The Pied Piper of Freeport - Zumba Classes Heat up the South Shore

This little bundle of energy enters the room, all smiles and hellos. She is dressed in a black tank, black cargo pants and sneakers. She is Lilly Leon, or as I call her, the Pied Piper of Freeport. As she enters, the speakers boom with swaying Latin rhythms. Lilly starts moving and the group falls in line, like obedient mice following her lead. The Zumba class has begun.


If Zumba is new to you, allow me to make the introductions. Zumba is a hot dance/exercise class, combining salsa, merengue, samba and just a touch of hip-hop flavor. The class itself is a combination of flavors, as everyone joins in the fun and sweats like crazy for one hour of Latin beats. Look around tonight’s class and you’ll find mostly women, a few brave men, trained dancers, gymnasts, 30-somethings, 40-somethings and beyond; those who get the beat and those who live in a rhythm-less nation. It doesn’t matter, we’re all here every Tuesday night and loving it.

Admittedly, I was more than a little scared to start out. I am your average 40-something wife and mother of three who has put on a few pounds over the years. I didn’t want to embarrass myself dancing around like an uncoordinated fool struggling to keep up. A few minutes into the class, I realized I would be ok. There are maybe 100 of us in each class, lined up in rows and Lilly moves around the room so that we can all have her in our line of sight and follow along. She keeps the choreography pretty simple and basic – the kind that we can all follow. In tonight’s class of maybe 100 people, you kind of forget about everybody else and have fun, like when you’re alone in your house with just your favorite radio station for company.

What about the exercise part, you may ask… The class is set up in sets and after each set you get a little break – just long enough to take a sip of water and dab yourself with a towel before the music starts again. The hour-long class consists of maybe six sets of around 5-8 minutes each, taking you through an eclectic menu of Latin and Caribbean tempos. I’ll admit the first two classes were hard work and I didn’t think I’d last the whole hour. (Keep in mind that Zumba is, after all, aerobic exercise. This is not easy for a recovering couch potato, like me.) However, as I looked around I noticed that everyone was working within his or her own limit. Recognizing my own limits, I decided to concentrate on building enough stamina to get through the class. Once I build up my stamina, I can concentrate a little more working more of my muscles and perfecting my form to get that toned look. So for now I just do what I can, which is probably good advice for anyone starting a new exercise program. “Do what you can until you can do more” became my motto. In the end however, it is Lilly’s energy and the music party atmosphere that keeps me going.

Why Zumba? I realized it was time to get my butt off the couch and get my blood pumping again. It was either Zumba, a gym membership I’d never use, or a personal trainer I couldn’t afford. Tough decision, but Zumba classes seemed like a great compromise. Dancing one night a week for 8 weeks was less than $100 and proved to be a worthy investment and welcome escape. Where else can I go out dancing without having to dress up? Where else can I listen to the kind of music I like without my teenagers changing the station? For me, it's Zumba.

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For more information about Lilly Leon’s Zumba classes, visit http://lamystika.com/Zumba.html or send her an email at lillylamystika@yahoo.com