Basic Principles of Zumba Choreography

Zumba as you may know, is a very popular dance aerobic workout.

The most common question from instructors is... "what are the basics of Zumba choreography." With so many different dances such as Samba, Merengue, Salsa, belly dancing, Reggaeton, Flamenco, as well as hip-hop, it can be a rather daunting task to choreograph a 45 minute dance workout. Surprising to say that one of the advantages of this type of dance aerobic training is that it provides you with two major benefits.

One, is that you can burn between 500 to 1000 calories and second it'll provide you with a fantastic cardio workout.

Here Are Some CoolSteps to Follow When Designing a Zumba Fitness Workout.

1. Of course, include a warm-up as part of the workout. Add in a few stretches and toning movements. This should be the first 5 to 10 minutes of the class. The objective here is to try to utilize all the major muscle groups during this phase.

2. At this point, you want to introduce some slow dance rhythms for approximately the next five minutes. Perhaps utilizing some basic moves from samba. Incorporate backward and forward motions to get the heart going. This is a good format to follow when creating choreography for your Zumba exercise workout

3. For the next five minutes you may want to include some songs that are similar to merengue style. If you're not familiar with merengue, it is composed of three basic movements. Forward, side to side and backwards. You can easily incorporate these variations into the aerobic dance class.

4.In the next 5 minutes choose some songs, from say salsa moves. This is a faster beat and will begin to get the class pumping.

5. Now it's time to get the class really moving. Throw in some hip-hop, a few belly dancing moves and perhaps some Reggaeton, as you choreograph your Zuumba workout. By utilizing a variety of dance moves with the Latin dance it keeps things interesting and exciting for the participants.

Here Are Some Additional Tips, Tricks and Techniques to Keep in Mind As You Choreograph Your Zumba Dance Workout:

* Some websites have some excellent videos that illustrate how to choreograph the Zumba workout. Invest a little time and watch some of the top instructors doing their thing.

* Make sure that you start out with at least a 5 to 10 minute warm-up.

* At the end, always include a warm down. This is essential to avoid an injury.

* Make sure that the dance aerobic sneakers or shoes you're wearing don't have any grips on them. You don't want to be tripping in class.

* Always bring a bottle of water to the workout.

* And, make sure to bring a towel, you'll be sweating quite a bit.