Anju Gattani's Blog - Posts Tagged "zumba"
Zumba N Fiction
Hi,
I'm looking forward to my Tuesday morning tomorrow because it'll be another class of Zumba!
My first class was last week... and when I entered the studio I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I mean I've taken step aerobics, Pilates and muscle toning classes but Zumba was a first.
At first I thought, OK, this isn't too bad. You see there were little bits and pieces from step. Then when the Latina dance moves kicked in I was wondering if I was meant to be here! I wasn't atrocious or anything... I just hadn't wiggled my hips to tantalizing music in a loooooooooong time. But it was fun! Then the Indian 'Bhangra' dance moves kicked in and I thought this is good and feels good! After a while the cool down settled our heart rates to normal while sweat continued to pour down in buckets.
The instructor had spoken to me about Zumba before we started and mentioned that I should give it 3 attempts before saying 'NO'.
I remember watching the instructor's moves and looking out for the hand signals (she'd mentioned) to cue us in for the next step. I also remember how young she looked - around early 30ish, causing me to think... Well, now wonder she's so good at this... she's younger than I am!
What a surprise when I thanked the instructor (later for the class) and found out she's older than I am and did the good ol 'A' levels and 'O' levels from the British Education system that I'd done... 4 years ahead of me.
And now here I am sitting once again before my 2nd book trying to put a detailed synopsis together. I've done the whole book. It's complete and edited fantastically by a professional editor... we've worked on it several rounds now. But I have to attempt something new with the same piece again.
So what do I do? Walk in the studio where I've taken step, cardio and muscle-tone classes before - except this time I attempt a new feat / Zumba! with my completed novel.
It's going to take some time and lot of thought... but if I've done it before, I can do it again!
I'm looking forward to my Tuesday morning tomorrow because it'll be another class of Zumba!
My first class was last week... and when I entered the studio I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I mean I've taken step aerobics, Pilates and muscle toning classes but Zumba was a first.
At first I thought, OK, this isn't too bad. You see there were little bits and pieces from step. Then when the Latina dance moves kicked in I was wondering if I was meant to be here! I wasn't atrocious or anything... I just hadn't wiggled my hips to tantalizing music in a loooooooooong time. But it was fun! Then the Indian 'Bhangra' dance moves kicked in and I thought this is good and feels good! After a while the cool down settled our heart rates to normal while sweat continued to pour down in buckets.
The instructor had spoken to me about Zumba before we started and mentioned that I should give it 3 attempts before saying 'NO'.
I remember watching the instructor's moves and looking out for the hand signals (she'd mentioned) to cue us in for the next step. I also remember how young she looked - around early 30ish, causing me to think... Well, now wonder she's so good at this... she's younger than I am!
What a surprise when I thanked the instructor (later for the class) and found out she's older than I am and did the good ol 'A' levels and 'O' levels from the British Education system that I'd done... 4 years ahead of me.
And now here I am sitting once again before my 2nd book trying to put a detailed synopsis together. I've done the whole book. It's complete and edited fantastically by a professional editor... we've worked on it several rounds now. But I have to attempt something new with the same piece again.
So what do I do? Walk in the studio where I've taken step, cardio and muscle-tone classes before - except this time I attempt a new feat / Zumba! with my completed novel.
It's going to take some time and lot of thought... but if I've done it before, I can do it again!
Zumba Thinks!?
Hi,
Yes, it's Tuesday and I made it to another Zumba class. I think I'm getting better... considering I'm able to cue in more than before and follow the steps. Plus I know what to expect.
But little did I expect that after just a few sessions everything would gel into one so quickly. Latina, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Bhangra - the dance steps switch from one to another so quickly. You begin with one thing and before you know it, you're tapping to another beat, then hopping to another, lunging to something faster and slowing the tempo to a little shake, rattle and roll!
It doesn't matter what genre, language or voice the lyrics flow with. It doesn't matter what beats you're dancing to. It doesn't matter if you understand the language or not. The rhythm, the movements and the excitement revving through all our veins were the same. Sure, some were better than others. Some worse! But in the end we danced as one.
Fiction has the power, sometimes, to do just this. You can't all be in the same dance studio and expect to read in one go. Some read in English, others in French, German... you get the idea. But the human condition, emotions, thoughts and values are the same for us all. And when it isn't, that's when you stop to think. It's what good books do.
It's what good fitness instructors do too.
Stop and think about yourself with a different perspective.
Yes, it's Tuesday and I made it to another Zumba class. I think I'm getting better... considering I'm able to cue in more than before and follow the steps. Plus I know what to expect.
But little did I expect that after just a few sessions everything would gel into one so quickly. Latina, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Bhangra - the dance steps switch from one to another so quickly. You begin with one thing and before you know it, you're tapping to another beat, then hopping to another, lunging to something faster and slowing the tempo to a little shake, rattle and roll!
It doesn't matter what genre, language or voice the lyrics flow with. It doesn't matter what beats you're dancing to. It doesn't matter if you understand the language or not. The rhythm, the movements and the excitement revving through all our veins were the same. Sure, some were better than others. Some worse! But in the end we danced as one.
Fiction has the power, sometimes, to do just this. You can't all be in the same dance studio and expect to read in one go. Some read in English, others in French, German... you get the idea. But the human condition, emotions, thoughts and values are the same for us all. And when it isn't, that's when you stop to think. It's what good books do.
It's what good fitness instructors do too.
Stop and think about yourself with a different perspective.
Dancing Writers Take A Wrong Turn
Hi,
This morning was an eye-opener. We had a sub for Zumba and there was a new Zumba routine with a new series of dance steps to follow. This isn't new... I mean instructors take leave all the time and subs fill in for them. It's actually interesting to see how 'used to' you become to one person's style of dance and music. And how you start expecting the same dance moves.
So change is good!
But today was a different sort of change. Our instructor was hip-hopping away to the beat at her own sweet pace. She checked to see if we were cueing in but often times we weren't able to break the steps or series of steps and follow. However, that didn't seem to matter. She just kept on going - like a wind-up doll.
Believe me, she wasn't very popular by the end.
And that got me thinking. Hard.
How hard must it be for readers when they can't follow an author's writing? I understand that as writers we live in our own story worlds and dance to the character's music or voice in our heads. That's the creative side. But revisions and edits follow immediately after.
And that can take months. If not years.
Edits can leave you upside down - literally! They can leave you with a hurricane temper too! But at the end of the day if a reader can't follow what you've written, you're going to lose them.
That's for sure.
And there won't be a next time because they won't pick up your book again. They'll remember the unpleasant experience your words left. Your first impression will become your last.
And that's something you don't want. For sure!
This morning was an eye-opener. We had a sub for Zumba and there was a new Zumba routine with a new series of dance steps to follow. This isn't new... I mean instructors take leave all the time and subs fill in for them. It's actually interesting to see how 'used to' you become to one person's style of dance and music. And how you start expecting the same dance moves.
So change is good!
But today was a different sort of change. Our instructor was hip-hopping away to the beat at her own sweet pace. She checked to see if we were cueing in but often times we weren't able to break the steps or series of steps and follow. However, that didn't seem to matter. She just kept on going - like a wind-up doll.
Believe me, she wasn't very popular by the end.
And that got me thinking. Hard.
How hard must it be for readers when they can't follow an author's writing? I understand that as writers we live in our own story worlds and dance to the character's music or voice in our heads. That's the creative side. But revisions and edits follow immediately after.
And that can take months. If not years.
Edits can leave you upside down - literally! They can leave you with a hurricane temper too! But at the end of the day if a reader can't follow what you've written, you're going to lose them.
That's for sure.
And there won't be a next time because they won't pick up your book again. They'll remember the unpleasant experience your words left. Your first impression will become your last.
And that's something you don't want. For sure!
