Zumba those pounds off

I've been a member of a local YMCA for a while, and I joined because I like taking fitness classes.  However, I kept taking classes I hated.  So a friend of mine who takes a Zumba class invited me along.  My first experience was horrid.  I realized how my inner-diva was NOT Latin. Who knew? Not me.  All this time I just assumed I had a sassy latina inside of me ;)

I really should have known that it'd be an awkward experience, after all - I only managed 1 year of jazz dance and that was because my mom wanted me to try it.  I was awful.  I actually have amazing terrifying moves, they just aren't appreciated by anyone with any actual rhythm. And really, let's be honest. Do you think I can focus on what dance moves the teacher is instructing us with when I'm the chubby girl in a leotard in the back while the rest of the girls ribs were showing through? Of course not.

Class number two I started to get into the groove. There were some moves I remembered, and some that I could only giggle through as the girl next to me failed right along with me. She was equally confused, so we just chilled in the back, working up a sweat tripping over our own feet.  Hey, laughing burns calories, right?

Class three I got it.  Well, almost.  I got almost all of the dances and knew what was going. I couldn't do it outside of class without guidance, and I couldn't do all the moves, but I suddenly wasn't tripping over my own feet.

Here are some of my favorite dances (if you've never taken a class, you can do the dances to different music, it all varies depending on instructor). Now remember, when I AM doing these, they look far less graceful, and somewhere deep down low and hidden, I like to pretend my hips are doing what theirs are ;)
Here's a fun basic video:


And here's it in real action: