Today Facebook reminded me that I a celebrate 10 years since I first did the Zumba Fitness instructor certification at San Diego California with the charming ZES (Zumba Education Specialist) Eliza Stone.
I wonder how many people from the first certification I took are still in the fitness business and are still paying the license to the brand. For me it has been a big rollercoaster time. Although I got the certification on May, I really started to give classes until September where my Shanti Studio was first opened. Since day one, my classes became very popular. I had already previous background in many other dance rhythms that are used in Zumba. Plus, there were barely one or two ladies giving Zumba by that time at Puerto Vallarta.
During the first 4 years I think everything was very smooth. Then Zumba started to give instructor licenses as if they were selling Corn Flakes, thus many really cheesy people obtained licenses to become instructors with no real qualifications. In Mexico, the Zumba brand supported the not so popular politician Enrique Peña Nieto, who was running for President, and won (Beto Perez, Zumba‘s CEO apologized later).
For these reasons, some people stop liking the brand. I was having my moments too. There have been even some moments after I closed my academy that I stopped paying the membership because I didnt really liked many things going on with the brand.
Today I’m again being a legal Zumba Fitness Instructor. And I think the biggest sattisfaction is helping changing some lives for the better. With Zumba, I have been able to help aid in Zumbathon‘s and other fundraising events; I have met some cool people and I have done a small effort to stop obesity in my country.
So here I am, waiting for my class to start in Velas Nuevo Vallarta, ten years later, being a Zumba Fitness Instructor, yes!
Israel Andalón 