Zumba Videos

So you think you can dance?

Lace up your dancing shoes, put on some comfy workout duds and get over to the newly opened Sassy Cap Dance Fitness in Hoboken, offering Zumba fitness and Zumba toning classes. The Latin-inspired fitness craze is a fun mix of cardio-conditioning and total body toning.

Jeannine Severino, instructor and founder of the fitness company (she named it Sassy Cap due to her frequent donning of a newsboy cap) is a New Jersey native who has been teaching a variety of group exercise classes for more than 20 years and dancing since she was 4. Teaching Zumba fitness has been her passion for the last four years.

“Zumba fitness is the absolute perfect format for me. It combines my love of dance with my love for fitness,” Severino said. “The Zumba fitness format gives me the freedom to be creative and passionate and share it with the world.”

Set to mix bag of Latin and international beats, with a few of the instructor’s choices added to the playlist, the class teaches students choreographed Latin-inspired dance steps (and an occasional hip-hop move). The music makes you want to move and the steps repeat allowing even the uncoordinated the ability to follow the instructor’s cues.

Severino considers herself the host of this fitness dance party, which she describes as a total body workout in disguise.

“Expect to smile, sweat and have a blast. It’s so much more then an exercise class, it’s a lifestyle,” Severino said. “Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get all the steps your first time, it’s totally OK. It takes about four classes and then I bet you will be addicted like the rest of us.”

Retired Hoboken Firefighter Matt Buoncuore, 62, tried his first Zumba class with Severino only after being dared by a brother firefighter.

“I love to dance at weddings but I was just a freestyle, stiff kind of white boy dancer. Choreography scared me,” he said. “I am always one to not be afraid of making a fool of myself, so I decided to give Zumba a try. Once class started I questioned why I decided to do this. It seemed I was going right and everyone else was going left. My brother firefighter was there and he seemed to have the general idea. Jeannine had said it would take me a few classes to get the hang of it. Well, in time I started to understand the fundamentals of Zumba and choreography. Once I truly got the hang of Zumba, I realized how much of a workout it was and I was slowly losing weight doing it. After two years I cannot see myself not doing Zumba. I feel addicted.”

The location opening was celebrated by 54 “sassycappers” Feb. 18 with a 90-minute master class. The spacious, sunlit studio was filled to capacity with the lucky participants who registered early for this special class, leaving many eager to shake and shimmy their way to a better body unable to join the party.

Those in attendance had a blast working up a mean sweat and enjoying healthy treats provided by Lynda Lyang the “Healthy Hoboken Girl” — health coach and healthy living blogger — and a champagne toast. Some sassy steppers left with T-shirts and door prizes.

Severino also took time to thank everyone for attending and presented flowers to a handful of her students and friends who helped make her opening a huge success.

“The opening class was magical and inspiring. As I looked out at all of the smiling faces I saw some people who have been taking my classes for over 15 years and also all the new friends I have made all together in one room.” Severino said. “We danced our butts off and had a great time! The support I have received from my students has been overwhelming.”

Hoboken resident Samantha Pianko was impressed.

“I have been taking Zumba for a few years, but it wasn’t until Jeannine’s classes that I got more then just a workout from the class,” Pianko said. “I have never seen the passion that she has ever before. … You walk out of her class and not only have had a great workout, but you also feel better about yourself! She truly is a an amazing person and I am so happy to have an instructor like her.”

The new dancing and fitness headquarters is located at 127 Grand St. ( same entrance as CKO Kickboxing).

Registration is open for the first four-week session beginning on Monday, March 5. Visit sassycapdancenfitness.com to register and purchase class packages. No membership fees. There is a limited $10 drop-in class schedule until Thursday, March 1.

(BRONSON, IA) A statewide program is helping kids learn all the right moves to live healthy. Bronson Elementary is using part of a $500 Live Healthy Iowa grant to introduce music-filled Zumba exercise classes. Preschool and first grade students lined up and danced their way to better health Monday morning as part of an 8-week program. Those involved say it’s rare to find exercise that gets students excited.
 
“Sometimes, the kids, they don’t know certain steps, especially because Zumba is more Latin style, so I have to really break it down to their level, and just let them have fun with it, and not make it too hard, because I want them to enjoy it,” says Lexi Hanna, Zumba Instructor.
 
“They have absolutely loved it, last week we didn’t have school because of President’s Day, and they said, oh, we don’t have Zumba this week, so they’re very excited that we have Zumba today,” says Mary Siepker, 1st Grade Teacher. 

The school hopes to get all elementary students involved in the Zumba program.