Friday, May 29, 2015

What is Your Zumba Gem?

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

Being a Zumba instructor and part of the ZIN community is an amazing experience and there is a wealth of knowledge right at our fingertips. The resources out there are packed with great information: exactly-what-you-need precisely when you need it! It can also be overwhelming; with everything available to us around the clock it's easy to spend hours upon hours reading posts, getting and giving advice and crafting countless choreographies for new music!

Personally, I love reading the message boards and perusing the Zumba Facebook groups for helpful conversations, advice and, let’s face it, sometimes a good laugh! It is nice to know that there is someone in the same boat that you are in.
 
...Yes, the entire class has dropped to the floor when I went to tie my shoes too.
 
...Yes, I have tripped and slipped over my own pants just like you.
 
...And yes, my music has also stopped right in the middle of a song, paralyzing me to the point of having to start all over.
 
The other day I saw this hysterical video in a ZIN Facebook group referencing the dynamic facial expressions that we portray when we teach (much like this post about the faces we make!). This duo captured on film the excitement and passion that we exude and OMG it was SO funny (I watched it several times and laughed each and every time)! I could totally relate - when I was recently captured on film I saw how my students view me, and it looks just like what I saw on Facebook!


Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/ZumbaPowerHour

I sort of felt better after watching the video as I realized that I can’t be the only over-the-top-bursting-with-joy and excitement type of Zumba instructor out there! What it boils down to is that our ZIN community and camaraderie is really something special and there are resources out there for everyone to use for support and guidance (and a chuckle).

It's important to get involved in the community whether it’s through social media, utilization of resources on Zumba.com, reading The Z Beat or just showing up and engaging with other instructors at local events.  Check out a few of the ZIN resources below that are available to help you navigate through the Zumba world, enhance your career and, most importantly, network!


Facebook Groups

Zumba.com

Other Resources

ZumbaTube

Forums (Message boards)

Attend Local Master Classes

ZIN

Education Tools

Attend Local Jam Sessions

Zumba Chat Room (ZCR)

ZIN TV

Frequent other instructors’ classes

ZIN Tech Tips & Tricks

Specialty Trainings

Go to local events (Zumba-thons, Fund raisers)

ZIN Warm-Up and Cool-Down

E-Learning

Like & Support other instructor’s Zumba pages

Zumba Fitness

And don’t forget your website (a great marketing tool): Manage my Website

Connect with other instructors!


We’d love to hear about your Zumba gems. What resources have you used that have helped you grow as an instructor? And what is that one piece of advice you would give someone else?

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the shout out! Rose and I are glad you enjoyed the video! We made it just for fellow ZINs to have a chuckle and know that they're not alone in the struggle. Look for more videos soon! :-) #ZINProblems

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  2. LOL!! I'm so glad you were inspired by this video for your article. We LITERALLY have created these videos from our OWN experiences as Zumba Instructors, and to see so many people relate makes us feel more "normal". :) We can't wait to share more #ZINproblems, but this one will be by far the funniest one.

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