At Vibe, we have two regular Zumba Instructors, Collen and Stacey--who both have
their own unique teaching styles and reasons for becoming Zumba certified.  For
Colleen, it is a truly inspirational story.  The following paragraphs were written by Collen explaing her story of huge successes through Zumba.

“I need to do something!”  That is what I told myself November 1, 2010. I decided to try a month gym  membership and see what changes I could make. Little did I know that decision would in fact change my life. I entered the YWCA with the idea that I would do the elliptical and lift some weights, which I did, but as I was leaving I saw a Zumba fitness class was about to begin. I had never heard of Zumba fitness and had absolutely no idea what to expect. I walked in and like many newcomers found a place in the back row. Jess was the instructor and asked if anyone was new and as I shyly raised my hand I was told to watch her feet and the rest would come later. After my first class I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to come back! My month
membership quickly turned into a year membership. I started going to classes  each night and appreciated the different styles of both the instructors; Jess and Tara. Variety with some similarities is one thing that Zumba fitness offered
that allowed me to never get bored, yet become familiar with the basic moves in
order to make it beneficial for me.

I began going to different classes in the area and in Eastern Pennsylvania while I was visiting my boyfriend, Nate. I had gradually moved my way from the ‘newbies back row’ to become a ‘front row diva’. After classes I had quite a few people tell me they had watched me in class or told me how great of a job I was doing. That
acknowledgement alone was extremely motivating and left me feeling very
confident. It was after I had finished a class that I had a conversation with
Nate and he said to me “Why don’t you just become an instructor?”  I realized
that this easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party
had honestly changed my life, helped me lose 62 pounds and become an all around healthier and happier person. I decided right then and there that I wanted to
motivate others to do the same! After some encouraging words from my family and
friends I presented them with the idea. I went onto the website and found an
instructor training that worked for me. I was a bit nervous that I would not enjoy instructing as much I did simply taking that class, but that worry quickly vanished. It was a somewhat challenging beginning, but I was lucky enough to have the help of other instructors and my fantastic sister, Danielle.

Zumba fitness is my escape from all the stresses in life. I became an instructor simply because I had a passion for Zumba fitness and feel that I am proof that is does work. I was a 210 pound somewhat uncoordinated person with no previous dance or fitness background, but found something that motivated me. I hope that if you have a passion for something that you too will not just be part of the crowd but break out and motivate others. If I can do it, so can you! 

Vibe offers Zumba on Mondays at 5:30, Wednesdays at 7:30, and Saturday mornings at 10:00.