Four Great Tips for New Zumba Instructors to Foster Success

When you are starting out, it is helpful to gather insight that can help you along the way. Here are four tips for new Zumba instructors:

Curate your best Zumba workout songs.

One of the best ways to have confidence when teaching is to be as prepared as you can be. Pick great music, and learn it backwards and forwards. Choosing the best Zumba workout songs can be a challenge, but a quick Google search for “the best Zumba workout songs” reveals hundreds of options (and not all of them have to be Latin artists). Set your choreography to each tune and practice, practice, practice. When you are comfortable with each step, you will be able to make all your students comfortable.

Some of the best Zumba workout songs to consider include:

Look the look.

I have a friend who is a yoga teacher that was told by a studio in a wealthy area that in order to teach there, she needed to wear specific yoga brands, wear make-up, and do her hair differently. This is not what I mean here by “look the look”. However, and even though you will be constantly moving, it is important to be professional in your appearance. It is a good idea to consider a certain selection of clothing your “work clothes.” You don’t want to lead a class in stained or torn attire.

While there are clothes specifically designed for Zumba classes, sometimes they can be costly. Simply choose comfortable fitness wear. You should be able to move in them easily. Fabric should be able to handle sweat. Remember that cotton retains perspiration. Instead, choose clothing that wicks away moisture.

Shoes for Zumba workouts are very important. Athletic shoes should support dance moves that are more side-to-side (and not front-to-back or pivoting). Dance sneakers or cross trainers are good choices. Shoes for Zumba workouts vary in styles and pricing.

Bring along a towel to wipe sweat away and always have water on hand. Encourage students to follow suit.

Practice teaching.

Before getting in front of others, get in front of yourself and your friends. Take some time to watch yourself in the mirror. Go through your entire class as you have set it up. Make sure you make transitions from song to song well. Video taping yourself is also a helpful tip. This allows you to see your moves as a student would. Additionally, you can review the video again and again, just as professional athletes do, to find areas where you need some improvement.

When you feel good about how you look, ask friends and other instructors to watch you. Ask everyone for honest feedback. You want to be sure your instructions are clear and your moves are easy for students to see and understand.

If you know other instructors, you may ask if you can hone your skills and teach one of his or her classes. It is helpful to get the feel for teaching before taking on your own class.

This may all sound like a lot of work, but you are laying the foundation for teaching to become second nature to you. Before long, you will barely even need to prepare! Although, even after you feel like a complete pro, you should regularly (once every six months, e.g.) do one of the steps above to continue improving.

Take the floor with confidence.

When the class comes in, make sure everyone feels welcome. Remember you will likely have a mix of students: those who know and love Zumba, and newbies who feel awkward. Take note of individuals who may need some extra help fitting in. Encourage all students and keep them engaged.

Teach to every person in the class, not just those in the front row. Exaggerate your cues so that even the students in the back row can see your moves.

Understand that mistakes will happen: music may malfunction, you may take a misstep. Remember you are new to this and be easy on yourself. Don’t take things too seriously and be able to laugh at yourself. This will make your students feel less pressure themselves, and this quality makes you very likable. At the same time, learn from mistakes and you’ll be able to improve yourself for the next class.

Above all, have fun. Remember to smile, have an easy-going attitude and remain positive. If you are able to have fun, this will spill over to the students. They will be able to enjoy an instructor who not only knows what he or she is doing, but loves doing it.