You hear me say Heyyyy…! What’s goin’ On! Con Zumba

Remember that song? Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Heyyyyyyy aaayyyyyy aaayyyyyyy I said HEYyyyyy! What’s gowiiinnnn on!  That lady with the Janis Joplin voice. That’s the song that came to my head right now just right before writing this post.

What’s going on is …is that it’s clear how much I enjoy teaching Zumba Fitness Classes and Aqua Zumba Fitness Classes.   I swear for that entire hour I’m teaching…I don’t think of any problems or things going on in my life that stress me out for that entire hour. It’s really a great feeling. I’m smiling, I’m laughing…i’m whooooing..and feeling..ofcsouse    sexxxxxaaaayyyyyyy! and the ladies feel sexy too and I can see it the look in their eyes when they roll their hips in the water!  It gives me a work satisfaction unlike no other job I’ve had.   Soooooooo… that’s why I’m trying to get more jobs teaching now.

Now I’m officially teaching 3 times a week and soon to be 4 starting january. There will be 2 Zumba classes and 2 Aqua zumba classes a week. I can sure teach more Aqua zumba classes during the week because it’s easier on the body. The members at Premier Fitness in Mississauga…u know the burnhamthorpe and erin dale station location…yeah that one…they’re really embrasing it. Last week there were 14 people.   According to a successful Aqua fit program that used to be taught there but is no longer..there were 20 members every class…but for whatever reason the instructor no longer teaches there.   Maybe he got bored or something… but

CON ZUMBA!  There is just no room for boredom.  The Zumba Fitness Programs are fresh..as long as the ZIN’s…instructors who are members of the zumba instructor network are embrasing the new choreography and music…it will be kept forever fresh ..and here’s the plus …YEAH WITH LICENCED MUSIC!  Instructors who are embrasing too much of the Top 40 hits or oldies and incorporating them in their classes forget that SOCAN is gonna come out to get us soon unless we stick to ZIN music only. You pay 30 a month for the licence to use the music along with many other benefits. Need I list them again..okay I’ll list a few:

• the right to use licenced Zumba Fitness Music
• The right to advertise your class on a flyer
• The right to call your class ‘Zumba’
• The right to clothing discounts
• The right to advertise Zumba on your website
• The right to use the trademark ‘ Zumba’ in your website name like www.zumbaworkoutscanada.com
• The right to teach classes indefinately without having to recertify after one year is up. yes that’s right..if you’re not a zin member you can only teach zumba classes at your place of employment or business for 1 YEAR then you gotta stop. Take a B1 course again..and join the Zin network baby and embrace the freshness and sexiness of the Zumba Fitness Program.
• The right to stay confident and true to the zumba formula so your class doesn’t evolve in to a foomba or fumba variation. need i not translate:P

Can you tell I’m a happy ZIN member? hell yeah baby!

So! My next step in my CON ZUMBA career is to get more Zumba related jobs and work in more fitness centres. Lose 30 more pounds and look super hot for next Summer.  And if I play my cards right…Meet my girl Tanya Beardsley again and dance and punch the sky with her again in New York Citayyy  or at the Zumba Convention 2011.   Take a nice photo with the Zumba God Beto Perez and Identify what colone he wears and tell my main squeeze to wear it till he dies. lol!  Hmmm..what else….  Who knows be in a taping with my new hotter body for a ZIN taping…maybe be on tv…host a Zumba Fitness Class in da Cluuuuuubbb.  This is gonna be a great next 12 months and that ma new year resolution

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm beeeetttoooooooooooooooo!

Peace out!

Farida B

http://86036.zumba.com

Dont’ forget to check out my website at www.zumbaworkoutscanada.com for Zumba Cargos, Tops n’ Stuff !

Sorry I don’t teach F-umba – Unlicenced Zumba Instructors

Man I got a beef to pick eh’. I just went for an appointment for a job to teach Zumba in a dance studio and didn’t get the job because they wanted F-umba basically.  Although the Zumba Formula and the Zumba King himself promotes Non-Verbal cueing in a Zumba Basic Class, it was expected that I would.   I’m not just talking verbal cueing of the next step, but each and every step!  i.e. You make a booty shake and face in four directions like in La Patilla, she wanted me to not only point but say “This way”…”now that way”, “now this way”…maybe a giggle in between and say “that way” . I swear if I went to a F-umba class that had that much unnecessary verbal cuing I’d seriously consider shooting myself LOL! 

But hey I don’t blame her for expecting it because the previous instructor did that..and so did the instructors she experienced at other gyms such as Salsasize, and jazzercize, and all those Les Mills programs that probably promote tons of talking during class. Which is fine…but

This is Zumba – not F-umba – So it’s a party! – Do you talk at a party?  Why would you when you’re too busy feeling the music!

Anyway it was good to get the feedback because it only enforces the kind of instructor I wanna be..and that is one who sticks to the roots of the Zumba Formula, who follows the vision of what Beto Perez, the Zumba King wants for his Zumba Craze.   Only in Zumba Gold you use verbal cueing.  I saw a Zumba Queen perform, and that was Tanya, she did not speak a word during her performance, but she dance her fricken heart out and gave it her 130%.   She is a performer and a teacher, and talking has nothing to do with it.

If Tanya went to this interview…and yes she spoke to me through her shoes, beause I was wearing her Nike Air Max 90′s the yellow and purple ones…she said to me…Forget it Farida…you don’t teach F-umba. Peace out n’ Zumba Love to all xox!

P.S. I’ve seen Zumba taught at Goodlife Fitness and they don’t teach F-umba either and I fell in love with taking them.

P.S.2 And do you believe the owner said that she’d be teaching F-umba until she found another instructor to take her place. Gave her a friendly reminder that it’s not really legal and she corrected herself to say that she teaches salsa and balloom and renamed it to “Latin Funk” er som sht  – unlicenced zumba instructors can’t teach Zumba Classes

Was in the ZIN forums and got some awesome advice I’d like to share and it actually made me feel a bit better:

I have worked for Gyms who “dictated” how they wanted me to teach. You know what, I took the job at that time and SLOWLY changed the way the management saw Zumba.

I enjoy a challege. I see this as an OPPORTUNITY to get in there and MAKE A FEW IMPRESSIONS… by working with the facilty and management.

I see this as an even better way to share the Zumba way, by changing minds!

Just me. I believe that people are allowed to have their own ideas about things but if I know of a different or even better way, I might take the chance to MAKE THE ZUMBA MAGIC HAPPEN!

It is called evolution and professionalism

My reply:

thanx for your feedback I was waiting for it actually. I like the way you emphasized it as being a challenge and slowly changed the way management saw Zumba(i like that). I definately want to evolve and be more professional. Maybe next opportunity i’ll try to keep this in mind. Thanx

Aqua Zumba In Canada – Unfortunately Not Many…

Don’t forget to visit www.zumbaworkoutscanada.com for some Zumbawear in CANADA

1. Aqua Zumba – Guelph, ON – Sept 12 2010 – with Tamara and Nile Said - SOLD OUT! I’M GOING!!!

2. Aqua Zumba – Windsor, Ontario – with Tamara and Nile Said – October 3rd 2010 - GONE! So if you’re interested visit www.zumba.com to book it.  

Next Kelowna, BC January 30th  2011 with Tamara Said.  You need to be a member of ZIN to be able to take this training. To become a member, take the basic 1 training first, and then join the zin network at the training, and then see if there are available classes for aqua zumba training. They’re rare so when you see one, take it!

FYI: To take this course you would have already had to take ZUMBA GOLD or ZUMBA BASIC to qualify.

ZUMBA GOLD – September 19th 2010 – OSHAWA, ON with Tamara & Nile Said - STILL AVAILABLE

ZUMBA BASIC – October 2nd 2010 – SUDBURY, ON  with Tamara & Nile Said - STILL AVAILABLE

ZUMBA BASIC – September 12th 2010 – ABBOTSFORD, BC with Robyn Holm – STILL AVAILABLE

ZUMBA BASIC – October 2nd 2010 – KELOWNA, BC with Robyn Holm - STILL AVAILABLE

UNFORTUNATELY No Zumba Tonining available in Canada yet. I’ll keep yaz posted!!!

Zumba Instructor Network Cost (ZIN) – Is it worth it Pt2

As your budget becomes tighter you begin to think what is the cheapest way to remain a Licenced Zumba Instructor.   One way people think is cheaper is cancelling the ZIN membership 6 months on and 6 months off because the minimum term you can have ZIN for is 6 months.  Well…IMHO it will cost you more in the long run.  Because when you want to join again, you’ll have to call or email or a combination of both to get it started up again which can take some time.  It can take as long as a month to get started up again so you have to consider that since your training is only valid for 1 year if you’re not a ZIN member.  As your training is valid you’re Licenced to teach that particular Zumba Fitness class whether it be Basic, Gold, Toning, Aqua or Zumbatomic.  If you don’t become a ZIN member in time your cost to take the training again, because you’d have to take it once a year will cost you about 240 in Canadian funds, when as a ZIN member it’s 130 or less depending on the Canadian Dollar.  If you need to renew your training for 1, 2 or 3 different kind of classes that could cost you all around $600 bucks in all when you can just pay 360 US/yr to keep your Licence up to date.  So really you’re going through all that trouble, if you just have one training, to save a little over 100 bucks that year, unless you plan on doing Zumba Fitness classes for only a year and quitting.  Don’t count on that because it’s addictive for the postive experiences you get out of teaching classes.

That is just 1 point alone why being a member of the ZIN network is worth it.

Second is the forum.   It’s not just about asking questions but it’s about reading answers for questions you didn’t ask yet, or finding out the latest before you find out on your own.   The other day there was a Bonus track called Sacudelo by Willy Chirino danced by Tanya Beardsley and I wouldn’t have found out about it if I didn’t log into the forums.  After I received my ZIN CD she then tells you to log in and find it there.  So I found out about that new coreographed routine, practiced it and had it down pat in 2 days, performed it for my friends twice before I even got my ZIN 28 DVD. Now that’s the second awesome point is how you can be kept up to date with all the ish on da fly!

3. Extra clothing discounts as a ZIN member over and above regular discounts

4. Ability to have a domain name with the name ‘Zumba’ in it

5. Ability to be an authorized Zumbawear reseller

6. Receive updated Music, and DVD coreography by your favorite Zumba Celebs monthly! That way your class stays fresh!

7. Discounts on attending Zumba Events – Like Mexico’s Club Med Zumba Week this December 4-11

8.Ability to use Zumba logos on your website and on your promotional marketing material

9. Discount on future trainings which cost $125 cad

10. Ability to post your classes under your ZIN profile on the Zumba website and people can email you. If you’re not a ZIN member, it just has a little blurb about you, with no picture, no contact info and no schedule.

11. Lessen the chances your classes will be foomba which are Zumba fitness classes which don’t follow the Zumba Formula using tools from the ZIN Network

12.  Added March 24, 2011 – Being a ZIN member allows you the right to teach specialty Zumba programs such as Zumba Gold, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Toning, and Zumbatomic.   If you’re not subscribed to the Zin program then the only class you can teach is Zumba Basic 1/2 which like nearly all zumba instructors are teaching right now. Get ahead of the game and offer up something different. For me, having Aqua Zumba under my belt got my foot in the door for teaching at Premier Fitness 5 months ago. Now I teach all three formats Zumba, Aqua Zumba, and Zumba Toning – Join Zin program today!

As a ZIN member you have the tools to become an Elite Zumba Fitness Instructor if you want to

*btw I was not paid nor did I benefit financially from giving my testimony today. I’m a satisfied customer who wants to tell the world ZIN Rocks!!!!

Don’t forget to visit my site www.zumbaworkoutscanada.com 

Zumba Gold & Zumba Basic Classes in Mississauga, Ontario with Farida B.

Check out new youtube video with Tribute to Zumba Mami – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdrfUbUuxTc

Dancing with Tanya Beardsley in the Flesh B1 Zumba Training at Can-Fit-Pro

OM -effin- G! I did NOT come to know the meaning of Zumba Love until I met that girl on the right. Tanya Beardsley!!!!

When I booked the spot for the B1 Training at the Can-Fit-Pro conference (Zumba Fitness sponsored the event for the 3rd year in a row …woo hooooo!), I saw her name but I didn’t really know who she was but I knew she was more famous than the other ZES’s in in the area.  Main reason I just got into doing Zumba fitness classes in March of this Year which is only recently. 

When I took Zumba Gold training on July 18th I was chatting it up with another Zumba Fitness instructor and mentioned that I’ll be going to the B1 training with Tanya Beardsley. All of a sudden her eyes opened up wide with a big smile on her face and shaking her head in amazment and said ” Oh my God Tanya Beardsley is so amazing you’re really gonna love her”. It was like she was at a loss for words but continued to repeat how amazing she was.   So I was thinking okay great..it should be good then but wasn’t convinced that it was worth the $430 bucks I paid to be there. I actually called Can-Fit-Pro twice and asked what I’m getting for that money and they told me that if I was can fit pro certified I get four credits and stuff like that which isn’t worth much to me at this point.  So after hearing the feedback of the girl telling me about Tanya Beardsley I was like…..what can be so amazing about this girl…I thought….confused I was at that time.

After spending a few hours with Tanya Beardsley at the training I began to understand what she meant.  This girl beams with inspiration to all Zumba Fitness Instructors.

• What she says when she gives advice and how she speaks with conviction
• How she dances with a hip hop b-girl Latin style is aaammmmaaaazzinggg
• How she looks and dresses, she is beautiful, fit, sexy and coool!!!!
• How she teaches in a way so that you remember what she teaches you by asking you questions one after another in a funny way. And what’s your name? uuuuhhhhhhh hahah! love her!

She calls some of us on stage to dance with her like OMG. Here am I dealing with nervousness and feeling like I’m getting cold feet and I was in front row and she calls me on stage FIRST! .   Like OMG…I was freaking in my head.  It was the samba step which I totally know how to do because I was practicing at home a lot.  And you know what was the most surprising part to me? I didn’t get one butterfly in my stomach..and I wasn’t nervous as I expected to be. My anxiety was more coming from being excited rather than being afraid.   As I was following her with another instructor who also got called up to dance with her I was saying in my head “man everythings gonna be okay..I already know how to do these moves..and other variations of the samba step” WOW!!! That was a great confidence booster for when I do my own classes… IT WAS GREAT TO DANCE BESIDE HER ARM IN ARM!!!!

I asked her in the washroom if I could be her BFF and she smiled and said “suureee”, which would really be great I’d call or text her like every day;)  I took a photo with her at the end and I was like the third in line after the other fans and she was sweaty and said as I was about to put my arm around her and hers around me “oh I don’t wanna get my funk all over you”..and I said “Oh I’ll take your funk any day girl”…we smiled and took the photo.  

aBSOLUTELy the best day EVER in a long time!!!!

Just a few other things about Tanya:

• She lives in Manhattan, New York
• She cuts up her zumba t’s either mens or womens shirts and wears them
• Saw her in the dreamer zumbawear shirt and it looks ammmmazing! and chica sexy!!
• She has a muscular build now and some big guns! I forgot to ask her to flex for me or even arm wrestle..but she still looks sexy and very feminine
• She has a favorite golfer hat which she looks great in
• Some of her words to live by “Doubt Kills, Some movement is better than no movement at all, Give 130% when teaching your classes and maybe your classmates will give you back 50%, if 5 people don’t like your style there are 15 others that will, when you’re teaching if they don’t get the steps by the fourth round then simplify the steps for the next time, teach at the learning level of your class but give your energy 130%, the more energized your participants are the and the more they get the steps the more calories they burn, don’t repeat songs just make your steps easy enough so that they can do the steps to burn calories, 35% of the class routines should involve fitness moves by using a dance step and sprinkle a fitness variation into that step to keep it fun, music should be 70% international and 30% regular, that 30% should be included in your warmup and cooldown songs, use your warmup as a hook with easy steps to get everyone moving but make them work for the fund stuff, warmup should be 8-15 min and cooldown at least 5 min and the body of the workout 40 min and Zumba is a Fitness class based on international dance rythems not just latin music. 

Excited, Nervous and Broke – Zumba Instructor Journey

These are the three things I’m feeling right now, excited, nervous and broke. I finally found a facility to rent and hold Zumba Gold classes in. It makes me feel good I have that done at least because it shows I’m actually doing something. I’ve rented 4 spots in mississauga from a community centre and hope to secure more spots at a dance studio also in Mississauga. I’ll definately post when and if that goes through or not.  So i’m excited because I can say when I’ll actually start teaching Zumba Classes. I’m also nervous too but I keep listening to my music and I just about have my Zumba Gold Coreographed steps down pat. Once I have all the music memorized I’ll be able to improvise and do Zumba Gold moves to other songs like Hala.

With all the purchases I made relevant to my new Zumba jorney i’m broke until next pay now

made huge purchase online for zumbawear of almost 300 bucks

purchased business cards with vistaprint

and oh yeah..also excited because registered for …see my next post .

Check out my class schedule here: http://www.zumbaworkoutscanada.com/find_zumba%C2%AE_classes

and here: http://86036.zumba.com/

**you know I didn’t expect this to cost so much but no regrets..I feel it will all be worth it in the end as long as I put both feet forward in this

Zumba Gold Licenced! I’m Official

Hey guys! I’m officially Zumba Gold licenced and in a few days I’ll be on the ZIN network. AWESOME! Zumba Gold Training was great with Andrea Hamilton – Great personality and she’s getting Married in 2 weeks! Puppy love you have to experience it at least once in life;;)  She loves to sing along.. for sure and not a bad voice at all ..she does it in a silly way but I think she’s got some pipes eh’. Hahaha I’m so happy I did this..and everything went great. Met some interesting people, some experienced in Zumba and some beginners like me.   If you see me move I don’t look like a beginner because I got a lot of flava for Latin rhythms.

Also did some shoppin today at the Gold certification class. Those Jogger Capris look so great on anyone! I want to get all the colors. Also picked up my Zumba Gold instructor tanks which go well with my Joggers.

On to Zumba Basic 1 Certification Next month in the big T.O. Toronto with Can-Fit-Pro with Tanya Beardsley – Heard some good things about this girl – they say she is amazing!

But just one thing though. I can’t help but have this feeling of uncertainty. Like I did what I said I was going to do. Took the certification, Registered for ZIN, got my site started up and a Zumba fan club but I can’t get over the feeling of “Now What?”

Gonna wait till my ZIN link is active and go from there. http://86036.zumba.com/  That’s what it will be when it’s active. I Let them know I want them to use my nickname so we’ll see what shows up

How to become a ZIN Member

Well got some more information for you guys today that in order to be a ZIN member you have to first take a Zumba Basic 1 or Zumba Gold certification.   Second..after your certification is complete, you’ll get the chance to register for the ZIN network but you must have your credit card with you. I repeat…if you forget your credit card on the day of your certification, it will delay your becomming an official ZIN member.

I called my bank and they’re mailing out my replacement card today so that I can bring it with me to this Sundays’ certification. Mistakes will not be made and I will be prepared. See ya there!

Zumba Gold Certification goes to Oakville Ontario on July 18th!

Find out about you can become certified here http://www.zumbaworkoutscanada.com/zumba%C2%AE_fitness_instructors

Zumba Gold Certification Oakville, ON – July 18th 2010

Hey guys! For those of you going to the certification are you all set? Well my goal was to lose 10 lbs by then and so far broke my plateau and am down 3 and got 7 to go.

It’s being held at: YMCA of Oakville – 410 Rebecca St. – Oakville, ON

Time: Sunday, July 18, 2010 – Registration: 8:00am – 8:30am  – Instructor Training: 8:30am – 5:30pm

What you leave with: Did you know that if you’re not a ZIN member you have to take a certification every year?  After you’re first certification you’ll be offered the opportunity to become a ZIN member so you don’t have to do this every year.   For $30/month usd it’s worth it.  Can’t wait to become a member

Zumba Fitness Gold DVD

Zumba Fitness Gold CD

The Zumba Instructor’s Manual

Zumba Certificate of Completion

CAN FIT PRO Trainers receive 4.0 CEC’s

Contact info:   Andrea Hamilton at 905-693-0111  or andrea.hamilton@zumbamail.com