the world from your living room with World Rhythms India! Discover four new rhythms, Bollywood, Garba, Lavani and Bhangra and explore new ways to heat up your studio. The easy-to-follow e-learning capsule features exciting new basic steps, music and moves inspired by the colorful Indian culture. Plus, four all-new choreos created in collaboration with Shiamak Davar International, the dance academy founded by Shiamak Davar, legendary Bollywood choreographer and close friend of Beto Perez.

In addition to the license, Zumba®  offers additional online education & training via additional studies in different rhythms around the world. Next on my list was to work through the Caribbean-Jamaica online education as this is one of my favorite regions of the world. As expected, I got a great flavor of some of the wonderful styles of dance that this region has to offer, all I was missing was my tropical drink with an umbrella in it! Here is the description from the Zumba®  website: 

ZUMBA® WORLD RHYTHMS:
CARIBBEAN-JAMAICA - World Rhythms Caribbean will transport you from the studio to the shore with all-new choreo and tracks rooted in the flavors of Jamaica. Explore three exciting styles of dance—Mento, Ska and Dancehall — and discover new ways to turn your fitness-party into a Caribbean getaway. Plus, learn about the rich island culture that influences the rhythms that move us. The easy-to-follow e-learning capsule features brand-new steps, music and choreography to take your class on a global getaway.

Today is my birthday and I am excited to have been happy, healthy and alive for all these years. My friend Katie baked me the most DELICIOUS cake with a peanut butter buttercream frosting over chocolate cake. I have to admit, I will be eating cake a lot this week so thank goodness Zumba Home Office is giving us a virtual ZINCON this year. I'll have plenty of opportunities to burn this cake weight back off by dancing everyday. What is your favorite dessert? How to you fit it in to your healthy lifestyle? Do you eat less that day or work out more? Either way, a little celebratory cake is worth it on your birthday! Enjoy the cake and enjoy each day we are gifted to be on this earth. 

This winter, Zumba® created a brand new e-learning course called Cue Like A Pro. What's so great about this course, besides the fact that the instructor is the amazing Steve Boedt, is that he really breaks down cueing in a way that is totally understandable and applicable. Cueing isn't something that comes naturally to most instructors. Most of us have to work at it, by learning the cues while learning the choreo so it sticks in the brain. 

Due to COVID-19 and all of us being stuck at home, Zumba® gave all of the instructors this course, for FREE (!). It was a treat and made being stuck at home with no way to teach classes a little more bearable. I recommend that every instructor take this as once you pass, you will have the materials and videos to reference as you work toward becoming better at cueing and therefore, a better instructor. 

Zumba Glutes is exactly what is say, all about glutes and adding moves in that target the glutes for a better workout. From the website: 

ZUMBA® GLUTES - The Zumba® Glutes learning capsule is an e-learning experience for ZIN™ Members who want to incorporate moves that target the glutes into their Zumba classes. This dynamic and easy-to-follow program was designed to bring more booty poppin’ routines to your classes, as well as teach you the science behind obtaining toned glutes. Learn about the anatomy and function of the gluteal muscles and how to integrate specific moves and hot routines into your classes. So, work them glutes and shape their booty!

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.

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. 

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!