Here comes zumba, the soul empowering dance

It is 6.20pm when we get to Corner House at Mawanda Road in Kamwokya - the parking lot is filled with a number of salon cars, something that was unusual at this building a number of years back.

“People used to say this building was cursed since none of the businesses here ever lasted for even a year,” says my boda guy noting that things have changed since ‘these dancers’ opened shop.
“You cannot imagine how many classy women flock this place,” he adds.

And he is right about two things, the top floors of the building are indeed not fully occupied and of course, the class of people that come to dance at Soul Fitness Dance Studio will surprise you.
It is a dance studio with the right feel, atmosphere, and equipment but specifically curated for women.
And not just any female, mostly middle aged women that have either seen or done it all.

According to Geraldine Opoka, the proprietor as well as the trainer, the choice of who comes to dance was never deliberate, in fact, she says they are open to all women and girls but it is the middle aged ones that come and stay.

On Tuesday, they embark on an extensive fitness programme that marries dance and aerobics - commonly known as Zumba, its cho-reography incorporates hip hop, soca, salsa, samba and mambo among others.
The routine currently performed in over 200,000 locations in 180 countries is the favourite for women that flock Soul Fitness.
But it all started in 2014 when Opoka, then an employee with a telecom company found out Kabira International had a dance work out.

“I easily joined because I love dancing and hate regular exercise, it hurts my body,” she says.
She frequented the Kabira dance classes and in a short time, she had been promoted to a leader.
“I was one of the first people that left that dance studio to start my own thing.”

After getting a zumba certification in Nairobi and later doubling it with formal employment for a year, she made up her mind to ditch the telecom job.
Today, Soul Fitness is more than a studio for the women that promptly attend the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday zumba routines.

These classes incorporate the fun of zumba with elements meant to make the trainees feel good, be themselves and forget about the burdens they leave at studio doors.
“See, society has boxed a woman, it has dictated that they have to be mothers, on top of that others have to be exemplary bosses at work....,” she says.

“When people come to this class, for one and a half hours, it is all about them, they blackout the society to be sassy, sexy... to simply be beautiful.”

It is the self-love she says that keeps middle aged woman coming back every day; “Younger girls are on top of the world, they can do anything and no one will judge them.”
Most of the people at the studio she says are those that have been on top of their lives, down and even lost themselves to the world and need to be reminded that they are beautiful or desirable.
“When we are done with training, people walk out better people, mothers, bosses.....”

With bright colours announcing the studio, a warm ambiance that easily goes dark, moody and colourful with lights, it is a room that can connect to people’s emotions, but her choice to fill the walls with mirrors is one that doubles in empowering as well as encourage trainers to work harder.

“You need to love what you are seeing when you look at yourself in the mirror...,” she says
Opoka says that mirrors help in connecting with ones’ self as well as appreciate their good side.

For Susan Musisi, 48, mirrors gave her an ambition, she initially joined zumba to work on her fitness; “After standing and dancing before the mirrors, I realised I had extra fat that needed to be taken care of.”

Because of the fun attached to the routine, zumba is something trainees look out for; “I had done regular workouts before so my impression of zumba was that it would be rigorous though it turned out different,” says interior designer Tina Bagonza.

It’s 6.45pm, the group has since trained to more than six songs, their brilliant set is full of club bangers that include songs like Mr. Eazi’s Leg Over, A-Pass’ Didada, Sauti Sol’s Sura Yako and a bunch of famous Nigerian and Jamaican songs - almost at the end of each song, there is a celebration like chant.
“It is not necessarily part of the training, they simply choose to celebrate either because they loved the song or they are happy they have survived the routine,” says Opoka.

However, even when she stays true to the basics of zumba for the bigger part of the training, some routines are specifically tailored for the cause of encouraging the trainees to love themselves - one of these routines has the trainees embrace their seductive side in hot pants and heels, while the other has them use stick props in ways similar to a pole.

At about 7.45pm, as the group does some of the last routines, orders for chicken and tea start making rounds - after every class, many of them do not leave immediately, apparently because of the dance, they have bonded thus hang around.

“Very many relationships have been built out of this and people are supporting each other,” says Sharon Ireeta, a banker that has done zumba for a year.
Being in a female space where people are not afraid of being judged, according to Ireeta brings along the spirit of sisterhood allowing people to talk freely about issues in their life; “When you listen to what people have to say, you realise you are not alone.”

Like many other trainees, Ireeta notes that the zumba class is like another family where unlike regular training, their routines are like a time out with the girls.
Beyond the bonding, once every month, they get together in what they call Soul Stories, pick a topic and talk about it, the last topic was about challenges of parenting in this generation.

The story sessions are extended to Butabika where a class and a story session are held with those in rehabilitation; “I find this as the most fantastic thing we do,” Opoka says adding that people at the rehabilitation centre have mostly given up on life though the way they light up when music plays is one that blesses the trainers more than those they train.

The class that has existed for over four years, she says attracts between 20 - 50 people that too share life stories of struggling with stigma and neglect from families.“The world is very cagey on issues surrounding mental illness and talking and listening to these people always leaves us blessed.”

At 8.30pm, many of the businesses at Corner House have closed, even Soul Fitness’ doors are closed to the public, much as within its walls, girls are having a heavy banter over tea and chicken.
Opoka is happy she meets, connects with different women through dance, and while at it, breathing new life to womanhood, the same way her studio brought new life to a building many thought was cursed.

Where did Zumba come from?
Zumba was created by the choreographer and fitness instructor Alberto “Beto” Perez in the mid-1990s. According to the official Zumba website, it was a result of a “happy accident” – Beto was on his way to teach an aerobics class and realized he’d forgotten his music. He didn’t have time to double back and get it, so he improvised, using the salsa and merengue tapes he happened to have on him. Instead of strict rep-counting, he ended up improvising a class that was the perfect mix of dance and aerobics that kept his students moving and having fun.

In 2001, he started teaching his hybrid dance/aerobics in Miami, and through another “happy accident”, he got in touch with two other Albertos – Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion. Together, they called the new style “Zumba”, a word that doesn’t have any specific meaning but has become synonymous with this great combination of fitness and fun. It was designed to be low-impact, and to be an intense and efficient calorie-burning workout that is adaptable and suitable for all different ages.
Source: https://womensfitnessclubs.com