Shake It don’t Break It My oh my. I’ve come a long way since my very first Zumba session in life. Granted I’ve always had a tiny bit of coordination and can somewhat maneuver my way through routines I completely don’t know. Call it the dancer in me. Now, I cannot express how hard it is to find a Zumba instructor that I am totally into. My Zumba days @ The Fitness Mecca in Long Beach California was hard to beat because my favorite lady just knew how to instruct a class(though she is not there anymore). Simply amazing! The very first session I attended in the LBC literally took my breath away and I had to excuse myself to the bathroom after just three songs so I can hyperventilate and guzzle some water in peace. No one can compare to her but I’m happy to say that Jose and his team can get down with the Zumba business. The facility itself is a little hard to get a read on since there is little signage for Zumba and is situated in the back area of a commercial building that is apparently for sale. The lack of actual parking space due to property maintenance is a little odd but maybe the rental isn’t as high because of it. Who knows! Maybe they can ask the landlord or use some of their funds to promote better traffic, increase visibility, and pave/paint some parking slots for their patrons. The room they use for the actual class is really festive and done up to Zumba perfection. It can also accommodate a good amount of people(I’d say anywhere from 40 to 50 dancing bodies, but then again I’m no expert). The wall colors are vibrant and the use of black lights and LED strobe lights give off the true dance party feel. They also utilize a stage. Kudos to them for getting into the spirit of the workout. Jose and his lady are awesome. All their instructors are pretty energetic and helpful as well. Their community of patrons are also real nice and, for the most part, they all seem dedicated. The routines are good but I do like high impact so I wear additional 10lb weights on my ankles which is sometimes a killer for me but hey… I’m trying to work my booty into shape! I’m simply a stickler for perfecting choreography and sometimes I get flustered because I’m use to learning dance and doing workout routines in front of mirrors. I have found that some instructors don’t really know how to coach a class as far as telling us how we should imitate them. Are we mirroring you, which way we should turn when they turn, etc. Even though this studio doesn’t have a single reflective surface in sight, I still enjoy their sessions with some slight added improv on my part when I just can’t see or grasp what their doing. I also favor instructors that have back towards us a good amount of time but engages everyone through the use of a mirror and sometimes goes out to the crowd to fix form and will occasionally turn around in front of us(while we mirror them) to pump up the energy. They don’t really meet my expectations in that respect but different strokes for different folks I suppose. Jose is in fact a communicator which means he likes to speak during a workout from time to time to show the way and bring the intensity level up a notch. I like that! His other lady instructors are okay but should be more vocal so that they are easier to follow and make a good connection with the crowd. After all, they are the ones we are looking to for guidance. The first class is free for newbies so you can test the water and see if it floats your boat. From there they have a la carte and discounted monthly options. They hold classes Monday through Saturday with a few morning times in the mix(see website). The start times are a little dated but it will give you the general gist of their schedule. Be aware though, start times vary due to the flow of people signing in and such. I came in @ 6:45pm on my very first night and found out that they usually start at 7pm. I also realized that it may also bleed a little towards 7:15&7:30! After it was all said and done, I found myself shimmying out the door around 8:30pm. So, adjust and plan accordingly. This place isn’t high on technicality(which is my preference) but they are all about having fun and staying active! I can’t knock that great quality. If you want to give Zumba a try, Jose and his team is an awesome option in this area of Boulder County.
