Shake Your Groove Thang . . .

My senior year of high school I rocked out to “Shake Your Groove Thing” with my high school pom and dance team.  Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” set to a double-time tempo and “You Spin Me Right Round,” straight out of the 1980’s had been the retro music selections of years past.

Yeah…I like to dance.  And for a girl that has some, but not a ton, of studio dance experience, I’m ok…unless you’re asking me to do anything that even vaguely resembles hip-hop.  Then, I’m a lost cause, enthusiastically attempting to pop and lock and convinced that I’m making it look good.  I am not.  And there’s video evidence to prove it.

I have long been intending to reintroduce a bit of rhythm and dance into my routine, but for any number of reasons (and a few poor excuses), I haven’t.  And then, last week, a colleague mentioned that she happened across a free outdoor zumba class in downtown Silver Spring during her evening errands.  Apparently Washington Sports Club (WSC) is putting on a free weekly zumba class in the Silver Spring Plaza every Tuesday from 7:00 - 8:00.  Hmmm…zumba?  Yeah, this might make for a fun Tuesday night.

Interestingly, only hours after hearing about Silver Spring’s free-outdoor zumba class and mentioning it to a friend and avid crossfitter, a zumba-related Facebook conversation evolved among a group of crossfit athletes I know….some of them enthused, others less convinced, almost all of them willing to give it a shot at some point in the future.

Yes, the universe was trying to tell me something…my following Tuesday night was clearly claimed for a booty shaking zumba dance party (or my best attempt at it) in the Silver Spring Plaza, so I recruited a coworker and we set the date.

Unless you have Shakira-like dance skills hidden in your repertoire, you’re going to look like a bit of a fool until you gain a good sense of the zumba movement patterns…so, my advice here is to 1) check your dignity at the door – or, since it’s an outdoor event, leave it in your car, and 2) let go of your inhibitions a bit – if you’re stiff, rigid, and self-conscious, you’ll only make it harder for yourself and you’re not going to have any fun.  Fortunately – I have no shame and rarely let my inhibitions hold me back from a dance party of any variety.

For those dying to try zumba but cursed with 2 left feet, there is good news.  As far as I could tell absolutely everyone was having fun.  The zumbability of participants ranged from those who were highly proficient and talented with attire that suggested they’ve done this before to, well, people that really might have two left feet.  The demographics varied further…soccer-moms, often accompanied by their daughters (some of whom couldn’t have been older than 5 and picked up the step-sequence on the first attempt…seriously, who are these highly talented little people!?); single girls out for fun with their friends; one lone male participant; a few women that I could have mistaken for my grandma.  Apparently zumba enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes and all of them seemed to be genuinely kind people out for some fun and absolutely unconcerned that once again, I was messing up (and occasionally bumping into them).

If you’re interested in a bit of booty shaking and shimmying, bring a fun friend – you’ll be so busy laughing, you won’t be concerned by your lack of zumbability, even if you’re next to the super awesome girl that the instructor just called up onto the stage (true story…that did happen).

I’m not sure if zumba will be my long-term answer to incorporating a bit of rhythm back into my exercise routine, but it certainly makes for a fun (and inexpensive) evening out with friends.  I expect I’ll be back…my colleague and I may even combine efforts to recruit a few more friends from the office and top our evening off with drinks nearby.

Rumor has it that WSC is hosting "Zumba on the Plaza" every Tuesday night from 7:00 - 8:00, weather permitting, all summer long....so shake your groove thang.  Or just move a little bit and laugh a lot.