By Kevin Praik
March 28, 2019
BANGOR, Maine – Husson University offers a wide variety of free actives and opportunities for their students and faculty. One of those free activities is a Zumba class.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Ballou
There is a class on Monday at 5:30 PM in the New Gym Dance Studio and a class on Tuesday at 4:45 PM in the same place. Individual classes are an hour long. The only thing you need to bring athletics attire and a water bottle. Zumba is a combination of dance and fitness. Every student goes at their own rate. Instructors are there to teach the class and make it an enjoyable experience. Zumba itself is based with Latin dances moves such as salsa, rigatone, among others. “Zumba is for anyone and everyone,” says HUSSON ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR, Andrew Ballou. Mixing the dancing with fitness all depends on the routine. For example, Ballou says, “for the fitness side, moves will include squats [and] a lot of core work. Then, the dancing is more like grape-vines [and] wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care. Just making it fun.”
Photo courtesy of Andrew Ballou
What makes Zumba fun in the eyes of Ballou is the results, listing to good music, and the instructor trying their best to entertain the crowd. “The people taking the Zumba class are not just entertained by the instructor, but by the whole experience of Zumba within that one hour. It makes it all worth it,” Ballou says. The goal of the class Ballou teaches at Husson is not only for people to burn calories and sweat, but to have fun. When Andrew Ballou is not teaching Zumba, he is a DJ under the name, Big Ballou. He studies audio at the New England School of Communications at Husson University and volunteers at a local church called The Rock Church. Ballou is a licensed instructor with two years of Zumba teaching experience. He has been doing Zumba for roughly five years. “I explain Zumba classes as a tour around the Latin countries, but you’re doing it with me,” Ballou says. Although the students and or facility might hear the music as it plays one of the goals of Ballou’s Zumba class is nonverbal communication. “As an instructor, nonverbal communication is key. Some instructors do speak to their classes. It depends,” Ballou says. “It’s all through visual cueing. Sometimes I’ll be facing the mirror… and sometimes I’ll teach facing the crowd.” Ballou goes on to talk about how when the instructor is facing the crowd they get to see, “all those lovely facial expressions.” And how facial expressions are another way to engage your crowd.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Ballou
“I just love the spotlight, but I realize that teaching Zumba is not just having a spotlight for you, but the spotlight is actually [on] the students in the class and you want to share that spotlight,” Ballou says. Ballou thinks the students who come to his Zumba class enjoy it not just for the workout but to relieve stress. “You see it in their moves. They feel good after,” Ballou says. “It is a judge free zone. You’re no getting judged for anything. You’re not getting pressured into anything. You’re just there to have fun.”