22/09/2026
This weekend I was transported back to the 16yr old girl who fell in love with . Who has given her heart & soul to this movement & she not only got to dance on a stage in front of hundreds of people (including to the first ever track she heard in a Zumba class (Caipirinha!) with the creator of Zumba himself ) - but she also got to see just how far she has come.
For 16 years Zumba has been in my life & ZIN Academy UK 2026 was a stark reminder of just how long that is 😬😅 That morning Masterclass with Beto travelling through the MANY years & around the world was something else (& a millenials dream playlist may I add!). The moment some of those songs came on, it was like a sleeper agent was awoken in me & the choreography just came out! 💃PS. dancing the Cha Cha Slide was not on my bingo card for (but it seems I have been training for this moment since I was 6 🤣)
I sometimes find that when you're a 'veteran' Zumba instructor like me 👵🏼, you often feel like the Zumba you learnt all that time ago is a world away from today's Zumba scene...and it is... BUT! this past weekend reminded me just how special that whole journey has been & how at the core of it all, we all share the same feeling & always have. For literally half of my life on this earth, Zumba has been there for me inadvertently giving me confidence, improving my fitness, creating my purpose & bringing me joy. I have worked for 13 years now to share that same feeling with my students & I am reminded that we don't need titles or sold out classes to inspire others - even if you make an impact on just one person's day, you have success.
It's during moments like ZIN Academy that the love and passion all comes flooding back & we as instructors get to become the student again; we get to experience the overwhelming happiness we work so hard to create for our own students & to be in the presence of so much Zumba energy was truly incredible. How amazing to be connected across the world with wonderful fellow ZIN's who have now become friends- all because of Zumba.
[Continued in the comments....]
