I’m so pleased to get this year started with our first Student Spotlight of 2020! This week we feature Peggy Yang, one of the most enthusiastic and most energetic faces I see in class each week. On the occasion that I feel exhausted as I’m teaching, Peggy is one of those students I can catch sight of and suddenly feel more energized, just because of the glow that surrounds her! I can also really relate to Peggy’s experience of going from a shy and curious back row dancer to a smiling student front and center in Zumba classes. Read more about her experience below!
Hello everyone, my name is Peggy. I have great passion about exercising, and I also love Zumba. However, I wasn’t like this 5 years ago. I used to work at an office, and I had to face the computer all day long . One day I overheard some moms talking about how much fun Zumba class was in the locker room at my gym. I was really curious about the idea of “having fun while working out”, so I joined my first Zumba class. I was very shy so I went to the back corner of the classroom. After my first Zumba class, all I could think of was how fun it was! I couldn’t believe that there’s this kind of workout: you don’t need to memorize the moves. All you need to do is to follow the instructor’s repetitive moves, and you can exercise, sweat, and enjoy Latin party vibes at the same time.
Since the first class, I haven’t stopped going to Zumba classes. Teacher Katie always says, “ Zumba is like a party!” It is so true. In this one hour class you can clap, cheer, shout , laugh, and sing while dancing. All the worries and pressure are thrown outside of the classroom, while you gain loads of energy physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
If you ask me how Zumba has changed me the most, I think I would say I started smiling more in my daily life. I also have cultivated this habit for 5 years. (Before Zumba, I rarely exercised!) Only through enjoyment, you can make something into a habit. Luckily, Zumba is a globalized exercise. Instead of speaking, instructors guide through movements. Therefore, there’s no language or culture barriers when it comes to Zumba. When I travel, I always remember to pack my workout clothes, so I get to have fun with local people and sometimes make new friends around the world.
I’d like to thank Teacher Katie. Zumba class is becoming my weekly spiritual food. I’m like a religious church goer who goes to Zumba every week. Katie’s beautiful smiles and passion for dance are so infectious, that it’s hard to not feel happy when dancing with her. Hope you can experience this wonderful feeling with us some time!
A big thank you to Peggy for taking the time to share some of her story with all of us! What has your experience with dance and fitness entailed? We’d love to hear from you! Follow the link here to share your story and we featured in a future Student Spotlight!
On an unrelated note, you may notice some special dancers alongside me this week in our YouTube video. Teachers Banai and Fun Fun, along with more great Taipei instructors, are collaborating by creating a new team called Beam & Bounce with dances in styles such as Mandarin Pop and more. We will also be hosting a group fitness party on February 22 in Taipei City. It will be a two hour dance party including Zumba and other dance fitness variations. To join myself and the rest of the Beam & Bounce team, contact me for tickets.Hope to see you there!
Keep moving!
xx,
Katie
【學生焦點】 Peggy Yang
我很開心在 2020 的開端，由【學生焦點】來開啟今年！這周我們要來認識 Peggy Yang，她是我每周都會看到最熱情、最有活力的臉孔之一。有時候在我上課上得筋疲力盡時，看到 Peggy 散發出來的光芒能讓我瞬間充電！她的故事也很讓我很有共鳴，從一個害羞又好奇、躲在教室後方角落的舞者，能夠變成自信地、充滿笑容地站在教室正前方。我們一起來聽聽她的故事：
大家好，我叫 Peggy，是一位熱愛運動喜歡 ZUMBA 的女生。但是，以前的我不是這樣的。五年前我所從事的工作是必須長時間坐在辦公室裡，日復一日從白天到黑夜面對電腦。生活的改變從決定加入健身房後的某天在更衣室裡聽到媽媽們大聊ZUMBA 課有多好玩開始，當時的我抱著好奇心態進到了教室裡的最後一排最角落的位置，開始了人生中的第一堂課。『天啊！ZUMBA 也太好玩了吧！居然有這種不用記動作，而且一首歌裡老師動作會一直重複，又可以運動、流汗，同時享受拉丁音樂帶來的歡樂派對氣氛。』
就這樣一試成主顧，從此停不下來像上癮一般。Katie 老師總是說：「ZUMBA 就像 party 一樣，在這一小時裡妳可以拍手、可以歡呼、可以笑可以、唱歌。」這是真的！一整天的煩惱早已拋在教室外，身心靈獲得滿滿的能量與壓力釋放。
如果妳問我 ZUMBA 帶來最大的改變是什麼？我想是生活中的笑容變多了，也因此培養出運動的習慣至今維持有5年了 （在接觸 ZUMBA 前我幾乎是個不運動的人）！唯有從快樂的學習中才能將它成為一個長久的習慣。很幸運地，ZUMBA 是一項全球性的運動，過程中老師不太說話，取而代之的是用身體各種方式引導動作，跨越了語言與文化不同的障礙。現在不論是國外出差或是私人旅行的行李裡都會放進一套運動服，走到哪都可以找一堂課和當地人一起同樂運動，更可能因此認識世界各地同好朋友呢～
謝謝 Katie，老師的 ZUMBA 課早已是我每週最重要的精神食糧之一，大概就像虔誠教徒每週都會固定做禮拜那般。老師的笑容太美，豐富的感染力讓我看著看著不跟著笑都難，非常歡迎妳也一起來感受這份美好喔~~
真的非常感謝 Peggy 花時間和我們大家分享她的故事！你的舞蹈與健身的經驗是什麼呢？我們也想聽聽你的故事！可以透過此連結來和我們分享你的故事，並成為我們未來的【學生焦點】！
另外，你也許有注意到一些特別來賓出現在我們的 Youtube 頻道上和我一起跳舞。Banai老師和方方老師，和幾位台北優秀的老師們一起合創了一個名為 Beam & Bounce 團體，會使用中文的流行歌曲和其他的歌曲為主軸。2月22日我們也會在台北舉辦一個兩個小時、大型的健身派對，內容包括 Zumba和其他健身舞蹈的種類。想要和我以及其他Beam & Bounce 團隊一起跳舞，歡迎私訊訂購門票，期待在那見到你們！
繼續前進！
愛你的 Katie
( Anna Liang 譯 )
Comments