Freshman Emma Langston, who leads a Zumba dance class on campus every Wednesday, loves sharing the art of dance and the art of fitness with fellow students.
“Zumba brings a little of that South-American sun. It brightens up the middle of my week,” she said.
Zumba (pronounced “ZOOM-bah”) is a dance form created by Alberto “Beto” Perez, a native of Colombia. It incorporates movements drawn from salsa, merengue, reggaeton, and a Colombian dance known as cumbia.
Langston said Zumba is an easy and effective workout because it uses intermittent cardio exercises to burn calories. In contrast to interval training, intermittent training raises and lowers the heart rate repeatedly over a short time span.
Because of this, Langston calls Zumba “exercise in disguise.”
The class, started this semester by Hillsdale’s new Health and Wellness Club, drew about 50 participants the first week, but the number dropped to about 25 on Ash Wednesday. Now in her fourth week of teaching the class, Langston estimates attendance is about 40 students.
“People can come anytime, even if they can only stay for 15 minutes,” Langston said. “It’s so relaxed. I try to create a party atmosphere, with the music blaring and the lights down a little. The room is packed.”
The class meets in Curtiss Dining Hall at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Langston said she explains dance moves before class, but expects dancers to get creative.
“It’s easy to add your own flair. If you want to get out there and bust your own move, do it!” she said.
To encourage dancers to keep moving, Langston tries not to talk while teaching.
“I use non-verbal cues: pointing my fingers, nodding my head, tapping my leg, to keep the energy going,” she said. “Zumba is all about feeling the music. When you hear a certain part of the song repeat, you repeat that pattern of movements.”
Langston said most of her students have no dance experience, but come from a wide variety of fitness backgrounds, ranging from athletes who want a switch-up from their regular routine to students who like to work out with friends to increase their motivation.
Langston tries to get to know all her students, who represent a variety of class years, especially seniors.
Senior Brittany Baldwin, who has attended the class since it began, learned about it when she met Langston and saw the posters around campus.
Baldwin had previous experience with Zumba, but said she has improved since taking the class.
“It is a fun break from studying and a fun way to get exercise,” Baldwin said.
Zumba’s Latin dance roots help improve coordination.
“It’s all about moving the hips,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin recommended anyone interested in learning Zumba should take the class.
“Emma is energetic and she is really good at showing us how to do it. She makes it look so natural,” she said.
While Langston and Baldwin agreed that they enjoy having the class with all girls, Langston said if there is interest, the Health and Wellness Club will consider offering a Zumba class tailored for male students in the future.
Langston said she misses taking Zumba classes back in her hometown of Orlando, Fla. where most of her Zumba instructors were of Latin ancestry.
Langston decided to start a Zumba class when she arrived on campus as a freshman.
“There were no group fitness exercise classes offered, and I saw a need,” she said. “I went and talked to the administration, and found out other people had done the same thing. So we started the Health and Wellness Club. It was great timing.”
The Health and Wellness Club is a team effort.
“Some of us teach, and others help with advertising,” Langston said. “We felt a need to create a mentality of fitness on campus. It not only provides an outlet, but helps keep people accountable. It gets them excited, is a great way to meet people, and offers something for everyone at any level.”
Langston has a passion for teaching, and taught ballet as a side job in high school. At Hillsdale, she is a member of the Tower Dancers.
“I really do love the performing arts. Dance plus fitness is a great combo,” she said.
Teaching Zumba allows her to continue sharing her passions and interests with others.
“I love that I have been able to keep dance in my life. But I don’t want to keep it to myself,” she said.
Langston has a track record of spotting needs and coming up with solutions. In high school, she volunteered with an organization called Restore Hope Orlando, which offered an after-school karate class for inner-city children. Noticing that the girls were not exactly exuberant about karate, Langston asked if she could start a ballet class for them.
“I enjoyed teaching them discipline and structure while giving them the chance to explore artistically. This was an opportunity those girls had never had. It allowed them to learn to love something outside of school, and gave them something to work towards,” she said.
While Langston loves to dance, she plans to major in history and politics with the goal of attending law school.
“Till junior year, I thought I would be a professional dancer. But that wasn’t where God was calling me,” she said. “So I switched my focus to academics.”
It was in the summer of her junior year that Langston discovered her passion for law.
“I had always pictured myself at the ballet barre, but instead I will end up before the legal bar,” she said. “With the interests and skill sets God has given me, that’s where I’m called.”
sbarrett@hillsdale.edu
