#zincon2015

I promised my crew tonight that I would post my playlist. I used to print out my playlist each week, each month, each event and let people search out the songs for their own special running/dancing/showering beats. I have not done that in a while, not out of self-protection as an instructor but out of sheer laziness. I wish I could say I had a philosophy on it, but I just don’t. I have a lack of philosophy, which in turn, is a sign I need to get back at it. Sharing is caring.

As of this weekend I’ve been a licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor for seven years. I took classes for a year before I started teaching, classes led by some of the best human beings in Dane County and beyond. I lost 42 pounds in 9 months with this awesome Latin dance-based fitness craze, and I found friends and energy and vitality and compassion for the curvaceous and courageous pieces of our world. 

Tonight’s playlist is My Favorite of 16 Different Rhythms. I plan to use it again tomorrow at my class at Athleta. So whether you read this late tonight in your sweaty state, before you dance these with me in the morning, or whether it’s after class and you’re at the Cheesecake Factory with a well-earned glass of wine and peanut butter cup cheesecake for lunch, please know that my heart was choosing these songs as gifts for you. Note, I said My Favorite. I cannot promise they are your favorites; each of us has songs, rhythms, artists, Jammers, educators who resonate with us. These are mine.

1. Bad (Remix) by Afrojack - DJ Buddha Edit: The more MJ in my playlist, the happier we all are. We just celebrated Michael’s 58th birthday last month and I couldn’t quite let him go. Although this song is not from the King of Pop session at convention, any MJ song makes me think of Steve Boedt, my Gay Fitness Boyfriend (who doesn’t know me, it’s ok). https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bad-afrojack-remix-feat.-pitbull/id551515699?i=551515805

2. Hacerlo Lento - Pedro Camacho: I learned this warm-up from Carlos Henriquez, a fitness and bachata and muscular genius and dear friend. He’s coming to Fred Astaire dance studio for an open to the public master class and a Jam session for instructors on Sunday, September 25th in Madison, Wisconsin. Please make one of his events, but please, don’t fall in love. He lives in Canada. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hacerlo-lento-feat.-nico-dj/id1032105920?i=1032106234

3. Walk It Out - Merengue - This is a Latin remix of a song by UNK, a slow tempo hip hop with explicit lyrics. I have no idea who gave this song to me years ago but I remember dancing to it in another instructor’s class and having that “OH SNAP, I HAVE TO HAVE THIS” feeling, and I believe they emailed it to me. The need to fill the void of not having the song for my own was stronger than the need to protect copyright. I have never shared it with another or used it at an event because my conscience is a little mad with me. 

4. Cuando Nos Volvamos A Encontrar - Cumbia - Carlos Vives: Every single time I lead this song I get goose bumps (and think of my friend Jeliel, from Venezuela, who has a mad crush on Carlos Vives). Instructors, I beg you to find songs that do that for you, songs you can fall back on every six months, that you can rely on and revel in and fight the urge to cry when you finally look up the lyrics. (Why does this song make me want to cry when I don’t even know all the translation? *instructor goes to look it up* Oh my wow, that’s why it punches me in the gut!) http://lyricstranslate.com/en/cuando-nos-volvamos-encontrar-when-we-meet-again.html And here’s the song: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cuando-nos-volvamos-encontrar/id867644924?i=867644928

5. Que Suenen Los Tambores - Salsa - Victor Manuelle: Choreo and maraca shaking moves all courtesy of Zumba Jammer, Gloria Tarrer, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She’s a dear friend, insanely talented dancer and mother and baby catcher and I firmly believe we are cousins. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/que-suenen-los-tambores-pal/id980041199?i=980042293

6. Fuego - Reggaeton Booty Battle - Pitbull: “You think you’re gangster, ‘cuz you did time, but listen here, gangster, don’t cross the line...” Could there be a pre-chorus that makes me feel any more white and out of place? https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fuego/id200523381?i=200528688

7. In We Blood - Machel Montano - Soca: Kass Martin and Steve Boedt have this on ZIN 64 for instructors but I saw it first at Muncie Fit-con with Jane, Stacie and Sarah and my new party hosting buddy, Juan Toro. I LOVE getting to the end of the verse when we pretend to dredge mud from the ground and paint our faces like we’re extras in Braveheart. Wait, that’s Scottish. Is there a Trinidadian version of Braveheart? Either way, Kass Martin putting pretend mud on her face is my favorite. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-we-blood/id1075776969?i=1075777607

8. Berimbau Metalizado - Ivete Sangalo - samba: My spirit animal is Brazilian. I’m not sure what kind of animal, but it’s definitely a Brazilian one. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/berimbau-metalizado-ao-vivo/id963249181?i=963249909

9. Te Amo - bachata - Ken-Y: Carlos Henriquez invited me to be a part of the Bachata Extreme team with Mo Diakite, Alina, Stephanie, Hannah and Claudia at convention for the opening Flavors of Convention masterclass this year. This bachata was our “flavor” for the night. It was a huge honor to be asked, and a huge rush of oxytocin to see hundreds of faces smiling so sweetly at us with that “ooh, I love bachata” mushy face people make. (Trust me.) https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/te-amo/id1072566981?i=1072567399

10. The Horns - hip hop - DJ Katch: Mauricio Camargo, a Jammer from Arizona, taught me this song at convention this year. His moves and music challenged me more than in any other Jam session I’ve taken. But it was worth it when I thanked him for his training and he thanked me for “killin’ it”. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-horns/id1054448822?i=1054451127

11. Shake Body - azonto - Skales: Gloria Tarrer again. All the way. I channel her when I teach this, but when I’m lucky enough to watch HER teach this, I’m mesmerized by what she can do with her body. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shake-body/id996274798?i=996275655

12. River Deep, Mountain High - R&B/soul - Glee version (original by Ike & Tina Turner): Donna Giffen, a Scottish queen from the Isles, shared this with instructors during the Personalized Feedback Session two years ago at convention. She started, immediately stopped, glared at us, reset her pretend mic, started the music again, immediately stopped again, glared again... It took us at least one more pass to see all of our microphones at the ready and in sync with hers. Yes, our totally pretend microphones! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/river-deep-mountain-high-glee/id401926484?i=401926644

13. Oh Yay - dancehall - Olatunji: Choreo here is also by Mauricio Camargo. I will happily turn down the chorus and listen to you sing any day. Even if you can’t sing. And trust me, beauties, you all can sing. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/oh-yay/id1063579187?i=1063579196

14. Let’s Get Loud - cha cha - Jennifer Lopez: This is a Lynn Richgels song from “back in the day”. Her feisty style of instruction is right at the core of my leading this song every time. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lets-get-loud/id265143164?i=265144078

15. Tunak Tunak Tun - bhangra - TODIEFOR (Not the original!): Kelly Bullard, ZES from Wisconsin used to teach the original as a battle but of course my husband found this remix and Kelly’s heat is the framework for the story I’m trying to tell now. One of my friends came to me after class tonight and told me that this is the one song that gets played at every party of every Indian family, even though it’s 10 years old. It’s kind of like “Suavemente” by Elvis Crespo if you’re from Mexico. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tunak-tunak-tun-remix-feat./id1123928258?i=1123928359

16. Bailando - flamenco - Enqrique Iglesias: I bring the energy down for this one and have people close their eyes a lot. Both the English and Spanish versions of this song are powerful, and it’s another good one for singing along. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bailando-spanish-version-feat./id865734303?i=865734424

17. Entre Tus Alas - cool down - Camila & Colbie Caillat: My dear friend, former instructor and mentor, Meriah Jacobs-Frost used this as a cool down in one of our joint classes several years ago. I had a pretty good break down at the time, not necessarily listening to the lyrics but feeling the crescendos and really sensing in my sternum how beautifully the two voices meshed. She knew it would hit me the right way. I am grateful for her on so many levels. It hurts that she no longer teaches, for more than a million and a half reasons, but number one for me is that I don’t get to watch her lead a cool down anymore. I don’t see the duet on iTunes anymore so here’s a version on YouTube. I really want you to hear it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_DV1hk_zjY

Blend all those songs with a 6-second cross fade and you have an hour of therapy at your fingertips.