It’s been a while since I posted anything here, so here’s a quick update...
Since my last post, I took a wonderful trip to visit family in Dumaguete, Philippines! My parents, sisters and I hadn’t been back in about 15 years, and this was also Vince’s first time visiting. It was a whirlwind weeklong trip, but so amazing to spend time with family again and show Vince where I grew up from infancy to about 3+ years. Here a few pictures that I shared on Instagram.
The other big news is that I’m pregnant with my first baby!
Vince and I found out that it’s a girl, and I’m now 20 weeks along. Thankfully I’ve had a pretty smooth pregnancy thus far, so I’ve continued to teach my classes and hope to keep doing so for as long as I can! I need Zumba for my overall well-being and mental health, of course, and I think baby enjoys it ;) The Zumba Instructor Convention was at the end of July, and I was a bit apprehensive of how I would hold up. But I had so much fun and felt good physically most of the time (aside from a cold that I was fighting). I’ll share a post all about it shortly!
This is one of my favorite fall/wintertime soup recipes that I found on Food 52. As the name implies, dark leafy greens form the base. They're chock full of nutrients like vitamins A,C, E, K, folate, and many other important minerals. They also contain carotenoids, which are antioxidants that may help reduce your risk for certain types of cancers. I like to make this when I feel a cold coming on, or if I’m feeling extra fatigued.
This recipe can be easily adjusted to your liking. Use your favorite greens; I often use kale and either swiss chard or spinach. A medium potato thickens and gives it depth, but arborio rice can also do the trick. I've found that using all vegetable broth rather than a mix of water and broth gives it much more flavor.
I try not to simmer the greens for too long in order to keep the vibrancy of the greens and to help preserve most of the nutrients. The longer you cook greens, the greater the nutrient loss. This is particularly true if boiling, as water-soluble vitamins (like C) can leech, though it's fine if you're making soup since you're not throwing away the liquid. If I'm using spinach, I add that in towards the end when the potatoes are almost fully cooked, as they wilt more easily than kale.
Okay onto the recipe shall we?
Green Soup (adapted from Anna Thomas on Food 52)
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch chard or spinach
- 1 medium Yukon gold potato
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 to 4 cups no added sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 a small lemon, plus more to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
1. I'd recommend caramelizing the onion first, because it can take a while. Chop the onion, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, and cook the onion with a small sprinkle of salt over medium flame until it is golden brown and soft (around 30-45 min).
2. Wash the greens thoroughly, trim off their stems, and chop the leaves. Peel the potato, or scrub well if you prefer to leave the skin, and cut into small pieces. Add greens, potato and cilantro to a pot with about 3 cups of broth and 1 tsp salt (we are big cilantro fans in my house, so I just rinse and grab a large handful to throw in. If you're not a fan, you could try using parsley instead). If you're using spinach, you can wait to add this in with the caramelized onions.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Add the caramelized onions to the simmering greens. Add a touch more oil to the same skillet, cook the chopped garlic for 1-2 minutes until it just starts to brown, then add the garlic to the pot as well. Add spinach, if using. You can also add a little more broth at this point, depending on how you like the consistency of your soup. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes more, or until the potatoes are fully softened.
5. Remove from heat. Puree with an immersion blender, or in small batches in a blender. Return soup to pot, and add lemon juice, salt and pepper to your liking. Enjoy!
Cumbia is a genre of music born from a mix of African and Indigenous cultures, and originates from Colombia’s Caribbean coastal region. As African slaves began to culturally and racially mix with indigenous Colombians, the cumbia became a type of folkloric partner dance. Women wore long colorful dresses with layered and/or ruffled skirts. Traditionally they carried a burning candle while dancing, though today women typically hold the ends of the skirt to wave around or lift in an arc.
One move when dancing cumbia in Zumba® is called the sleepy leg, a move in which you step to the side and your other leg to step together. This move is said to come from the limited movement of slaves chained by shackles at their feet.
Cumbia songs in class are usually slower-mid tempo (though we do use the occasional fast paced cumbia!) and there’s lot of passion and emotion in the music and dance.
Some cumbia songs from class:
Te Vivi by Villamizer feat. Maluma and Elvis Crespo
Nota de Amor by Wisin feat. Carlos Vives and Daddy Yankee
I Need Your Love by Shaggy feat. Mohombi, Faydee and Costi
Electro Cumbia by BIP feat. Hamilton
The clip above shows one of my favorite Zumba Education Specialists, Loretta Bates, dancing cumbia (with a touch of hip hop).
Here's a recap of the 2016 Zumba Instructor Convention, aka ZINCON!! But first, a few acronyms explained...
ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network) - every licensed Zumba instructor is part of this network, and we are referred to as "ZIN"
ZIN Jam™ Program - ZINs attend Jam sessions to learn new routines to incorporate in their classes. Sessions are held by Zumba Jammers (ZJs), instructors who apply and have been officially selected by Zumba Fitness LLC
ZES (Zumba Education Specialist) - train new instructors in both Zumba Basic and other formats (e.g. Zumba Toning, Zumba Kids/Kids Jr.)
ZINCON is an annual continuing education event for licensed instructors held in Orlando, Florida. ZIN from all over the world come together for 4 nonstop days to learn, connect, party, rejuvenate, and DANCE.
We sign up ahead of time for various sessions, and I attended House Experience, Latin Urban, Motown, Absolute Funk, Aqua Zumba, Master Class with Lindsay Taylor, a Jam session with ZJ Anna Marchenko, and Kizomba Bomba. There are additional nighttime events such as the Fitness Concert and a Theme Party.
The convention began with the Kick-Off Session, which essentially pumped up the 7,000+ already pumped up ZINs. Aside from the Olympics, I'm not sure where else in world you could find so much ENERGY in one place. Balang and Shaggy performed, and we recognized numerous ZINs doing amazing work helping those in their communities. The most heartwarming moment came when we honored Angel Colon, fellow ZIN and survivor of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting. I don't think there was a dry eye in the the room as we watched him dance for the first time since the tragedy.
A major highlight for me was taking my first Aqua Zumba class with the amazing mer-man Richard Gormley, ZES from Canada! It was so much fun, and even though it seems like you're just playing around int eh water, I felt it in my abs the next day for sure. It looks like being an instructor is really tough because you're doing the moves on land but at half tempo, so much more control is required. Even so, I'm going to need more Aqua Zumba in my life, and perhaps get the license in the future. Here's a glimpse of our class (can you spot me? I'm in the third row, right side with dark halter bathing suit).
My absolute favorite session was House Experience with power couple Benjamin Richard and Rodrigo Angello, two of the best instructors I've ever seen. Their playlist was so much fun and their energy and passion was infectious. I had never felt happier or more alive while taking a class!
Of course, the best part about convention is the wonderful Zumba community. I loved getting to spend time with my Zumba family that I met at last year's convention. More importantly, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be able to share my love of dance and Zumba with you, my students. YOU are my inspiration and my motivation to become a better instructor. Thank you for your energy, smiles, laughter, heart, and simply for being there. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you. Cheers to many more dances to come! <3
Reggaeton has roots in Latin and Caribbean music. After the spread of Jamaican reggae in the 1960’s and 70’s, Reggae en Español (Spanish Reggae) was introduced in Panama. The music spread to Puerto Rico, where it blended with dancehall, hip hop and other Latin music styles, eventually becoming Reggaeton (or “Big Reggae”). Other Spanish spellings include reggaetón and reguetón.
The genre was known as "underground" and "Dem Bow" throughout its evolution, the latter term stemming from its distinguishing “Dem Bow” beat, a rhythm with heavy influence of Antillean beats like Soca and relying heavily on the snare drum. Reggaeton gained more popularity in the US and Europe in the mid-2000’s with hits like “Oye Mi Canto” by N.O.R.E., “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee, and “Dale Don Dale” by Don Omar.
Reggaeton dance moves are also influenced by hip-hop, reggae, and other Latin/Caribbean styles. The songs are high energy and danced with attitude. Sometimes, reggaeton is fused with other music genres, such as with salsa (Salsaton) or cumbia (cumbiaton).
Some of the songs used in class include: Vaiven by Daddy Yankee, Que Te Pica by Notch, Sigueme Y Te Sigo by Daddy Yankee, and Plakito by Yandel.
Ready to get down? Check out the video below to learn some steps that you might see in class!
The steps used in Zumba class are inspired by the salsa dance that is traditionally done with a partner. Salsa music and dance has roots in Cuba, particularly from the Son Cubano music and dance style, with influences from many other Latin, African and Caribbean countries. Some of the instruments that you may hear in salsa music include the claves, congas/bongos, tres, horns, güiro, and timbales.
During the 1970's, a more distinctive dance style, influenced largely by Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants, and the term "salsa" emerged in New York City. Today there are many different styles, such as New York Salsa and LA Salsa, that differ from one another in terms of timing of steps, step patterns, attitude, etc.
Songs used in class include Bajo La Tormenta by Sergio George's Salsa Giants, La Vida Es Un Carnaval by Celia Cruz, I Love Salsa by N’Klabe Piensas (Dile La Verdad) by Pitbull ft. Gente De Zona, and Quiero Verte Bailar by Jeison el Brother.
Zumba® fitness combines Latin and international music with a fun and effective dance party workout! Ready to try it?! Check out these tips to get the most out of your first Zumba® class!
What to wear & bring - Wear anything you feel good moving around in! Try to choose sneakers that allow you to move sideways and around without too much tread. Don't forget water!
You don't need to know "how to dance" – It's not about moving like a professional dancer. Some of the moves might be new, but don't worry about doing them perfectly (because even the instructors make mistakes sometimes!). Each song has a different routine, but the moves repeat, so just keep moving and follow along as best as you can. Plus, the moves will become more familiar with each class you take.
Choose a spot around the middle - You want to be able to see the instructor clearly if it's your first time, so try to avoid standing in the very back of class. If you choose a spot in the middle, you can also follow the people in the front (who are likely more familiar with the routines).
Be ready to work it - Zumba® is a great full-body cardio workout, so be ready to get that heart pumping! Sure, you might be having so much fun that it doesn't feel like a traditional workout, but you’ll be burning hundreds of calories in no time!
But remember, this is YOUR workout – This isn’t a dance contest, so remember to go at a level you can handle. Similarly, if the instructor is doing a move that may be little complicated at first, try focusing on one aspect (e.g. either legs or arms) and then work toward combining all the movements together.
Enjoy yourself and have fun! – That’s the whole point of Zumba®, other than getting a great workout of course ;). Class is a judgment free zone, so let loose, smile, laugh, get down, get funky and rock it out!
