July Zumba Playlist

Taking a cue from Zumba with Alena, I am now sharing links to choreography or the choreography that inspired my own choreography when available. Enjoy! (Sorry, I don’t post any videos of my own choreography… yet.

Startin’ Somethin’ (Pop / Warm Up)
Michael Jackson
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by CarlyandJanelleZumba

Disturbia (Pop / Warm Up)
Rihanna
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba with Renee

La Bamba (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Wyclef Jean
Choreography by Rencsi

Waka Waka (Latin Pop)
Shakira
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Shakira

Suavemente (Merengue)
Elvis Crespo
Choreography by Rencsi

Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video

La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Mary Pirela

Shake (Latin Hip Hop)
Ying Yang Twins Featuring Pitbull
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video

Boro Boro (Bollywood)
Zumba ZIN 22
Choreography by Rencsi

Kalinka (Russian Folk / Pop)
Yamboo
Choreography by Rencsi

Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video

La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane
Choreography by Rencsi

Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme
Choreography by Rencsi

Take Me Home Country Roads (Reggaeton / Cool Down)
Toots & the Maytals
Choreography by Rencsi

Want Z1 Zumba Shoes from Zumba Fitness? Get Them While You Can!

I’m a Zumba and Zumba Gold instructor and I had the same pair of Zumba shoes for a year. At first, I was only wearing my Zumba shoes for about one hour per day, two or three times a week, and they were holding up just fine. As luck would have it, I started getting more and more classes at more and more facilities and soon I was teaching two or three times per day, four days a week! As awesome as it was, my Zumba shoes broke down quickly. I was having foot, ankle, and shin pain during and after Zumba class. It was obvious I needed a new pair of Zumba shoes and I needed them fast.

I had been wanting the new Z1 Zumba sneakers from Zumba Fitness so I went to the Zumba shop to order a pair. I searched and searched, but they were not there – the Z1 Zumba sneakers were temporarily unavailable! I needed new shoes badly, but I decided to wait a week.

A week later, I checked the Zumba shop again. No Z1 Zumba sneakers! I couldn’t wait any longer and I decided to replace my Nike Musique IV with the exact same pair.

I just checkd back and the Z1 Zumba sneaker is now available at Zumba.com.

The moral of the story: If you are thinking about trying out the Z1 Zumba sneakers from Zumba.com, do it while you can! They are insanely popular. If they are temporarily unavailable, check back regularly because they might come and go from the Zumba shop as they are in stock. Hopefully, this means new styles and colors will be available soon.

Good luck!

June Zumba Music Playlist

It’s finally July! I love July! Here are some of my June Zumba songs. Enjoy! And enjoy July!

Zorba (Greek / Warm Up)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
* Warning: For the first time ever, I actually had a participant yell out, “I HATE THIS SONG!” during this warm up. I think she was referring to the choreography that gets faster and faster… Personally, I like it!

La Cucaracha (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Kumbia Kings
* Warning: This song contains the word “marijuana.”

Buttons (Pop / Warm Up)
Pussycat Dolls

Telephone (Pop / Warm Up)
Lady Gaga

Krazy (Hip Hop)
Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon

Suavemente (Merengue)
Elvis Crespo

Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch

Zu Bailaito MIX (Quebradita)
ZIN Bonus Download

La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4

Boro Boro (Belly Dance)
Zumba ZIN 22

I Need to Know (Cha Cha)
Zumba Fitness ZIN Volume 25

Rain Dance (African)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A.

Evacuate the Dance Floor (Pop)
Cascada

Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo

La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane

Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme

Body Language (Pop / Cool Down)
Jesse McCartney

What Are Zumba Shoes?

One of my Zumba participants walked into Lady Foot Locker and asked for Zumba shoes. The LFL sales team looked confused and responded, “What are Zumba shoes?”

How embarrassing! Someone is willing to walking into an athletic shoe store and drop $60 to $110 USD on a pair of dance shoes and the sales team at a store like Lady Foot Locker doesn’t even know what Zumba is?

In an athletics store, you are most likely looking for Nike Musique athletic dance shoes. Ryka also makes a couple of styles of athletic dance sneaker, Ryka Studio D and Ryka Sync, and from what I’ve seen, they are similar to the Nike Musique. This type of shoe is used by cheer and dance teams at the high school and college levels so they are somewhat easy to find. They are attractive athletic shoes, but obviously not built for most sports. You’ll find them on the edge of the athletic shoe section, not mixed in with the running shoes. Because they are not common, they are also easy to find on the clearance rack if you are a bargain hunter.

There is also currently a Nike shoe called Nike Huarache. It is more of a hip hop dance shoe so you might find it mixed in with the street wear.

If you have access to a dance studio or dance supply store, look for Capezio or Bloch athletic dance sneakers. These sneakers are also worn by dance teams and instructors so they are easy to find. Capezio and Bloch sneakers usually have a split sole which allows more foot flexibility during dance training and performances. To me, the split sole takes away some of the stability of these athletic dance shoes. The split sole is why I personally chose NOT to wear them for Zumba – I need stability and support. However, I do know plenty of people who DO wear them for Zumba.

In stores, you will pay about $30 USD for Zumba shoes on the clearance rack. Full price, Zumba shoes will cost $60-$110 USD. Online, you have more options and better prices. You will find Nike Musique and Huarache and Ryka Studio D and Sync online. Discount dance supply stores sell Capezio and Bloch athletic dance sneakers online.

I hate to order shoes online, but I like online shoe store prices so I use a little trick. I go find the shoes I want in a shoe store, try them on, and make note of the size, style, and color. Then I go home and order the same shoes online. It take a little more time, but I think it’s worth it.

If you have a favorite brand or style of shoe that you use for Zumba, I would love to hear it!

Calories Burned During Zumba

I’m a Zumba instructor and I was tired of guessing how many calories I was burned during Zumba class so I bought a Polar FT60 heart rate monitor. I’ve been wearing it for a couple of weeks now. Here’s a quick summary of how many calories I burned in recent classes:

Zumba
Minutes / Calories Burned
50 / 474, 60 / 733,  50 / 676, 60 / 734, 50 / 626, 50 / 810, 50 / 652, 50 / 790, 50 / 701, 50 / 779, 50 / 638, 50 / 668, 50 / 595
Average = 683 calories per class

Zumba Gold
Minutes / Calories Burned
50 / 461, 50 / 492
Average = 474 calories per class

What I learned is that the number of calories burned during Zumba varies widely depending on the content of the class. There are certain songs and dances that really get my heart rate up. For example, there is a significant increase in calories burned during those classes that include a quebradita (i.e. Zu Bailaito and Ritmo Caliente). Choreography that includes jumping or “riding a horse” also bump up the number of calories burned (Evacuate the Dance Floor, Jump in the Line, and Que Te Pica to name a few).

Stay tuned while I learn more from my new heart rate monitor! Zumba hugs!

May Zumba Music Playlist

Time flies! Some of my May Zumba songs. Enjoy!

Telephone (Pop / Warm Up)
Lady Gaga

Obsesion (Bachata)
Aventura

Chaiyya Chaiyya (Zumba Toning / Bollywood)
Bombay Dreams

Salome (Salsa / Pop)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch

A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Zu Bailaito MIX (Quebradita)
ZIN Bonus Download

Boro Boro (Belly Dance)
Zumba ZIN 22

I Need to Know (Cha Cha)
Zumba Fitness ZIN Volume 25

Rain Dance (African)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A.

Evacuate the Dance Floor (Pop)
Cascada

La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4

Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo

La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane

Waiting in Vain (Reggae / Cool Down)
Bob Marley

Should I Buy a Heart Rate Monitor for Zumba?

I love teaching Zumba. I teach high intensity Zumba 4 times a week and Zumba Gold 2 times a week. I smile a lot and sweat a lot, but how do I know much exercise I am getting from Zumba class?

Until now, I have relied on free online calorie calculators and exercise diaries like hot cal to tell me how many calories I burn during exercise, including Zumba. I enter every food and beverage I consume each day and I enter every minute of exercise I do each day into hot cal. The site software uses my 1) Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR, 2) daily calorie needs based on my activity level, 3) net calorie needs, and 4) exercise bonus calories to calculate whether I’ve stayed within my daily calorie target to meet my personal fitness or weight loss goals.

I currently use the cardio exercise entry “Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist” to track Zumba. According to my height, weight, age, and sex; I should burn about 272 calories in one 50-minute Zumba class.

272 calories? That’s it? That can’t be right… Can it?

I think it’s time I invest in a heart rate monitor so I know exactly how many calories I burn in each Zumba class – not only for my own personal fitness, but to also allow me to use the music and moves that will get my Zumba class participants’ hearts pumping (safely, of course).

Stay tuned as I shop for my first heart rate monitor for Zumba!

April Zumba Music Playlist

April showers bring May flowers! Some of my April Zumba songs. Enjoy!

Don’t Matter Calypso Remix (Calypso / Pop Warm Up)
Akon

Loba (Latin Pop)
Shakira

Baila Esta Cumbia (Cumbia)
Zumba Megamix 14

Salome (Salsa / Pop)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch

Jump in the Line (International)
Harry Belafonte

Evacuate the Dance Floor (Pop)
Cascada

I Need to Know (Cha Cha)
Zumba Fitness ZIN Volume 25

La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14

Tigy Tigy (Reggaeton / Arabic)
Zumba ZIN Mega Mix 15

Brinca (Cumbia)
DJ Kane

Rain Dance (African)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A.

Boro Boro (Belly Dance)
Zumba ZIN 22

La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4

Na De Na (Pop)
Angel & Khriz

La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane

Banana Boat (Da-O) (International – Cool Down)
Harry Belafonte

Zumba With a Purpose – Chile Earthquake Relief

Attention Zumba lovers in Minnesota!

Zumba with a Purpose to benefit Chilean Earthquake Relief with a $10 donation on Sunday, May 2, 2010 from 1:30-3:15pm at Shoreview YMCA in Shoreview, Minnesota.

The 2010 Chilean earthquake happened on February 27, 2010. Approximately 500 people died and 500,000 homes were destroyed. Many Zumba instructors have family and friends in Chile. All money raised at the Zumba with a Purpose event will be given to the Chilean Club in Minnesota (Chilenos en Minnesota) to be delivered to Chilean institutions to benefit earthquake and tsunami victims.

Click here for more information and enjoy!

March Zumba Music Playlist

Some of my March Zumba songs. Enjoy!

Don’t Matter Calypso Remix (Calypso / Pop Warm Up)
Akon

Papa Loves Mambo (Mambo)
Perry Como

Loba (Latin Pop)
Shakira

Me Gusta, Me Gusta (Salsa)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14

Hava Nagila (Traditional)
Zumba Gold

Tigy Tigy (Reggaeton / Arabic)
Zumba ZIN Mega Mix 15

Brinca (Cumbia)
DJ Kane

Salome (Salsa / Pop)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Evacuate the Dance Floor (Pop)
Cascada

Jump in the Line (International)
Harry Belafonte

Rain Dance (African)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A.

A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Na De Na (Pop)
Angel & Khriz

Chaiyya Chaiyya (Bollywood – Zumba Toning)
Bombay Dreams

Obsesion (Bachata)
Aventura

La Isla Bonita (Pop – Cool Down)
Madonna