You want fries with that shake?

funny-pictures-choreographer-cat-teaches-thriller-dance Source

Started the day off shaking at World Beat. Live drummers, yelling, international dance styles…Love.

First, I had some toast and eggs with salsa

bfast4

and took a Pure Bar with me for afterwards.

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The interesting thing about World Beat is that it isn’t pre-choreographed, like Zumba or Dance Trance. Each song is a particular rhythm and the instructors just build on movements into a combo, with lots of freestyle thrown in. As an instructor, I really like pre-choreographed stuff because it’s *comfy*. I know what I’m going to do in advance, have practiced and listened to the music like crazy so I can throw fun extra movements in when I feel like it, and it makes cuing a little easier. If I do end up teaching World Beat, it will be a blast to have so much extra freedom with movement, but also challenging since everything is on the spot.

m-m014drum_med_9z7k Source

Today, when they called me into the middle of the circle to dance, for a split second, I thought “ohhhhh god, what am I going to do?” so I shook my booty. <—how to avoid crisis in any situation 😉

Can you freestyle, or prefer more choreographed routines? Or not a dancing fan?

Club dancing = the best kind of freestyling

Today the Pilot is off to an air show –we couldn’t find noise protection earmuffs for Liv, so the girls are off on their own adventure.

Hope you’re having a happy Saturday!

xoxo

Gina

Zumba song of the day:

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36 Comments

  1. Kelly @ Vegolosophy on March 3, 2012 at 2:30 pm

    I love Pure Bars!!!

  2. Stephanie @ Legally Blinde on March 3, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    That class does sound like it would be challenging to teach, but I’m sure you’d be great at it! I wish I could freestyle, that would be so awesome, but I’m not a good dancer at all. I like to try, though, and pretend like I’m good 🙂 It’s funny, I just recently titled one of my blog posts “Do you want fries with that shake?” but it was in reference to sweet potato fries and a green smoothie, haha 🙂 I think you’ve got the better “shake” here!

  3. sherice potter on March 3, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    Love the pure chocolate brownie bar ( I think that’s the one) so delicious!

  4. Caroline @ After Dinner Dance on March 3, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    That’s an interesting class. I’m horrible at freestyle dancing – I’d probably just freeze!

  5. RachelG on March 3, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    Now that I’ve been going to my zumba studio for a few months I like knowing the steps to certain songs. I feel really good when I’m so confident with the moves, and because I know them so well I’m able to throw in a little sass. 😉 El Amour is my absolute favorite!

  6. Ilana on March 3, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    I like to go with the flow 🙂 As a fitness teacher though I totally feel you, it’s really nice to have some kind of template or script to fall back on, some kind of direction you know you’re going in. When I started teaching vinyasa after teaching Pilates for a while I kind of froze because with Pilates sequencing, there’s a certain number of things you want to make sure you get done throughout the course of your class but with yoga there’s so many possibilities it made my head spin, so I started to write up class sequences so I’d have somewhere to go if I needed, but now that I feel more comfortable I’m a little bit more capable of making something happen on the spot, because that’s just how I roll (also I started teacher training with Shiva Rea and she has a specific sort of sequencing style that she offers and that made it a LOT easier for me to ‘freestyle’).

  7. Sana on March 3, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    hahaha I am slow today! it look me a while to get the title. i was looking for some french fries..

  8. Kerry @ Totes My Oats on March 3, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    I’ve never tried Pure Bars… putting it on my “must try” list! I’ve never tried a class where it’s not choreographed but I would love to give it a try!

  9. Michelle (Better with Berries) on March 3, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    Those classes sound SO fun! Whenever you talk about them, I imagine everyone looking like the two girls on the new Zumba game (I think it’s for Wii?) commercial. Basically, REALLY good dancers. I think I’d be too scared!

  10. Michaela on March 3, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    I so WISH I could attend one of those classes!
    When it comes to dancing in a club, I love freestyling, though I prefer a routine in dance classes. However, the best Zumba teacher at my gym used to throw in fun freestyling parts and she actually came around to us to shake booty face to face. So much fun!
    And booty-shaking is the best, haha!

  11. jenny on March 3, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    I’ve been told lots of times that I do excellent with on-the-spot and free style stuff, but personally i like to be prepared and like to know what I’m doing before I walk in the door.

  12. Caitlin on March 3, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    We got baby banz ear muffs for our baby for concerts. The description says they are perfect for air shows and race tracks too! we have brought her to a couple of concerts already at 3months and she’s never bothered. They are also work great for fireworks 🙂

  13. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga on March 3, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Your eggs with salsa look perfect and good for you for taking a class that’s much less choreographed, and much more roll-with-it and improv-ey. How fun! I’d LOVE to go to a class like that.

    I used to do yoga with live drumming and they play off each other. The yoga honors the drumming and the drumming can kind of shape the ebb and flow of the practice…super fun!

  14. Heather @ Bake, Run, Live on March 3, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    I really prefer choreographed dances! At clubs I just feel weird, like I’m doing something wrong. Give me a routine and it makes it so much more fun for me (line dancing, the Electric Slide- cheesy, but so much fun)!

  15. chelsea on March 3, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    I can’t dance…period! Even in cheer I was always placed in the back of the pack for the dance hahahah. No moves for this girl.

  16. Claire @ Live and Love to Eat on March 3, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    I did a hot hip hop vinyasa yoga class this morning with some awesome music!

  17. Laura @ Backstage Balance on March 3, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    I like freestyling, but appreciate choreography. The other day I took my first Zumba class in a long time… it took me about three songs to ‘warm’ up to following the instructor, LOL! I was at least two seconds behind the rest of the class.

  18. Lena @Fit on the Rocks on March 3, 2012 at 5:44 pm

    Interesting class. I don’t think I would do very well in it because I’m already semi-uncoordinated as is lol. I, too, resort to booty-shaking if I’m put on the spot. That or I run away 😛

  19. Kaila @healthyhelperblog! on March 3, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    If I were to take a a dance class I would rather take one thats not choreographed and more freestyle! I am HORRIBLE at picking up choreography lol! Definitely not my forte!!

  20. Jessica J on March 3, 2012 at 7:54 pm

    I was on dance team in high school, took lots of dance classes in college, and took many aerobic dance classes but I am scared-to-death of freestyle! I don’t know what it is, but I just freeze! Give me some choreography any day!

  21. Laura @ She Eats Well on March 3, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    I kind of love choreography and performing a choreographed dance…maybe it’s the ballerina in me!

  22. Maddy on March 3, 2012 at 9:59 pm

    Good philosophy-when in doubt…shake your booty! Love it! Heck when I do Zumba it turns into freestyle because my body can’t seem to do some of the moves the instructor does. Sometimes I diligently try to copy what is going on somewhat and other times I just move to the music however I want.

    • Fitnessista on March 4, 2012 at 12:08 am

      that’s awesome! as long as you’re moving, you’re burning calories 🙂

  23. Ali on March 4, 2012 at 12:32 am

    That class sounds SO fun! I used to do African dance back in the day, and it was SO FREEKING FUN to dance with the live drummers! Glad you got to shake your booty girl!

  24. Katie on March 4, 2012 at 1:34 am

    One of the Zimbabwe intructors at my gym uses that song you posted all the time! There is always a lot of booty shaking in that routine 🙂

    • Katie on March 4, 2012 at 1:35 am

      And by Zimbabwe I mean Zumba!

      • Fitnessista on March 4, 2012 at 9:56 am

        Love that autocorrect, haha 🙂

  25. Healthiful Balance on March 4, 2012 at 4:09 am

    I tried my very first Pure bar a few days ago and it was so delicous! That flavor sounds awesome too and I hope to try it sometime! 🙂

    Enjoy your Sunday!

  26. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin on March 4, 2012 at 7:57 am

    The only time I can dance is when I’m in a club after drinking a lot of “liquid courage”. 😉

  27. Tracy @ Commit to Fit on March 4, 2012 at 1:17 pm

    I have never been a huge fan of pre-choreographed fitness classes. As an instructor, I like to choose all of the moves and combinations myself. That is part of the fun for me, However, I can totally understand how some instructors really like it. Such a personal choice. I wonder what participants prefer?

    • Fitnessista on March 4, 2012 at 1:26 pm

      i think it varies! what i like about zumba is that i choreograph the dances for the music i choose, but know what i’m going to do before class starts.. impromptu is going to be a little interesting 🙂

  28. Abby F on March 4, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    IMPORTANT INFO!
    hehe
    You’ve been nominated for best personal trainer blogger award from Fitness magazine! And people are voting for you:-) Just incase you didn’t know!! Voted.

    • Fitnessista on March 4, 2012 at 1:48 pm

      thank you so much, abby! <3

  29. Lisa on March 4, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    I prefer to have pre-choreographed routines when I’m dancing. I get somewhat self conscious around other people so it helps to know ahead of time what I’m doing so I don’t freeze when trying to improvise.

  30. Julie on March 5, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    Do you like the pure bars now? I thought I recalled you calling them “Puke bars” a few years ago, so I have always avoided them (we have extremely similar tastebuds, albeit except for olives which I hate). I am always looking for healthy bars and the Vega I only bought once because they were over 3.50 a year ago, probably more than 4.00 now!

    • Fitnessista on March 5, 2012 at 3:21 pm

      The fruit ones are pretty good- the chocolate ones are gross
      Still like Lara and vega better

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