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Welcome to Zumba Kids with Cathya |
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"An exciting new way for kids to exercise and have fun while
learning to dance!"
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
(859) 327-3669
(859) 940-1903
today!
Mixing It Up
A look at some alternatives for personal fitness
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Zumba instructor Cathya Beard (front, center) and other local instructors at a recent masters course.
photo by: Robbie Clark. |
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Zumba Finds Its Groove
Is it a work out if you're having fun?
Part
aerobic workout and part salsa dance class, Zumba is the newest
exercise craze sweeping gyms and other fitness halls across the
country. But don't be misled, Zumba isn't a Latin American infused
version of Richard Simmons's "Sweatin' to the Oldies," and you don't
have to know your way around the merengue to break a sweat.
Though
Zumba has been around for over a decade, the practice didn't start
flourishing in parts of America, and other parts of the world, until
about three years ago. The exercise originated in Columbia, according
to Zumba lore, after aerobic instructor Beto Perez forgot the music for
his class and simply defaulted to a salsa tape he had in his car.
Serendipitously, the class was a success and participants liked the
setup – soon Perez's classes were booked solid. After a few
unsuccessful attempts, Perez finally got Zumba a solid footing in
Miami, where the exercise began making its way north.
Classes
are generally structured around an instructor who leads a group through
a series of choreographed movements of their own device, with a lot of
personal flair peppered throughout the session. This independence,
according to Cathya Beard, a Lexington Zumba instructor, is what many
participants find appealing about the fitness routine.
"There
isn't a way you have to do your class. It's freestyle – there are
basics, but you get to make it as fun as you want or as strict as you
want," she said. "There is a general idea, but everybody is different."
Another facet to Zumba's popularity, of course, is the dancing.
Beard says the trick is making sure people are more concerned with
having fun than they are about burning calories. "In the end, I think
it got popular because you're into the music, you don't really
recognize you're working out. You're dancing, but you're really working
out," she said.
Along with being a certified Zumba instructor
for the past three years, as well as a ballroom dance instructor,
Beard, a native of Peru, started Zumba Kids here in Lexington, a
program where she goes to Fayette County schools and leads kids not
only through a Zumba session, but also through the Latin American
cultures from where the music and dances originate.
"My niche
has always been cultural. As much as I love exercising, I think it's
important to educate children and adults about cultural differences,"
she said. "I get an opportunity to share who I am. I have always been
proud of being Latino."
Zumba classes of all levels of
expertise are offered in many venues throughout Lexington. An extensive
listing is available by searching www.zumba.com. To see a listing of Beard's upcoming classes, visit www.zumbakids.com. – Robbie Clark
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