Meet Vera Carlson: Zumba & Salsa Dance Instructor
Dance. I dance. I love to dance. I HAVE to dance! It's a psychological imperative . . . Bordering on obsession. It helps me stay fit and improve my dancing for competition. But those are just side benefits.
You laugh. I'm serious. ;-)
Hi . . . I'm Vera.
I have been teaching group fitness for about 20 years. In Russia, I was certified in Ginger Banda's School of Aerobics, and taught aerobics classes for college girls. It was so much fun because the girls on the Moscow University campus were disciplined. They wanted to learn and picked up routines SO fast.
When I moved to Japan, I taught aerobics as a way to break up the...well, tedium of the molecular medicine PhD I was working on.. boring! While in Nagasaki, I did aerobics and competitive ballroom. That kept me sane and fit.
I have been involved in competition-level ballroom dance for much of my life, and I've won numerous awards. So, when I am choreographing and leading Zumba, I feature elements of Afro-Caribbean and Latin dance. I LOVE salsa dancing. And while some people say my Zumba routines are "advanced," I prefer to think of them as just chuck-full of suave dance technique and styling -- Salsa, Merengue, Samba, Cha-Cha...and whatever else inspires me and my students. No hip-hop. No jumping jacks set to music.
If you come to my classes, be prepared for a serious workout. You will find, isolate, and work muscles you've never used in any aerobics (or Zumba) class before. Think I'm kidding? Come and see how I isolate the hips like we do in competition Cha-Cha -- it's called "Cuban Action." My husband Rob, also a competitive dancer, loves the Cha-Cha and really gets into it. He says it gives new meaning to "dance your A$$ off!"
Come and try out my Zumba class. Whatcha got to lose... Besides inches off the waist and... your inhibitions? Whatsa matter? Afraid you can't keep up? : )
Don't worry... if you pull a muscle, you can make an appointment to see me at my clinic. I'm also a physician, board-certified in family medicine.
Check out my class!