Shake it like Shakira

After dancing your way to fitness ‘Bollywood style', here comes Zumba. Prabalika M. Borah checks out the new moves

Aerobics trainer Dinaz Vervatwala conducting a Zumba session in Hyderabad. Photo: Nagara Gopal

That there are many ways to stay fit is no news. If doing weights, dieting and engaging yourself in a cardio programme is out of bounds and yet the desire to lose weight tops your list of priorities, there's a new way out. Hitting the dance floor or doing something that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. Something like Zumba.

Last weekend, when fitness trainer Dinaz Vervatwala announced a demo Zumba class with its catchline — ditch the gym and join the party; men and women turned up in full attendance. By the way you need not have Madhuri Dixit's dance moves to do the Zumba. You can be as good as Sunny Deol and still Zumba, because Zumba is the secret to Shakira's moves.

“Zumba is an intense dance and fitness programme, created by Colombian choreographer Alberto also known as Beto in 1993. The program combines Tropical salsa and Cumbia with dance. It is a dance form which engages a lot of free movements,” explains Dinaz as she instructs the learner group to ‘take position.'

Dinaz, who earlier made Bollywood dance popular in Hyderabad as a form of fitness routine, underwent a certification course for Zumba. “Once that is done we become ZIN members and this entitles us for new music that can be used for Zumba,” she explains.

This workout also includes steps from merengue, mambo, flamenco, cha-cha-cha, reggaeton, samba, belly dancing, bhangra, hip-hop, and tango. But this however, has a rule to follow when it comes to music. Music has to be 70 per cent Latin American and 30 percent International. “I will include Bollywood in my choreography,” she smiles. As the group begins to warm-up the music is set for the first few easy moves. “Zumba is a hard core fat burning workout. We can call it a form of cardio but Zumba's movements mostly concentrate on the hips, shoulders, upper back and also tones the body,” explains Dinaz.

While Zumba is taking its first baby steps in the city there are other forms waiting to set their feet in the local sands.

Capoeira is about five years old in India and though it has been introduced in Bangalore and Delhi, its popularity in Mumbai remains unmatched. But Capoeira is not all about dance moves. It is kind of a sport played in several different ways, the two most common being angola and regional. “In both, there are defence attack moves that are accompanied and even lead by the music and songs that the master and students play and sing. Distinctive from other martial arts by this music, the continuous movement of the players and the minimal contact involved it is often mistaken for a dance. The multiple aspects of Capoeira include weight regulation, flexibility and choreographed acrobatic movements,” explains T. Archana, a Mumbai-based consultant and a member of the Capoeria India family.

If Capoeira sounds difficult, there is yet another style which can be explored. This fitness form combines Samba with Ninjutsu — a martial art form which has its roots in Japan. While the martial art form originated in Japan the fusion was first tried in South Africa. But in the city there is no specific institute teaching this. It is mostly taught privately by trained martial arts teachers. “This form of fitness increases body balance and co-ordination and because it is combined with Samba, it is quite exciting,” explains Monty, a personal trainer in the city.