The Moves I Didn't Know I Had

A movement has entered our little town of nary-4000 people. One that has been sweeping the nation for some time, I'm sure, but has now infiltrated our boundary lines. This movement is called Zumba. It is major aerobic exercise, and it combines dance moves from several different genres, including Latin, hip hop, and a little bit of belly dancing. And lots of shimmies and shakes.

I have now gone to a total of three classes after my friend Angel basically came the poster child for Zumba in Marshall. Don't tell anybody else this, but I'm pretty sure she has told more people about Zumba than she has about Jesus. :) I say that in fun, because Angel is just an enthusiastic gal who I know shares her love for Jesus just as much as her love for a good shake, rattle, and roll. I promised her I would go as long as she would stand by me in class. Old insecurities die hard, and I totally pictured myself alone in the corner while she ran off to talk hair with the popular girls. She had a good laugh over that one, but hey, we all have our ghosts to overcome.

The first time I went to the class, I told Angel that I was not mentally prepared for the amount of pelvic thrusting there would be, and she really should have warned me. The more I have gone, though, the less I feel that it is too sexy, and really feel much more of the real workout in it all. I sweat more each time I go, and even allowed myself some cute new workout pants if I was going to put myself through it two to three times a week.

I have laughingly explained that my first experience with Zumba was kind of like the movie Pleasantville. If you've seen it, yo u remember that it starred Toby McGuire and Reese Witherspoon. It was set in the 50s, and was all pictured in black and white. Then Toby McGuire comes from "out of town" to this little black and white safe place, and he starts to teach them about the big world out there, the sex and the sensuality. And little by little as they learn about it, all of the black and white people start to have color...first their skin, then their clothes, then their homes. Yeah, that is what is happening with Candy and her little Zumba class in Marshall. She comes from the "big city" of Terre Haute, and teaches a big group of women to sweat and shimmy things they haven't shimmied before. Then we get to go home and try to explain it to our husbands. And we go, "Well, I don't really remember all the moves, but we did this a few times." And then we shimmy. And suddenly, Marshall isn't quite so black and white anymore, but a much more colorful place.

Yeah, I think people are gonna like this little exercise class. I think they're gonna like it a lot.