Christmas Eve Class

Here's a couple videos from our class this past Monday. We have a few students who like to coordinate their outfits and join us on stage. Here they are with their "Christmas outfit", heels and all. Do not try this at your Zumba class! 

 *Video taped by two different individuals catching different angles. Enjoy!

 

 Aside from teaching Zumba, this guy also sings. Here's Liu Vakapuna (one of our instructors) singing Chris Brown's "This Christmas".

 

*

(Back - L to R:  Billie, Betsy, Sinai, Silia, Ame, Beti, Dana, Lila.  Front - L to R:  Souna, Sela, Twig, Satomi, Maki, Nicole.  Missing:  Liu)

 

From our EMZ family to yours

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Caralee Lambard Hand

Let me introduce you to Caralee Lambard Hand.  She's one of our faithful members at EMZ.  She's been attending over a year now.  She also plays a key in keeping our class going by opening the doors each morning.  Thank you Caralee!

Here's Caralee's story in her own words:
I heard about EMZ several months before I actually started attending. My son was going to seminary in the stake center where we meet now. We'd drive past the building behind the Hook and Ladder every morning, and we wondered why there were so many cars there at that hour of the day. We went to a Stake Youth Council Meeting, and Mahina was there and telling everyone about EMZ. I thought about going, but didn't because of the seminary schedule. When school was over for the year, I ran out of excuses not to go. School was over, it was free, and just up the street from my house, so I started going. I had a pair of pants that was way too small for me. I couldn't even make the button and button hole meet, because my stomach was so big. After a week or two, I could put on the pants and button them, but it was still tight. A few months later, I could fasten them completely. My goal is to put them on and wear them comfortably. I can wear them, but it is still kind of snug. I have lost about 20 pounds, but some of it has come back. I am hoping to break the plateau I have been on, and to lose some more. I do not want to go back to where I was a year and a half ago. I recently hit my 50th birthday. In my family, that is a scary decade, because of the health problems several family members have had. We've had run ins with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. I hope that by doing zumba on a regular basis, I will be able to avoid those things.

 

 

April 2007

July 2011

 

November 2012

 

Class Schedule & Upcoming Events

 

December 21 (Friday) - Aside from it being the "end of the world", we are having a Bake Sale to help raise funds for the instructors going to the Zumba Conference in Los Angeles, February 2013.  We have half of the team going & each individual has paid their own registration ($329).  The funds raised will help cover transportation, gas, hotel & food during the 3-day conference.  We will be posting the items we will have for sale along with prices. 

December 25 & 26 (Tuesday & Wednesday) - Merry Christmas!   NO CLASS.

December 28 (Friday) - Holiday Party.  It will be like our other parties during/after class.  Potluck style.  Please see Nane Vea, Heamoni Fili'moeatu or Lupi Misinale for more info.

January 1 (Tuesday) - Happy New Year 2013.  NO CLASS.

Where are they?

As many of you already know, our class is a FREE class we offer Monday through Friday.  It's strictly volunteer.  To keep some kind of consistency and not overwhelm the class with new instructors each day or week, we set the limit at 15. Depending on our various schedules, once in a great while you will call all 15.  However as we know with life itself, things don't always go as planned.  We have steady group that shows up each day.  That group notices when one, two or more are not present for a good while.  It raises concerns.

If we could have our preference as instructors, we would be there every morning, but due to other circumstances, that's not always the case.  Some concerned class members have asked where's so & so...and so forth.  So here goes:

Betsy joined the nunnery.

 Souna was asked by PSY to go on tour with him.

Silia secretly started her own FREE Zumba class called E-EMZ which starts at 5:25.  And supposedly she does "CHOCO-LATTE waayyyyyyyy better".

Twig has morning sickness - next Octo-mom.

Billie is filming for Magic Mike 2.

Anger management classes and community service has been keeping Sela busy.  She happened to run into a class member that didn't like her routines while seeing the Christmas lights.  Let's just say we are lucky Beti wasn't with her.  She has been 86-ed from Temple Square.

 

Liu moved to Colorado City with his six new wives.

Hope you get our humor?  Hahahahaha!  On a serious note, many of the instructors have been busy with training for a new job, getting kids off to school or busy with other things.  *Note:  the only instructor pregnant is Silia.  

We appreciate everyone's concern and know that no one has left the group.  Between all of us, we guarantee someone will be there to teach each morning.

Nothing but LOVE for you all!!!

Penina Matagi Roberts

Our class is no ordinary Zumba class.  A few things that sets us apart from other classes -- the time slot & the number of attendees so early in morning.  For many, it's what works...granted, it's super early.  Even though it's super early, on average we get about 50-60 attendees a day...on a super good day 200 - happened only once.  We are truly grateful for all who attend, because without a class, we wouldn't have anyone to teach.

 

We will be doin a few spotlights here and there on our class members.  This will give them a chance to share their success stories, tips & a little bit about themselves with the rest of us.  It also will put a name to the familiar face each morning. 

 

Our spotlight for today:

Penina Matagi Roberts

 

 

I met Penina years ago & the crazy thing is, I ended up being neighbors with her brother.  If you ever get a chance to chat with this girl/lady, she is so funny!  I asked Penina to share in her own words any tips she may have and here's what she had to say:

 

Exercise...eat in MODERATION....ANY exercise is good, be it walking, jogging, crawling or Zumba!!  I started off doing 5-8 classes a week of Zumba and now that I have shed some poundage and can breathe it makes it easier to switch up the workouts by playing volleybal or basketball or doing home workouts one of my favs is Jillian's 30 day shred or punching it out on a punching bag. Eating in moderation and having portion control.  I am a junk food junkie and I LOVE sweets and candy so this is super hard for me...so I basically still eat what I want I just eat a WHOLE lot less...and I try to substitute veggies and fruits for snacks instead of snickers and Reese's..Lol..all in all I have to remember to never never never never never ever quit!  And not to get frustrated with progress, cause slow progress is better tha no progress and to trust the process.

 

A bit curious on how much she lost, I was nervy enough to ask...and leave it to her to respond like this:

I was a large marge of 220 and now weigh 180 and have gone down 4 pant sizes...

 

Wow!!!  Congrats Penina!!!  So dang proud of ya!  I asked her how did she hear about our class and when did she start attending?  Her good friend Catherine Yee-Wall told her about EMZ.  Thank you Catherine!!!

I finally gave in (and I am not a morning person, so this is big for me to be up going @530am, especially to workout!! Lol) and went with her and was hooked from day one...I started attending EMZ on a regular basis mid March of this year...I remember cause my first EMZ partay experience was the St. Patrick party...

Thank you Penina for sharing your story with us!!! Love ya girl!!!

Stay tuned as we will be sharing more from our class.  And if you are a class member and would like to share your story & pictures with us, please email us at:  theemzcrew@gmail.com

 

~Sinai~

 

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has come and gone...or has it?  Although it's celebrated once a year...make it a goal to celebrate it daily!

Just a reminder:

Our service project (see post below) is just days away.  If you signed up to help with the items for our dinner, please bring it by tomorrow.

We truly appreciate the donations (food & money) & I'm sure the individuals who will benefit from this will too.

Leaving you with a video from Thanksgiving morning.  Great turnout & we had fun with the 3 'indians' on stage.  Love it!!!

EMZ Service Project - Road Home

 

For the month of November instead of having a "Thanksgiving party" we have decided to do a service project.  This project consists of gathering items for a dinner prepared & served by our group at the Road Home.

 

November 28th at 6 pm

 

The menu for our dinner:

 

taco soup served with garnishments (tortilla chips, sour cream & shredded cheese)

dinner roll with butter

green salad with ranch dressing

dessert

bottled water

 

In addition, we will need paper plates, bowls, napkins and eating utensils.

 

Please use sign-up sheet if you are interested in donating -- usually on the stage OR see any one of the instructors for more sign-up/information.

 

Limited number of volunteers needed to serve.

 

*If you sign up for a non-perishable item or hamburger meat, we are more than happy to take the item prior to November 27th.  Perishable items we'll gather on November 27th.*

 

We are excited for this project and grateful for your help!

 

Sincerely,

EMZ Instructors

Utah Pacific Island Health Week

The Governor of Utah has declared next week, November 11 - 17, 2012 - Utah Pacific Island Health Week.  I'm so excited to have the EMZ Crew participate in this event and hope that everyone takes advantage of the programs/activities offered FREE of charge.

Next Monday, November 12th and THIS DAY ONLY, class will be held at the Sorenson Center (855 W. California Avenue - 1300 S.) at 5:30 am in the gym.  Big Budah of Fox13 will be there, so don't be surprised when you see the camera.  He will be doing a few interviews, filming our class & joining us too ;)  Come ready to show him, along with the rest of the state how we do it at EMZ!

Also, ALL DAY at the Sorenson Center, classes and admission will be FREE.  Please take advantage of this and check out the facility.  YES, this is for everyone, not just pacific islanders.

Join us later that evening from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm for information booths, demo's & food for the whole family.  Hope you can make time to join us!!!

For more info, click on this LINK for the website.

What's coming up this month???

It's officially November - month of Thanksgiving.  

Yay!!!

“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.” 

~Christiane Northrup

__________________________________________


Here's what we have coming up this month:

November 12th:  Kick-off for the Polynesian Health Awareness Week and EMZ is participating!  Class will be relocated for this morning only!  A few things we can share - Fox13, Big Budah, EMZ Crew...enough said.  More details to come!

November 22nd:  Thanksgiving morning & we will be having class.  Come pre-pay your calories for the day!

November 23rd:  Black Friday, day after Thanksgiving - NO CLASS!

November 28th:  Road Home Service Project.  No party/food at EMZ this month, saving that for Christmas.  However, we would like to give back and do something slightly different this year.  We have signed up to cook & serve dinner for the Road Home.  Maki & Twig are in charge of this project.  Meal plan will be posted along with sign up sheet.  We will need donations for the dinner to be served.  In addition, we will need volunteers to help serve that evening.  We're excited for this project and hope you are too!

Happy Halloween

Even though we had our Halloween party last Friday, October 26th, some of us still dressed up.

I'll be sure to post some pictures from our party...soon.  Lots of great costumes & food, t-shirt giveaways and best of all, good company!

Here's a few clips of class this morning.  The videos are of the safe routine, one filmed by Maki and the other by myself.  In the video Liu is doing a Fijian Meke with the men from our group.

 

 

Party In Pink / New Videos / Upcoming Events

Sorry a little behind on the blog updates.  Last Friday we had our Party In Pink.  We encouraged everyone to come decked out in PINK and that they did.  

Here's a video from that morning:

 

After class we decided to film a couple of routines. 

Here's a few clips as we were prepping for the shoot:

  

And that's what happens when you are the only guy instructor working with a bunch of women. 

On Friday we taped 2 of Liu's routines & then two of Satomi's. 

Here's a random clip we had to cut because the camera person wasn't quite ready: 

 

 And here is the final footage for both routines: 

 

  

And here's Satomi's:  

  

Hope you enjoy our videos! 

Also, a reminder, this Friday, October 26th is our Halloween dress up party.. Come dressed in a costume you can workout in. We are also doing a breakfast potluck. There is a sign up sheet and if you don't get a chance to sign it, just bring whatever. On Halloween Day itself, October 31st, no food, but if you'd like to dress up, go for it! Us instructors will be dressing up, so join us! 

Next month, there are a couple dates to remember, November 12th and 28th. More details coming soon!

Let's Groove Tonight!

It's the end of another week at EMZ. Another fun Friday with most of the crew there to teach. Sharing with you a video clip from this morning. 

 Here's Betsy takin' it back old skool with "Let's Groove Tonight"...and in usual Betsy style, costume & all. Get it gurrrrrllllll!!!  

 After class, some of us hang out a little...going over choreo, dance moves, etc. Here are some clips of Lila & Maki practicing the 'body roll'. 

 Take 1

   

 Take 2

   

 Take 3

  ________________________________ 

FYI / Upcoming events at EMZ 

October 19, Pink Friday - come decked out in PINK / Breast Cancer Awareness Month 

October 26, Friday - EMZ Halloween party. Come dressed in a costume(s) you can workout in. Also, it's been awhile since we've done a potluck...so here we go. See Meleane Vea for the sign up sheet. 

October 31, Wednesday - Halloween. Again, come dressed in costume!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Zumba Fitness classes all around the world put on a big event to raise money to go towards various charities that support this cause. Last Friday, several of our EMZ instructors that teach at Northwest Rec Center participated in a 2 hour Zumbathon. A great turnout for a great cause.

 Check out Lila leading 'El Party'...and of course, several of our regulars at EMZ were front and center. Thanks again for your never ending love and support in all the events we participate in.

 This weekend, there is another event going on put on by Camilo Jimenez (he's been a guest at EMZ) & Kass Martin (ZES). Information below & here's the link to buy tickets - BUY TICKETS.

Click on flier to enlarge

And leaving you with another video from our class.  This footage was taken this morning.  The gentleman on stage with us is new.  It's only his second week.  He's been a good sport to come on stage with Suka.  And of course, Suka showin' us all how it's done!

More videos...

We've been having a little too much fun with our camera phones lately. I'm sharing a few more videos...and stay tuned, more to come. If you're just barely reading our blog and haven't figured out how many instructors teach at EMZ -- there are 15 set instructors who volunteer their time each morning. Between all 15 of us, no two are alike. We all have our different styles, taste in music & strengths. That's what makes EMZ unique in many ways. 

Here's a video of Satomi teaching a Bluegrass routine...  

As an instructor, it's always fun to see your 'students/class' perform a routine learned in class. This particular routine - Danza Kuduro/Don Omar is a class favorite...yeah I know, we have lots of class favorites...hahaha. The choreography belongs to Jocie DeCorte...thanks Jocie!!! 

Here's Caralee, Lydia & Melini practicing Danza Kuduro after class...

  

We always tease this guy about doing the most...lol. Maki captured this video of him practicing a salsa routine. And just like a normal class, check out the two in the background...Beti Roo & Suka...also doing the most in the back!!! Gotta love 'em!  

~Sinai

Breast Cancer Zumbathon

Breast Cancer Zumbathon 

Friday, October 5th

6 - 8 pm

Northwest Recreation & Community Center

1299 W. Clark Ave (358 North)

SLC, UT

 

Featuring some of the instructors that teach at EMZ such as: 

Dana Rossi, Lila Latu, Beti Tu'aefe, Maki Chavoya, Sela Misinale 

Cost $15 (includes a t-shirt 

Proceeds will benefit "Triunfadoras" Breast Cancer Support Group

For tickets or questions regarding event, see any of the instructors listed above

It's Friday!!!

Here's footage from today's class.  

A typical Friday.

Here's how our morning starts.  

    

Sometimes in between songs, some of like to take 'breaks'.

On occasion, live performances...this morning our very own Heamoni Filimoe'atu, Melini Tukuafu & Lydia Muavesi favored us with Samoa Matalasi.  Amazing & talented Lydia is the one playing the piano / by ear, no sheet music.  The sheets you see on the piano are words to the song only.

We like to hang out a little after class.

Sharing a few more routines from our group.  This one, a class favorite:  Azonto by Fuse ft. Tiffany.  Choreography by Billie Sosi.  *Keep a close eye on the two who jump in towards the end...hoiiiii!!!*

Take You To Rio/Ester Dean

Choreography by Satomi Biggs

I'm In Love/Spawnbreezie

Choreography by Beti Tu'aefe

EMZ tees!

For those that don't know, our tee-shirts are one time prints only. By that we mean, once the shirts are printed & sold - that's it, design is retired. We have some of the following print left & offering a special on them. Buy one at $20 or two for $30. Once sold out, we are moving on. 

 

Thanks to Lydia and the original owner of this design - Emily from AZ, this is the next print...once we sell all the ones above.  

See us after class if you are interested in buying a shirt. Your purchase is greatly appreciated as it will help fund our trip to the Zumba Los Angeles Convention - February 2013. 

Thank you!

Gangnam Style

"Gangnam Style" by PSY is the 'in' song right now.  It's K-POP or Korean Pop.  Luckily for our group, they've been introduced to K-POP for a good while now.  When we heard the song, automatically we volunteered Souna to do the routine for this song.

Souna is the youngest of all of us who teach at EMZ.  She is a senior in high school.  She started attending EMZ with her mom the spring or maybe summer of 2011.  When I first met her, the first thing I learned about her -- she loves K-POP.

Later in the year, I came across a video put out by another Zumba instructor to a song by 2NE1.  I thought it would be fun to let Souna learn the choreo & teach it with me on stage.  She did an excellent job and from that day forward she's been teaching a few routines here and there with us.

Because of her age, she has to wait on licensing.  I believe you have to be 18 & she'll be turning 18 in December.  I bet I know what she's going to ask for her birthday....hahahahaha!

We are happy to have her on our team & grateful that her parents allow her to join us in the mornings and events outside our normal classes.

~Here she is teaching 'Gangnam Style'~

Thank you!!!

This is going to be a hard post.  Why?  Because there are so many experiences to share, but then that would mean a super long post.  I've chosen just a few to share.

We truly have some of the best students ever.  We actually don't refer to them as students but as our EMZ family.  They are always going out of their way to do nice things for us.  Many of them tell us it's simply their way of saying thanks.  I (Sinai) am always brought to tears that they would be kind enough to think of us.

Last month a few of our Latin class members put together a dinner for all of us instructors & our families.  When asked what we could do to help, they all told us to just show up & bring our families.  They prepared quite the spread for us.  Food was delicious & definitely great company!

Thank you to our Latin EMZ family members!

Also last month, during our stretch/final song, an older woman who spoke very little English approached the stage.  I saw her and was about to walk over to talk to her, instead she pointed to Liu and motioned him to go over.  She handed him a card and in Spanish told him to give it to us.  Liu told us that she had someone translate the card for her.  This is what her card said:

Dear Instructors:

Thank you so much for all your hard work. I have enjoyed your class so much. This past 3 months have been full of joy for me. I have felt so much better, I love Zumba and you made it possible; thank you for making it so much fun.

I am moving to Sandy and although I am happy; I can't help but to feel sad because I won't be able to attend class anymore. I am currently looking for something around the new area where I will be living. I will miss you all and I thank you for what you have done for me and what you do for the community.

Love,

Miriam Sanjines de Bracamorte

Again, brought to tears because she could've just left and not said anything, but she chose to write us a simple thank you card.

___________________________

Earlier this week, we received a bag full of whistles from a sweet lady in our class.  To some it may not seem like a big deal.  But to us, for her to recognize that some of us use whistles & not all have one, meant a lot.  She pointed out that each whistle is different and we should be able to tell them apart.  Silly to some, but very thoughtful.

Each morning he attends class, Z'Rock arrives early to sweep, mop up the main floor & stage for us.    The stage floor gets so dusty that it makes it hard to stay put when teaching certain routines.    

Thank you Z'Rock!

Many more to share, but for now...this will do.

To all who make it possible for us to have class -- Cannon Stake & their Stake Presidency, individuals who open the building each morning and to all of you who show up ready to workout -- from the bottom of our hearts, we THANK YOU!!!

We instructors are indeed grateful for you EMZ family, for your love & never ending support.

Last but not least, to our wonderful immediate families who allow us to volunteer our time to offer this service, we love & thank you!!!

Jersey Day - September 14

Tomorrow, September 14

Sport your favorite TEAM jersey/tee Day!

We didn't realize it was BYU/UTAH rivalry week this week.  

In respect of other teams, feel free to sport your favorite - meaning it doesn't have to be BYU or UTAH!

Flashback photo's from last year's BYU/UTAH rivalry week:

Also, don't forget to bring a flag (big or small) or a hand towel.

And bring some cool shades (glasses) to wear during Souna's routine to this song:

*Note:  Souna's routine is different from one in video.

B E L I E V E

I love this quote!

Believe in yourself!  

__________________________________

Leaving you with another video.  This one was from this morning.

We get a little loud & crazy in the mornings, but hey -- anything to wake up at 5:30 am!

September 11, 2001

Stop competing with others...

You are your only real competition. Be the best person you can be - inside and out. Don't worry about what someone else has that you want. Our bodies are built differently. Admiring is one thing, but wanting to be like someone else is purely another. Enjoy the beautiful body you have and work on improving it. I know...easier said than done...but try. ♥

-Jenny Grothe

___________________________

Even though I'm into Zumba not running/figure/bodybuilding, I still like to stop by her FB page:  Recipes for Gals in Figure and Bodybuilding

as well as read her blog:  Jen - Fit's Playground.

Check out her FB page or blog for recipes, tips and motivational stories.

Happy Monday!!!

Beautiful Betsy

I saw this beautiful picture posted on Facebook and I figure, since it's on Facebook, it's free game, right?  I thought I would share this picture and share a little bit about Betsy.  She's probably going to kill me for this, but oh well.

I met Betsy over 20 years ago when we worked together.  She was someone that was easy to get along with and could always make you laugh.  In fact our little group that sat together at work got separated by our supervisor because we were laughing too much.  She eventually left the company I work for and moved on, but throughout the years we kept in touch.

A few years ago I ran into her over at our local rec center.  We chatted for a bit, caught up on each other's lives and then discussed Zumba...my new favorite workout.  From there I don't remember exactly what happened, but I started to notice her in the Zumba class I was taking.

A couple years later I decided to become an instructor and started teaching the early morning classes.  Betsy started to come out on a regular basis.  It really boosted how I felt about being a brand new instructor.  Even with years of taking Zumba classes, the whole instructing thing was totally different.  For me, seeing someone who takes Zumba classes elsewhere catching my class, made me feel like I was an 'ok instructor' for them to come out on a regular basis.

Several months into it, I went on vacation and was going to cancel class.  Beti & Betsy stepped in and taught  the class while I was out.  Not sure if that's what did it, but from that day on, they were excited and signed up for the Zumba instructor training.  By the way, they did an awesome job subbing while I was out.

Betsy brings a lot of fun and spunk to our classes.  She is our merengue queen.  Whenever I need a merengue in the playlist, I throw in one of her songs.  Leave it to her to introduce the whistle to our class.  First time she brought it, I think she startled all of us on stage.  She surprises our guests with it.  It's kind of funny 'cause they are totally caught off guard.  She definitely knows how to work & get the crowd cheering.   She is always happy...seriously she is.  You can count on her to cheer you up.  She's always looking for the good in others and she helps keep our team balanced when we have our 'moments'.

Something many may not know about her...and I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this...Betsy has rheumatoid arthritis.  There are days when she teaches and is in a lot of pain.  She doesn't let it stop her.  In fact there was a time when we told her to take a break and rest up.  That is the kind of person she is, always thinking of others before herself. 

A long with volunteering her time each morning to teach Zumba, she works from home and is a mother of 8...gosh, I hope I have that right.  I know she has lots of kids and some are grown adults, which you would never believe are hers 'cause she looks young!

Now that you know a little bit about her and how far she's come, I hope it will inspire & motivate you.  She is an inspiration to me!

Love ya 'B'!!!

\

Proud of ya & keep it up!
You are almost there!

Breakdown Sesh w/Beti

As promised, we filmed a couple videos this morning.  Nothing professional.  In fact it was filmed on Maki's iPhone.  The lighting in one of the videos is not that great...oh well, you can still see us.  Choreography for both videos were done by Beti 'Iloa Tu'aefe.  Bet (short for Beti...lol) has come a long way physically.  Check out her picture below.  She is an awesome instructor!  We are so proud of her and happy that she is a part of our team.

This song is a Tongan song.  I'm not sure who sings it.  Title of the song is:  Ta'ahine Mali Mali Mai.

We tried to be serious for as long as we could.  Lol.  Title of this song:  La Vida Es Bella by Ana Isabelle ft. Chino y Nacho.

Hope you enjoyed our videos.  More  videos to come from the other EMZ instructors.

Labor Day - September 3

We debated whether or not to hold class on Labor Day.  In fact, to be quite honest, we were going to cancel class.  As it got closer to Friday (the Friday before) we decided we should have class for the members who can't make it due to work and what not.  Along with that, I personally needed the workout, especially knowing the holiday weekend included chances of overeating.

As far as instructors, majority of us showed up to teach.  We were missing 2 I believe.  I know the pictures and some videos show us goofing off most of the time, but one thing for sure, the leading instructor is always doing his/her job to lead.  Now the others, no guarantee what you're going to get from them.  Most of the time, they follow & sometimes, they add their own flair...lol.  You just have to be there to see what I mean.

This particular morning, someone was suppose to do warm-up...and um, he was running late.  And the plan has been for him to do warm-up all last week...and that didn't happen.  We had a little payback for him.  We normally alternate songs between all of us.  I thought I would throw in a fast one back to back with his medium tempo one.  Yeah, I was getting some dirty looks during his routine.  Hahahaha...thanks Liu for always being a good sport.

As if that wasn't enough picking on the poor guy, during his 3rd routine, not even planned, we slowly left the stage and left him solo.  He didn't even notice we were standing at the side until 3/4 of the way through his routine.  Only he can walk off and call us 'jerks'.  Lol.  Some may not get our humor, but that's just the way we are with one another.  It's never about competition who's the better instructor or who has the most fans.  We goof off and make fun of each other, crack jokes, play jokes on each other, but in the end, nothing but love for one another.

At the end of the class, we were in for a surprise visit from Billonce and 2 assistants.

Never a dull moment at EMZ.  The second song was an encore that we threw in.  I blame Ame for that Billie.  Lol.

After class, we decided to go out to breakfast.  We ended up at Golden Corral, but a little early.  Here's what a few of the instructors were doing as we waited patiently for the restaurant to open.  Stay tuned for more videos!!!  Go to YouTube and subscribe to our channel:  TheEMZCrew.

You Should Be Dancing - September 1, 2013

This past Saturday, our group was invited to participate in the first ever biggest Zumba event to be held in Utah.  Unfortunately due to it being Labor Day weekend & prior commitments, not everyone from our team was able to participate.  Those of us (Dana Rossi, Sisilia 'Iongi, Beti Tu'aefe, Sela Misinale, Maki Chavoya, Souna Vea, Meliame Te'o & myself) that were able to, did the best we could to represent EMZ at this event.

It was a great event & an honor to be a part of it.  

Thank you Christian Weibell for all the hard work you put into it. 

Thank you La Osario for being a fun & crazy stage manager & keeping everyone on their toes.

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Before heading out to UVU, we decided to stop by Maverik and pick up some 'snacks'.  Don't judge us, we had to make do with what we could find there.  Lol!!!

Upon arrival, this was the view from afar.

We arrived a little late, so we just hung out taking pics & goofing off like usual.

This is the trio that rode up with me.
L to R:  Ame aka Suka, Silia & Sela

Going over choreo.  Come to think of it, I don't think we completely went through the entire routine. 

Poly friends from Southern Utah:  Clifford Tapusoa (between Silia & Ame), April Keil (bottom right) & her daughter to the left of me.

Waiting anxiously on the side for our turn.

We did two routines:  EMZ & Oye.  In addition to the two routines, Xscape Fitness challenged us to a Booty Battle.  They are lucky we didn't have the entire Crew or it would be over.  Hahahaha.  It was lots of fun and aside from the joking, we truly love Xscape Fitness.  A few of their instructors have been guests at EMZ.

Here's video footage that someone took from the main floor.

I must say, Utah has some amazing instructors!
It was a fun evening reuniting with Zumba friends and making new ones!
Looking forward to next year's!