HYDERABAD: “Around ten years ago, this Colombian fitness instructor, Beto Perez arrived at his studio to teach a class only to realise that he has left his traditional aerobics music CDs at home. He just happened to have some Latin-American music with him, so he improvised and decided to use it instead,” explains Dinaz Vervatwala, one of the city’s reigning fitness experts, as she talks about her latest passion. “And his class loved it. And that was how Zumba began — a happy accident of forgotten CDs!” she continues.
According to Dinaz, Zumba surprised her by how different it is from more conventional workouts. “After having spent about 18-20 years in the fitness world, I was fascinated that I could find something new. Zumba is just so different from anything else I’ve seen in fitness. It’s just so much fun!” she exclaims. “First of all Zumba is all about Latin-American music and dance styles. At the most, 30 per cent of music played at a Zumba class can be international — 70 per cent has to be Latin-American,” she continues.
Dinaz, who entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 for completing a 26-hour-long aerobics marathon, attended the first Zumba certification programme ever held in India in February. “It was an intensive two-day course — I was at class for about eight hours each day. I learnt how to choreograph in various Latin-American dance styles and how to incorporate movements into the dance routine that workout every muscle in your body,” says the fitness expert talking about her experience at the certification programme. “After the certification course, I took a month to choreograph several songs, and sort out the kinks in the workout myself. Now I can officially teach Zumba classes anywhere in the world,” she says.
There is more to Zumba than just fitness, says Dinaz. “I think Zumba is a workout that inspires people while making them exercise. Not just those who come to attend the class, but also fitness instructors. Zumba has inspired so many other fitness experts to innovate and tweak their own workout regimens,” she opines.
So how many calories can one burn in a one-hour Zumba workout? “Anywhere between 500 to 800 calories, depending on the intensity of the workout and the weight of the person. As of now, being the only Zumba certified instructor in the city, I am personally taking Zumba classes once a week at each Dinaz centre. Those who are interested can sign up for each session individually. Each session costs Rs 500,” informs Dinaz. So what exactly happens in a Zumba class? “Choreographed dance routines. Right now I’m teaching Con Moviemento in a Bachata and Reggaeton style and A La Nene La Gusta in the style of merengue,” she says.
Four classes a month might not sound like a lot, but Dinaz plans to increase this number eventually. “I want to invite Zumba to host another certification workshop in Hyderabad at Dinaz fitness studio premises, around three months down the line. After that we can begin Zumba classes on a more regular basis.”
Want to attend a Zumba class? Then you should head over to the Dinaz fitness studio at Road no. 12, Banjara Hills on May 1!
Contact: 040-23314607