No lollipops. No candles. No gift wrapping. Just a lot of students moving to the distinctive Latin rhythm.

“Zumba Nights are performed as one of our fundraisers in which we donate some of our proceeds to help two families of Williamson County, who are in financially need of assistance, have a nice Christmas dinner,” Kim Denning-Knapp, sponsor of LULAC (League of Latin American Citizens) said.

LULAC started offering Zumba Nights at the school two years ago. Zumba Nights help encourage students and teachers to be more active, bring people together and find a way to give to the community. They also it fits the organization’s Latin-based features.

“So far, it’s been very successful,” Denning-Knapp said. “Teachers, students, and family members have come. I even see a lot of athletes and band members there. Last year, a football player brought his mom and they had a great time together. It was a great sight.”

Zumba Nights are directed by volunteer choreographers who are available at the time. The next Zumba Night is scheduled before spring break. Admission is $3.

“Many other Zumba classes can be as high as $15, so this is a great bargain,” Denning-Knapp said.

“My first time ever doing Zumba was with my mom,” senior Gemma Fuccello said.
“Out of nowhere we decided to try it out at home and ended up having an amazing time. The whole time we were laughing. I think it’s great way to get some special one-on-one bonding time with someone”

Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts and some Bollywood and belly dance moves.

“I really enjoy doing Zumba because I have the ability to lose weight, not be in a regular boring aerobics class, listen and dance to Latin rhythms, and have fun,” Denning-Knapp said. “For anyone, even guys, who wants to learn any kind of Latin dance, Zumba is great to participate in because you can learn the basic steps of Latin dances.”

During the 1980-90s, dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez taught aerobic classes in Colombia. One day, forget his original aerobic music tapes. He improvised by playing a random set of salsa and meringue tapes he found in his backpack. He decided to let the music move his class instead of them doing basic repetitions.

His class loved the new direction of fitness that Perez was heading. As an unintentional and surprising result, Zumba, a revolutionary new dance fitness, was created.

“I’ve witnessed what Zumba can do for the body, and I believe it does the body wonders,” Ashley Gregory, sophomore said.  “My friend’s mom lost around 20 pounds in as little as two months. She still actively participates twice a week and is still receiving all the benefits of Zumba.”

There are eight different types of classes for different levels of age and exertion. These include Zumba, Zumba Gold, Zumba Toning, Aqua Zumba, Zumbatomic, Zumba in the Circuit, Zumba Gold-Toning and Zumba Sentao.

Zumba Gold mainly targets the older population. It is specifically designed for the needs of the elderly. Zumba Toning is a form of exercise that uses toning sticks which target the abs, thighs, arms and other areas. Aqua Zumba is Zumba in a swimming pool. Zumbatomic features kid-friendly and kid-appropriate choreography that uses Zumba music. Zumba in the Circuit is the dance combined with circuit training. Zumba Gold-Toning is safe and effective training that helps participants build muscle strength, increase bone density, improve mobility, posture and coordination. Zumba Sentao is a chair-based choreography that strengthens, balances and stabilizes core muscles.

“The Zumba class I went to had a nice welcoming vibe to it which I enjoyed,” Danielle Davenport, senior said. “It’s upbeat and energizing but being that it was my first time, I had trouble keeping up and ended up taking several breaks. I was still standing with much enthusiasm at the end of the class.”

There are many benefits to doing Zumba, such as being less stressed, learning how to dance, burning a lot of calories, losing weight, getting fit, being social and feeling happy. Also, because of its popularity, it’s easy to find a Zumba class.

“The biggest reason as to why I enjoy participating in Zumba is because it doesn’t feel as if I’m working out, but rather just having fun dancing around,” Denning-Knapp said. “The benefits are just extra goodies that I get to enjoy.”