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| Former professional dancer Eva Guidi Ewins (middle) brings Zumba classes to Hong Kong's South Lantau. (China Daily/Donna Mah) |
Combining aerobics and dance, Zumba is an increasingly popular exercise that produces a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Donna Mah tries it out in Hong Kong.
It was with trepidation that I entered my first Zumba class.
It was truly the luck of the draw that brought me. I had won free classes at a fundraising event. My first reaction was: "Zumba? What's Zumba?"
So, what is Zumba?
If you have no idea, you're not alone. But its following is fast growing globally.
Zumba is an exercise system created by Alberto "Beto" Perez, who was teaching aerobics and dance in Bogota, Colombia. One day, he forgot his aerobics tape and had to play a salsa recording instead. He ended up combining aerobics and dance in this class, and Zumba was born.
Today, Zumba is taught to about 14 million people in more than 150 countries, according to the Zumba website (www.zumba.com).
My instructor, Corinne Clifford, is a former professional dancer from Essex in the United Kingdom. She told me not to worry about not being able to keep up and explained she'd use gestures to indicate what we should be doing.
Participants can jog in place if they can't follow the steps, and it gets easier to dance along after a few classes.
Clifford started teaching Zumba 3 1/2 years ago and says many instructors are former dancers. This makes perfect sense because instructors can choreograph their own routines or use existing ones.
My last dance class was several decades ago, so I worried an hour in Zumba class might feel like one of the longest of my life.
I could either get my feet or hands to do the moves - but not both at the same time.
The Bund turns into beach as the temperature reaches high
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