When I first earned the title of "Licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor," it took a lot of great mentors and friends to get me started (and it takes just as many now to help me continue to learn and grow).
Lynn Day Holsinger was the first to invite me to teach at a Zumbathon charity event. It was my first time to teach in front of anyone (let alone an entire GROUP), and I was only willing to teach one song. I practiced 5 Letras over and over (and over) again. Lynn's invitation was key in getting me in front of others for the first time.
It was months later when Kim Lehman coerced me into signing on for my first weekly class at a small studio in Midtown Harrisburg, Absolute Wellness Group. It was a wonderful place for me to practice and learn. And I will always appreciate having Kim there to cheer my on at my first class!
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| The early days... Teaching at Absolute Wellness Group Photo credit: Hanif at Pixlmotion |
On Sunday we held a Zumba party to benefit Girls on the Run, a youth development program for girls ages 8-12. Shawna Strine (shown fourth in the photo below) is training for the Harrisburg Half Marathon while raising money in support of the organization. She brought together six instructors to help her in her mission: Me (Adrienne Thoman), Beth Davis, Stephanie Okuniewski, Sharon Keeny, and Mikki Davis.
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| Me, Beth, Steph, Shawna, Sharon, and Mikki |
With these amazing gals in mind, I started to reflect on the past three years. I know I still have a long way to go, but here are my top takeaways...
1. Forget perfect. In the beginning I dreamed of being able to execute a class without making any mistakes. After three years, it hasn't happened (and I don't think it's ever going to). Perfect isn't the point. I'm there to help my students to shake, sweat, and smile! That's it! And my "perfect" performance is nothing compared to joy, authenticity, and a sincere desire to share each hour of class with them.
2. We're all different. This one was tough to embrace. When I first started teaching I saw so many talented instructors in our community. And as a new (and insecure) instructor, I wanted to be just like them! The problem with that? I had a completely different set of strengths as an instructor. But THAT is the beauty of Zumba Fitness. Some instructors are amazing dancers (Dena Clauser, I'm talking about you!). Some instructors create awesome fitness-focused choreo (Yep, that's Cat Cormany!). So find out what makes YOU unique, and embrace it!
3. It's not a competition. In the beginning it's easy to feel like it's you versus every other instructor in your area. It's not. Be the best instructor you can be, and people will be drawn to you because of the unique gifts that only YOU can bring to class. Focus on developing your own skills, and don't get caught up in criticizing others. Instead, celebrate their successes. As a community we can either tear each other down, or build each other up to incredible heights. I choose the latter.
Shameless plug! STEPHANIE OKUNIEWSKI is teaching her FIRST FULL ZUMBA CLASS this Thursday night (August 14) from 7-8pm at the Halifax Ambulance Building (31 Bunker Hill Road, Halifax)! She will be subbing my class while I'm at the 2014 Zumba Instructor Convention in Orlando, FL. Come out and support her as she makes her debut!
Have you ever thought about becoming a licensed Zumba Fitness instructor? Find a training near you at www.zumba.com!
Thank you!!!
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