Slippery When Wet and Other Crazy Mishaps

This post is by Dana, a guest blogger on The Z Beat!

It is inevitable that things are going to happen while you are teaching your classes whether you are a brand new instructor or a seasoned one. There will be some classes that are full of energy fueled by the perfect set list, a packed room and energy that can take you to the moon. Fireworks will go off and balloons will fall from the sky after class. And then there will be some classes where you wish you threw that big red “START OVER” button in your bag along with your water bottle. All in all, each and every class is part of the teaching journey and all of them make for very good stories.

Here is my most recent “START OVER” story. The other night it was SO hot in my class the floor was slippery. In cases like this, I always let people know to be careful and watch their step when the floor seems to be covered not quite with a visible wet spot, but more of a moist layer. I carefully watch people’s feet and motion with eyes and hands when they should enter the careful zone. In my head I felt like I too was being mindful and operating in the careful zone and then it happened….

My pant leg somehow got caught completely under my shoe and because the floor was SO slippery I slipped. I don’t mean a little delicate tumble that I could play off as a new Zumba move. I mean I S-L-I-D across the floor and I heard an audible gasp over the music! Luckily I caught myself and kept going, but I couldn’t stop replaying the fall in my head and I was laughing at myself. I was thinking that by the time the song was over it wasn’t that big of a deal and we could just move on. Nope. Not the case.

One of my regulars who I LOVE for his festive personality calls out, “Hey! Can we see that new move again, the one where you slide across the floor?” In good spirits of course I replicated it, and I think I created a new {slightly more graceful} Zumba step called the slippery slide.

I am sure we can all appreciate slips and mishaps.  Here are a few others that I am sure make the top list of memorable experiences of many fellow instructors.

 

1. The music stops, and won’t come back on.
2. The electricity goes out, completely.
3. Your shoes don’t match, seriously.
4. You aren’t wearing the (ummmm) necessary attire...
5. You are injured and it hurts to dance, salsa it is (over and over and over again)!
6. A song that is a work in progress shows up in the shuffle and you dance anyway.
7. You are sick, but dance anyway with an unforgettable smile.
8. Your day was so busy you forgot to power up with the appropriate food. Gum to the rescue.
9. You are scheduled to sub and two instructors show up. Dance party!
10. And the list goes on and on. What is your #zmoment that you powered through?