Sister act gets city in step with Zumba work-out craze - VIDEO
EVEN the greatest fitness fanatic will concede that sometimes the pizzazz can go out of their weekly workouts. Whisper it quietly if you're anywhere near a gym, but exercise can be mind-numbingly dull.
That's where Zumba comes in. Currently taking America by storm, Zumba is a new form of exercise that aims to put the fun back into keeping fit by using different kinds of traditional Latin music.
Until recently Sheffield has been a Zumba-free zone, but all that is changing thanks to two Sheffield-born sisters.
Growing up in Ecclesfield, Siobhan Ratcliffe, 43, and Sarina Ratcliffe-Jones, 39, trained at the Constance Grant Dance School after which they became professional dancers and toured the world performing with dance troupes in a range of shows including variety, cabaret and burlesque.
"From there it was a natural progression to go into fitness," says Siobhan.
Sarina, who now lives in Kiveton Park, agrees. "I went in to gym management working in Chesterfield and Sheffield, but continued to teach exercise classes."
It was when Siobhan moved to Spain that she first heard the music which was to become the bedrock of Zumba. "While there's some music people may recognise," she says of her Zumba classes, "a lot of the songs are what I used to hear on the radio in Spain. Although people may not recognise the tunes, it's the kind of music that when you hear it you just need to dance."
Now back in Sheffield and living in Mosborough, Siobhan runs her own dance business and is excited about bring Zumba to the city.
A third sister (Sarina's twin) lives in Las Vegas and is responsible for introducing Sarina and Siobhan to Zumba. When visiting last December they went to a class and were instantly hooked. "We thought it was fantastic," says Sarina. "Then we realised that there was no one teaching it in Sheffield and thought, 'We're going to do it'."
Although both sisters are qualified in a number of fitness disciplines, they had to go to London to take a course and be assessed by Zumba's governing body.
Classes start this month in locations across the city, including Beighton, Intake, Millhouses and Crookes.
"You certainly don't have to be a dancer to take part," says Sarina. "Beginners can go to their first class without having to worry that they won't know all the moves as it's really easy to pick up."
One of the main aims of Zumba is to break the monotony of traditional aerobic and step classes. Whereas these classes tend to be made up of a steady beat lasting for up to an hour, Zumba varies the tempo and even the style of music. "You do a different step for the verse, chorus and bridge of a song," says Siobhan, "which means every time that part of a song comes around, you know exactly what to do.'
"You can also put your own feel to the music," adds Sarina. "Just because you're not doing exactly what the instructor's doing, doesn't mean you're wrong. You won't feel out of place. You can add your own style to it."
There are even different kinds of music that help break up the class including Bollywood and belly dance sections. "Because you're always twisting your hips," says Sarina, "Zumba is perfect for toning your mid area and especially your stomach."
The classes are mixed. "A lot of men really like it because it's not a dance class, it's a fitness class," says Siobhan. "It's a really good workout and if they've taken any fitness class before they should have no problem with Zumba. After all, it was invented by a man."
There have, of course, been many new fitness trends over the last few years, but Siobhan and Sarina believe that Zumba is anything but a fad. "In America, it's massive with classes everywhere," says Sarina. "Over here it's just beginning and we're really excited about bringing it to Sheffield."
"For anyone who's bored of doing the same old exercise class, or if you're a beginner who's new to exercise, Zumba is the class to do," says Siobhan. "In the classes we've done there has been every kind of person, so you don't need to worry about everyone else being really fit."
The sisters are taking part in a charity event at the Sam Jones Health Club at Crystal Peaks on September 26 in aid of the British Heart Foundation. A sample class will be held at 2pm. Regular classes cost 4.50 each and are open to 16 years and older. There is no need to book.
www.dancestaruk.com
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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