My tenuous relationship with Zumba began when I counted the difference in the number of students between local Zumba classes and my Nia classes. I admit I felt envious of the number of people Zumba seemed to reach.  I had tried it myself before certifying in Nia, and before Zumba was such a phenomenon; I chose Nia because Zumba seemed one-dimensional and lacked the depth that Nia brought to my life. I dismissed it as such.

Then it became a phenomenon. I began to envy its success, yet kept telling myself that I didn’t see why people loved it so much!  I went to one local teacher’s class who regularly has 150 students, and was in awe at what her students would suffer through in order to do her class (no air conditioning, long lines, crowds, etc.)  Undeniably she was a great teacher, but still….  

At one point I attempted to “Zumba-fy” my Nia somewhat, but that felt unfulfilling as well.  I was trying to be something I wasn’t. Finally, I surrendered and just kept doing my own thing in Nia.  

Then we received the news last December that we were being transferred to Sao Paulo, Brazil.  On our house-hunting trip I sought both Nia and Zumba classes and was not surprised to discover that Nia did not exist, and VERY surprised to discover that essentially Zumba didn’t either. I found one local teacher only, and went to her class.  I also saw a huge opportunity, because I believed that Zumba would be very successful in Brazil when it arrived.  I also knew that Zumba was taught with visual vs. verbal cues, which meant that I didn’t need to speak Portuguese to teach it.

I reservedly signed up to get certified. Prior to going, I started going to various Zumba classes to see if my old assumptions were possibly incorrect.  Unfortunately I discovered many poor Zumba teachers (not able to cue or keep a beat, low energy, etc.)  I went to my training with little hope.  

My trainer led us through a master class to begin our day, and it was the best Zumba class I’ve ever attended.  Suddenly I felt SO inspired!  If I could teach like her…then THAT would be something!  For the first time I got why people love Zumba – it was SO fun, and Zumba had changed – now there was much more than just the salsa and meringue and cha-cha.  There was Reggaeton, and Bollywood and Belly!

I learned so much from my Zumba trainer that has made me a better movement teacher overall.  Sometimes I’ve felt in Nia that our approach is a little serious and “this is what’s good for you” and Zumba I think is better at giving people what they want – fun.  Zumba has stretched me as a Nia teacher to create more lightness and fun and less seriousness in my classes.  Additionally, the approach to music and playlists in Zumba is lighter and less serious too.  This has helped me stretch outside my Nia routine box to play more with music and creating my own routines in Nia, which as a Blue Belt I have the skills to do.  To create a great connection with students, Zumba advises teaching while facing them, even with a mirror.  Not all Zumba teachers do it.  I do.  In Nia, I did it very little.  I have begun experimenting with facing students more, which feels a little strange in Nia, but I can feel a different kind of connection with students. Finally, the cueing in Zumba is supposed to be mostly visual – the focus is on dancing to the music.  This made me realize that I talk more than is necessary in my Nia classes, and I have begun speaking less and dancing more.

The learning has not been all one way, however.  I am so glad to have my foundation in Nia for teaching Zumba.  I can see the multitude of potentials for injuries and burnout in Zumba, much more than in Nia.  I teach Zumba without the fastest music and without a lot of jumping because that feels better to my own body.  I also simplify the choreography a lot, based on the words of my Zumba trainer – “People want to feel successful.  If they can follow you, they will feel successful and come back for more.  If they can’t they probably won’t.” Finally, I add a small element of FreeDance, and sometimes a whole Nia song in my Zumba classes, especially during the cool down. The element of joy, I believe, comes in letting go just a little bit, and experiencing a moment of freedom, which is the hallmark of Nia. My intention is that my students in both Nia and Zumba experience fun, joy, and relaxation while getting a great workout.