5 ways writing is eerily like Zumba

Dancing is one of my many addictions. So when I can have a whole workout where I dance and burn lots of calories, I’m in. I love Zumba- the Latin/Afro/Reggae beat mix of music with a varying combination of movements. I recently started attending a new to me Zumba class near my home. One thing you need to know about this type of exercise is that not every instructor is the same. So you can go to ten different classes and get ten different styles. This leader was Type 1 energetic and I liked her very much.

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Every time I attempt to get coordinated with the instructors movements I look around the room and attempt to keep my laughter to myself  when observing some of the other participants’ movements. The most interesting part was that they didn’t give a flying fig that they were moving left when they should’ve been moving backwards. And then the connection between Zumba and writing hit me. Here we are with a handy dandy comparison list of writing and Zumba.

1. Courage is a must. Dancing is one thing. Dancing while following directions you’ve never seen before in front of a whole bunch of people can be embarrassing if you let it be. Those who do Zumba are similar to those who write in that they take more of a “I don’t give a damn” approach. They do it in spite of the fear and risk for embarrassment and failure.
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2. Everyone has their own style. How many writing styles have you come across in your lifetime of reading? I’d venture to guess that as many authors as exist or have existed are how many styles there are. In Zumba I’m pretty quick to catch up with the movements while others aren’t as lucky. I smile virtually throughout the whole class because I’m having so much fun with the workout while others are frowning as they struggle to breath. When you look at the people in a Zumba class, even though they’re doing the same (or similar) movements, they each add their own flare.
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3. You will mess up. I don’t think this needs explanation. Even the instructor in a Zumba class messes up, what more the participants? Writers mess up all the time. No written work is perfect, but we don’t stop writing even though we know we’re going to mess up. Just like with Zumba we continue to hone our craft and get better, knowing that we will get things wrong, but a little less each time.
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4. It’s fun. Yeah it is! When I’m in a grove with writing, I don’t want to stop because I’m enjoying it too much. Just like Zumba. One minute you’re starting and in what feels like no time the cool down music is playing.
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5. You don’t like every aspect of it. For me there is always one or two songs that come on during a Zumba class that make me groan with displeasure because either I don’t like the choreography or the song itself. The same is true about writing. I don’t enjoy writing heavily emotional scenes because for me they are a lot of work. And yet just like with Zumba I plow through and get it done so I can get back to fun part.

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So am I right or am I wrong? Let me know in the comments section. And if you’ve never done Zumba before get to dancing. If you’ve always wanted to write and haven’t, then get to writing.

Dancing with Lord – romance in motion

    I did not make a typo. Lord is a real name in Ghana. In fact Empi Baryeh’s hero in Most Eligible Bachelor (an awesome book, check it out) is named Lord and the dance scenes are hot.

   In my case Lord, a colleague, was one of the best dancers I have ever had the pleasure of boogieing with. When we were on the dance floor together people would stare at us (even his wife)- I am not exaggerating either (well maybe a little). One of us would do a move and the other would copy it, then we would each dance in our own styles while still in perfect sync and then one of us would do a move and the other would copy it. It was the ebb and flow of dancing that made us look so good together. We never touched while dancing but we were in perfect rhythm as we danced.

    There was nothing romantic going on between us, but I envision that dancing with Lord was what a true romance is all about. The couple sometimes moves separately and sometimes together, but always to the same rhythm.
   Anyone have a dance story to share?