Are You Ready to Salsa and Zumba?

The opening line of a news article I wrote during college was "are you ready to rumba?"  At that time in my life, ballroom dancing was one of my hobbies.  I took the class freshman year of college to get my P.E. credit, and it was a fun way for me to meet new people.  After a while, though, the hobby dwindled, and I tended to take more pilates, yoga, and spin classes.  I took dance classes as a child and did well at them, but then, I started having foot joint problems, and I had to quit.  I was heartbroken because I used to lead the dance line, and I enjoyed ballet, jazz, and tap.  When I was a member of the Crunch gym near my house, I took a ballet fitness and a hip hop class.  Sadly, though, that Crunch place folded, and I was forced to join LA Fitness.  I took (and occasionally still take) spin classes, and although I knew they were a good workout, I did not enjoy them as much as dance.  So, gradually, I became less consistent about working out.  Recently, though, I realized how much I missed dance, not only because it kept me in better shape, but because it catered to my desire to be an artist and a performer.  (One of my childhood dreams was to be a broadway actress).  At the encouragement of a friend, I signed up for Zumba classes at DWT studios in Smyrna/Vinings and a hip hop dance class at Dance101.  I have dappled my feet in body sculpting/weight training classes, but honestly, I still feel intimidated by those classes. :) 

Now, in my very early thirties, I have rediscovered my love for my childhood passion of dance.  My Zumba and Hip Hop teachers are all hams (meaning energetic and funny people), so anyone who really knows me will understand why I get along with them so well. :)  They get to smile every time they teach class.  Now, I do, but I wait until the first month of school is over.  Their energy makes me feel like I can do any kind of latin and hip hop dance in the world, even though I know in my head that I have only rediscovered this hobby about two and a half months ago.  Plus, I feel happier and healthier than I did throughout winter; it must partly be that endorphin rush. :)  

As I look around the dance floor, I can't help noticing that the order in which we stand is a bit of a microcosm for how we see ourselves.  The very petite, young, attractive women who seem more confident with themselves and their dancing abilities tend to stand toward the front.  The more heavyset or older women tend to stand toward the back.  And I, well, I tend to stand in the middle, a little bit more toward the front because I like to see the instructor and yes, I do still like to be the leader of the pack.  In a way, it's sad that we as women tend to evaluate ourselves so much on how we look, even though we know deep down that we have so much more to offer the world with our creative and intellectual gifts.  Sometimes, the perfectionism and the drive that have helped me to be successful in school and in leadership positions throughout my life have a downside, and they cause me to compare myself to these women. I start wanting to prove that I can be the better dancer, move my way to the front.  The uplifting part, though, is that once the music starts, all of the comparison and the perfectionism go out the window for me.  I start to appreciate my body for what it is and for the fact that it can do all of these cool dance moves.  Occasionally, I have to self-correct, specifically when Dee (one of my teachers) tells me that I need to bend at my knees and not at my rear end.  Then, I know that I must tuck my wide little Italian butt back in because I don't want to look like Joey Fatone from Dancing with the Stars.  Otherwise, though, I start to feel proud of myself and of the adrenaline rush I am getting.  Really, I am about an average-sized woman, and I will still be an average-sized woman as I continue to dance....but, I will be a more fit average-sized woman than I was when I first started out.  And, for the first time in my life, I really am okay with that.  I realize that it is okay for me not to be petite as long as I am being healthy and enjoying my life, and dance, for me, helps me to achieve both of those goals.  

In his final commencement speech at a graduation, author and lecturer Randy Pausch advised the students to "find their passion."  I believe that this advice applies not only to career and love, but also into the steps it takes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  For people like me who are not naturally good at all sports, we need to find the athletic activity that we do well AND enjoy.  Then, we are more likely to stick to it and to do it consistently, and hopefully learn more self-love along the way.