Living Well: Zumba: exercise revamped

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

By Teresa Griswold

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Dancers’ Workshop offered its classes free last week, so with an eye on getting my booty moving, raising my heart rate, and having some fun, I decided to try Zumba – a fitness routine that fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms with international dance moves taught by Manny Sanchez.

I arrived a few minutes late for my first Zumba class, and I could feel the Latin beat pounding fast and hard as I approached the studio where about 15 dancers were following Sanchez’s sensual, strong, and professionally executed moves. It looked like there was a celebration going on instead of a serious workout happening – that’s the goal of Zumba, according to Sanchez.

“Zumba uses the music to create a party atmosphere,” he said. “The routines are a formula for interval training – combining cardio to burn calories and resistance for muscle toning.” The music’s different rhythms, fast and slow, and languages are entertaining and create excitement, he said. The dance moves work all parts of the body, but without it seeming like work.

Sanchez dances as if he was born doing it, and he practically was, he said. His mother was a dance teacher, and he grew up dancing in his birthplace of Mexico City. He took his first dance class when he was 15 and has been dancing ever since.

Sanchez choreographed shows and was a dancer for Club Med in locations like the Dominican Republic and Brazil. While in Canada, he met Deborah and Manuel Lopez of Jackson who invited him to dance a salsa show and teach lessons for a party hosted by the Latino Resource Center.

He planned on staying in Jackson two weeks, but three years have gone by since then. Now, he teaches Zumba, salsa, and other classes for Dancers’ Workshop and is a Zumba educator, leading workshops once a month throughout the U.S.
In Zumba, Latin-inspired merengue, salsa and cha-cha steps mixed with African, reggae, belly dance and rock ’n‘ roll moves flow easily with dance-party music.
The steps were quick and sometimes so fast it was hard for me to keep up, because I was so new to it. I kept moving anyway.

Before the first song was over, I was drenched in sweat. But I was feeling good in my body and my spirit soared along with my heart rate.

By the end, I was tired in the way that I am after a long, vigorous hike or regular workout, sans the monotony.

“Instead of counting out repetitions, you are dancing to the beat,” Sanchez said. JHW

Classes are held throughout the week at the Center for the Arts. Visit www.dwjh.org for a schedule.

Photo by LIZ MARTINEZ
Manny Sanchez sports bright hues to help students follow his moves.

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Living Well: Zumba: exercise revamped | Planet JH News Article: Living Well

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