Remaining December classes.

Only a week and 1/2 left of classes before the Holiday, hope to see you there!

Tuesday, December 15
Norfolk Academy ~ 6:15 a.m.

Wednesday, December 16
Wareing's Gym ~ 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, December 17
Norfolk Academy ~ 6:15 a.m.

Wednesday, December 23
Wareing's Gym ~ 10:30 a.m.

We will resume classes on January 5th.

~Tessa

T-Mobile Dance Mob

Not Zumba, but still fun!

Mix of Zumba dances

This video cracks me up!
(Watch the joggers jump into the dances....)

Great class today!

Great job this morning ladies! I really like starting my morning out with you all =) Such fun! Everyone is improving their Zumba moves!

Remaining December classes @ Norfolk Academy:

Tues, Dec 8

Thurs, Dec 10

Tues, Dec 15

Thurs, Dec 17

Have a wonderful weekend!
~ Tessa

Great class today!

The ladies at my Wareing's Gym class did awesome today! I put them through the ringer with several "arm" songs, and of course squats to "Single Ladies". I am thinking about re-naming that class to "Hot Zumba", since it was nearly 79 degrees in the room! I think that we were all sweating after the first 5 minutes. I promise we will do the Shakira song next week! 

Great job ladies!!

~Tessa

I am thankful for my Zumba students!!

I am thankful for my students at Wareing's Gym who came to the 10:30 a.m. class today! The class ROCKED. The energy in the room was really positive, and even the newbies kept up. I love coming into Wareing's, and having my "regulars" work their butts off in class! 

I am also thankful for my early morning students who wake up at the crack of dawn to come to my 6:15 a.m. class at Norfolk Academy! They could definitely spend an extra hour sleeping in before they head to school to teach, but they choose to come in and wake up with fun dance groves & high energy Latin music!

THANK YOU! Have a fabulous Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and I'll see you all next week =)

~Tessa

SHOES

I'm often asked what shoes to wear during a Zumba class. It really depends on what type of support your foot need. As a dancer, I was used to having my foot snug in "jazz shoe", with a ton of support for my ankle. With Zumba, I spend most of my class on the balls of my feet, therefore I personally don't need much ankle support. A few ladies in one of my classes have gone barefoot a few times, but they said that it definitely made their knees ache.

The most important thing about what type of shoes you wear, is that you don't have any TREADS on the bottom of your sneaker ~ the treads tend to catch on the floor as you move around, it's best to have a flat sole.

For the past year and 1/2 I have been wearing these Asics Women's Shihan sneakers. I absolutely adore them. They are snug to my feet, and have a flat sole.

If you aren't totally sure what type of support you need in a sneaker, I definitely recommend going to a store, and trying on different types, and then move around in them and do a few Zumba steps!

Don't worry, that perfect Zumba sneaker is out there for you!

Class is happening today!

Last chance to get your work-out in before turkey day! Class will go on as scheduled at 10:30 a.m. at Wareing's Gym. See you there!

BREAKIN'

As a sucker for dance movies... I can't believe I've never seen " BREAKIN' " from 1984.

FREE class!!

I will be teaching a FREE Zumba class at Wareing's Gym, this coming Sunday, November 15th at 2:00 p.m. in their Yoga Studio (up the stairs to the left). This is FREE to non-Wareing's members! Come in and see what the Zumba craze is all about. Tell the person at the desk that you are there for the Zumba class. Make sure to bring water!

Zumba at Norfolk Academy!

I'm pleased to announce that I will be teaching Zumba Fitness at Norfolk Academy! 

Tuesdays & Thursdays

6:15 - 7:00 a.m.

Norfolk Academy Dance Studio

Norfolk, VA

Class will begin Tuesday, November 17th.

$6 per class, or 6 classes for $30

You can pay as you attend, or have it payroll deducted

I know, 6:15 sounds incredibly early to be starting your day, especially with a work-out. But I promise, you'll wake up very quickly with the exhilarating 45 minutes of caloric burning, heart-racing, muscle-pumping, body sculpting, and body-energizing upbeat Latin music! 

We will end at 7:00 a.m., for teachers to get ready for the school day. 

This class is also open to non-Norfolk Academy employees, so please tell your friends (especially those who are early-risers).

Zumba craze takes over New York!

Vintage

Old ballet photos of when I was little, that I just found and scanned. How cute are these? It brings back fabulous memories of ballet classes and the adorable tutus! I wonder if tutus are acceptable in Zumba? (Kidding!). In the group photo, I'm the tiniest one at the bar.

Wareing's class time change reminder!

Just a friendly reminder:

Wednesday's class at Wareing's Gym has been moved to 10:30 a.m.

See you tomorrow!!

Zumba for a Great Cause!

Zumba for a Great Cause, organized by local Virginia Beach Zumba Instructor Liz Vazquez was quite a success!! Proceeds from the event, were donated to the American Red Cross.

Over 50 people showed up from all over Virginia. Zumba Instructors Eureka Belcher, Wanda Hood, Liz Vazquez, Angela Cruz Blumberg, Kim Branco, and myself, all led several routines and pumped the crowd up! The energy was AMAZING in the room!

Possibly the most exciting part was special guest Sarina Jain! She led the group through her awesome Masala Bhangra Workout. Check out the Masala Bhangra Workout website: http://www.masaladance.com/

A few photos from the event:













Thank you to everyone who made this such a success! Stay tuned for more fabulous Zumba events in the future!

Bhangra Slide with Sarina Jain

Last night, Sarina Jain came to Virginia Beach for the Zumba fundraiser for the American Red Cross. She was simply amazing! Her work-out is nothing like I've ever done. I cannot wait to take another Master Class with her =)

Here is a peek into her Masala Bhangra Workout that she created:

To get you in the Halloween mood.....

Class & Zumba for a good cause!

Yesterday's class at Wareing's Gym was GREAT. I finally taught them (my interpretation) of Michael Jackson's "Thriller". It made more sense to stick to Zumba moves, and repeat them through out the song, which definitely made it a bit easier to learn. I loved that a student asked if there were more complicated steps!  I was definitely on top of turning down the heat in the room (from the hot yoga class prior to mine), and the fans ON. It definitely made the beginning of class more bearable, and we weren't sweating in the first 2 minutes!

I'm really excited for Friday's "ZUMBA FOR A GOOD CAUSE". It is going to be a fabulous night. Jam packed with several Zumba Instructors (from ALL OVER! Including Richmond, New Jersey, New York, and of course Virginia Beach!). Also, there will be a special guest appearance by global fitness icon Sarina Jain!

I'll be leading a few dances, and of course "Thriller" will be one of them. Come on out and celebrate Halloween!

Zumba for a good cause!!!

Friday, October 30, 2009

7:00 to 9:30 pm

Virginia Beach Friends School

1537 Laskin Rd, Virginia Beach, VA

Tickets at the door are $15

Great class today!

Once again, we had a fabulous class today! Five of my "regulars" were there, plus one "newbie" who loved it and caught on very quickly.

Next week I will be teaching "Thriller", and we'll be learning a new salsa dance.

Starting at the beginning of November, we'll be moving the class to 10:30 a.m.

Great job everyone!

~Tessa

Also... I'm very very excited about the "Zumba for a good cause" on Friday, October 30th with Liz! I've started working on the dances that we'll be doing =) If you want to attend, please talk with me for more information.

Zumba in Chestertown

I was up in Chestertown, Maryland last weekend for my best friend's wedding. On Saturday morning, I was asked to sub a friend's Zumba class. It was so much fun!! 

15 ladies attended the class, and about 1/2 of them had taken my class before. I brought back a few favorite "oldies", from way back when (about 2 years ago) at the beginning of when we all started taking Cherae's Zumba class. The energy in the room was AWESOME, and everyone had a wonderful time!

Thank you Chestertown for a fabulous Saturday morning class! Can't wait to come back =)

~Tessa

Great class today!

Just got back from my 10 a.m. class at Wareing's Gym. It was great, there were two newbies, who really were getting the hang of the steps! We may be moving the class time to 10:30 (still on Wednesdays), to accommodate a few ladies who take the class before. Stay tuned!!

Liz Vazquez & Zumbaween!

Last week, I was lucky to have dinner with a fellow Zumba Instructor named Liz Vazquez. She is AWESOME. Liz teaches many different types of fitness classes all over Hampton Roads, and is also a certified Personal Trainer. 

I was pumped to learn that she is hosting an event called "ZUMBAWEEN", to celebrate Halloween, and to raise money for the American Red Cross of Southeastern Virginia.

"Join local Zumba Instructors Liz Vazquez, Eureka Belcher, Wanda Hood and more for an evening of fun, & fitness! Get dressed up in your favorite costume and have a great time dancing to the Latin rhtyms of Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton."

I think the most exciting part, is that there will be a special guest appearance by global finess icon SARINA JAIN. She is the creator of the original Masala Bhangra Workout, you can see her on the Discovery Channel's Fit TV. 

Friday, October 20, 2009  

7:00 - 9:30 p.m. 

VIRGINIA BEACH FRIENDS SCHOOL

1537 Laskin Road

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for children (5-11 yrs. old).

I will also be attending Zumbaween, and leading a few dances! 

For tickets and more information contact Liz at zumbavb@yahoo.com or buy your tickets online: http://www.inmotionwithliz.com

Stay tuned...

We will be learning Michael Jackson's "Thriller", during Wednesday's 10 a.m. class!

Zumba at Washington College

From January - June 2009 I taught 5 Zumba Fitness classes a week at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. It was exciting to see all parts of the college join in to take classes; Students, Faculty & Staff members.

Here are a few of the photos from classes:

Zumba Convention in Miami!

Great class today!

I'm so happy about today's class =) I had 5 people return from the previous week, and 8 newbies!

The 6:40 p.m. class isn't drawing much of a crowd, so it will be taken off next month's schedule, BUT I'm hoping that they'll add another morning class in the next month or so.

Great job everyone!

~Tessa

Tips for First Timers

* Wear loose, comfortable clothing that BREATHES. You WILL work up a sweat. If you want to start off with a jacket or sweatshirt, that's okay, but be prepared to get HOT!!

* Wear PROPER SHOES --- cross training shoes, aerobic dance shoes, dance sneakers (the ones with the round pivot point on the ball of your foot) are good --- DO NOT wear running shoes, as they have treads that are too deep and grip the floor too much, risking knee injury. Even if you have old sneakers with well-worn treads, choose those over running shoes.

* Drink PLENTY OF WATER before, during and after class. Hydration is very important!!!

* DON'T worry about the steps!!! Zumba is all about having FUN while getting FIT!!! There are NO MISTAKES in Zumba!!! As long as you're BREATHING, as long as you're MOVING, as long as you're HAVING FUN, you're doing Zumba correctly!!!

A peek into the world of Zumba!

During a Zumba class...

"During the warming up you immediately get hyped by the stimulating Latin Dance music. Up tempo and slow rhythms interchange each other, interval training is proven to be the best way to effectively lose weight! It’s like being in sunny Colombia when you are dancing!

Zumba is addictive and you want more each time. Every lesson brings an unforgettable workout. You want to get your next work out as soon as possible!"

What IS Zumba?

"Zumba means ‘moving fast and having fun’. It is a combination of fitness- and dance moves on swinging latin music. Salsa, Flamenco and Merengue, everything is possible. Every Zumba lesson is one big party, you don’t even notice you are actually working out and losing weight, it’s just like going to the club! No hard choreography’s, Zumba is there for everybody who loves swinging on music! Zumba lessons are already available in over 40 countries, and this number is growing each day… "

Class schedule!

I've started teaching at Wareing's Gym, in Virginia Beach!

Wednesdays~ 10:00 a.m.

Thursdays~ 6:40 p.m.