Stepkaren

Zumba Toning!

Karen Hellekson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:36:05 +0000

I recently got licensed to teach Zumba Toning. The certification experience was amazing, and the teacher was a total rock star. So much fun! I’m building an hour-long Toning class right now and am more than halfway there. It’s a dance class with weights, and it will definitely get your heart rate up. I am starting slow with the choreography, omitting certain difficult moves until the class gets used to four-limb movement, and showing low options. Look for the class’s intensity to escalate as the students master the moves.

For those interested in class, I have a limited number of toning sticks available for class use. You may also use 1- or 2-pound free weights; and for those students who take Piloxing, you could certainly wear your weighted Piloxing gloves.

I will post my master playlist for Zumba Toning shortly!

Line dancing 2011-12-27

Karen Hellekson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:11:40 +0000

“Electric Boogie” (aka Electric Slide) by Marcia Griffiths [listen] [buy] [dance]
“Hava Nagila (Hora)” by Zumba (Gold Review) [Zumba proprietary]
“Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid [listen] [buy] [dance]
“Baby Likes to Rock It” by The Tractors [listen] [buy] [dance]
“Cleveland Shuffle” by 71 North [listen] [buy] [dance]
“Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex [listen] [buy] [dance]
“Last Night” by Chris Anderson and DJ Robbie [listen] [buy] [dance]
“Watermelon Crawl” by Tracy Byrd [listen] [buy] [dance]
“5, 6, 7, 8″ by Steps [listen] [buy] [dance]

Zumba playlist 2011-10-15

Karen Hellekson — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:36:43 +0000

* Mueve Mueve – Like to Move It / Sandy & Papo (merengue) – warm-up
* Put ‘Em Up / Feat. Lyrics Born and Axum (Middle Eastern)
* Prrrum / Cosculluela (reggaeton)
* La Perla / Zumba (swing, salsa, reggaeton)
* Kiss Kiss / Zumba (belly dance)
* Salome / Chayanne (Latin pop with cumbia choreography)
* Mr. Saxobeat / Alexandra Stan (pop) – this song is Amy’s!
* La la la / La Banda Local (merengue)
* Pusha Pusha / Zumba (axe)
* Hindu Cumen / Zumba (Indian fusion, cha cha)
* Los Campeones de la Salsa / Zumba (salsa)
* Oye / Mara (reggaeton) – cooldown
* Feeling Good / Michael Bublé (big band) – stretch

“Prrrum” by Cosculluela (reggaeton)

Karen Hellekson — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:53:35 +0000

Listen/buy/sing along

* Listen to the song on YouTube (official music video)
* Buy MP3 at Amazon.com
* Lyrics at MetroLyrics (song is in Spanish)

Choreography

I’m doing the choreography posted on YouTube by the awesome KickingWithKara. Enjoy!

Tai chi master class

Karen Hellekson — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:45:49 +0000

The Farmington tai chi practice group is sponsoring a workshop from noon to 4 PM on Sunday, September 18, 2011, in the Bass Room, Farmington Memorial Hospital. Guest instructor Dan Kleiman will join local instructor Catherine Chenoweth in guiding participants through the wu style short form. The cost is $45.

Tai chi, also known as tai chi chuan, a Chinese martial art, is characterized by slow, flowing movements. The wu style short form is foundational and takes just a few minutes to execute once it has been learned. Practicing its slow movements is a form of relaxation and meditation. The Farmington tai chi practice group, which comprises beginners and more experienced practitioners, meets weekly on Wednesday evenings to learn and practice parts of the short form.

“Tai chi is known as a moving meditation,” said Iris Silverstein, a founding member of the practice group who studied tai chi for two years at Brookline Tai Chi. “The movements require you to focus and slow down.” She restarted tai chi practice within days of a recent hip replacement and credits it with helping her to quickly increase mobility and balance. Participant Maggy Wyckoff agreed about the health benefits of tai chi, noting that it helps her with balance and strength without damaging her knees.

Guest instructor Dan Kleiman, who has studied tai chi since 1998, is director of Brookline Tai Chi, one of the largest health-oriented tai chi schools in the country. Kleiman noted, “What I love about tai chi is the way that the health benefits are intertwined with the meditative aspects. It’s fun to help people relax and reconnect to their bodies.”

Catherine Chenoweth, an instructor who leads classes in Stratton, Kingfield, and Farmington, has studied tai chi since 1997. She was an assistant instructor at the Taoist Arts Center in New York City for more than two years before moving to Maine. “The slow and gracefully flowing movements of tai chi offer a different and exciting approach to exercise,” Chenoweth said. “Once the movements of the five-minute form are learned, students advance by learning deeper and more subtle layers within the form, rather than moving on to more difficult or athletically challenging moves. The potential that is in these movements never stops unfolding.”

Participants of all ages, fitness levels, and experience are welcome. Preregistration is not required. Hospital employees will receive a discount, and need-based discounts are also available.

“Zoot Suit Riot” by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (swing)

Karen Hellekson — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:02:49 +0000

Listen/buy/sing along

See the original video at YouTube
Not available at Amazon.com except as album: Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Lyrics at One Hit Wonders On Demand
Identically phrased version on ZIN Mega Mix 23

Choreography

1. Instrumental intro: Charleston

2. Verse: Side kicks, single single double, with both arms lifting up with the legs, hands flexed out

3. Chorus:
* Double hop R, double hop L (hitting forward angled right on 1 and 3, then left on 5 and 7), arms push forward, chest height, as you hop
* Monkey arms and circle heel kicks
* Switch sides

REPEAT 1–3 (but this one time, chorus will only go once right and left, not twice)

4. Instrumental hits: slow cross walk with music hits, then shorty George (alternating shoulder lifts) to switch sides, 4x total

5. Drums (call and response): 2 steps, arms out, flip hands down as you step on downbeat

REPEAT 2-3-4-5

BIG FINISH, with flapping hands!

Note

I borrowed the chorus from Candy on YouTube. Thanks!

2011-07-20 Zumba playlist

Karen Hellekson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:22:51 +0000

1. Mueve Mueve – Like to Move It / Sandy & Papo (merengue warm-up)
2. Oye / Mara (reggaeton)
3. TiK ToK / Ke$ha (pop)
4. Whenever, Wherever / Shakira (Latin pop)
5. Grillero / Zumba (merengue)
6. Muevelo (Original Version) / Cruz Martinez… (cumbia)
7. Low (Feat. T. Pain) / Flo Rida (pop/hip-hop)
8. Pause / Pitbull (Latin pop)
9. Salome / Chayanne (cumbia)
10. Toul “Omry – Nawal… (Middle Eastern/salsa)
11. Lean Like a Cholo / Down AKA Kilo (upper body)
12. We No Speak Americano / Yolanda Be Cool vs DCup (silly pop song)
13. What Is it / Baby Bash feat. Sean Kingston (hip-hop)
14. Pusha Pusha / Zumba (axe)
15. I Need to Know / Marc Anthony (cha cha)
16. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) / The Four Lads (rock ‘n’ roll/cooldown)
17. Feeling Good / Zumba (stretch)

Note

Today I’m teaching an intro to Zumba type class to newbies, so I’ve selected my favorites, with some tunes that ought to be familiar combined with some fun rhythms. Enjoy!

Zumba playlist 2011-07-08

Karen Hellekson — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 23:47:26 +0000

* “Mueve Mueve – Like to Move It” by Sandy & Papo (merengue warm-up)
* “La Perla” by Zumba (swing/salsa/reggaeton)
* “Oye” by Mara (reggaeton)
* “Pusha Pusha” by Zumba (Brazilian axe)
* “Salome” by Chayanne (Latin pop with cumbia choreography)
* “Watermelon Crawl” by Tracy Byrd (country-western line dance)
* “Pause” by Pitbull (hip-hop; Beto Perez’s choreography)
* “Muevelo” by Cruz Martinez presenta Los Super Reyes (cumbia)
* “Hindu Cumen” by Zumba (Indian fusion/cha cha)
* “What Is It” (hip-hop)
* “Un Mes” by Mara (pop)
* “Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas (salsa; Mary Murphy’s National Dance Day choreography)
* “El Choclo” by Zumba (tango cool-down)
* “Zumba Lluvia” by Zumba (stretch)

National Dance Day (June 30, 2011)

Karen Hellekson — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:01:07 +0000

Three choreography vids have been posted for National Dance Day by DizzyFeetFoundation. Interested?

Hard—NappyTabs (Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo)

Intermediate—Robin Antin

Easy—Mary Murphy

Watch breakdown at YouTube
“Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas
One 32 block

Three new Zumba songs!

Karen Hellekson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:14:23 +0000

* “Mueve Mueve Like To Move It” by Sandy & Papo (merengue warm-up) [buy at Amazon.com]
* “Hindu Cumen” by Zumba (Indian fusion/cha cha) [unavailable for purchase]
* “Un Mes” by Mara (reggaeton/pop) [buy at Amazon.com]

I am doing the choreography from the ZIN DVDs so I will not post it here. I have learned all the choreography and will be rolling it out over the next several class sessions.

I am also changing out the country-western line dance. I’m going back to “Watermelon Crawl,” which I taught previously [buy at Amazon.com].