Treat your aquatic fitness class members to a dance splash fest this summer. Aqua Zumba® Pool Party with Richard Gormley is a 45-minute aqua class that features 12 different global dance-inspired routines, including Merengue, Salsa, Brazilian Funk, Greek Fusion and many more.
This is video #2 of 2 in a special collaboration between Fitmotivation and Zumba®. The first video was Aqua Zumba Explore. This collab made it possible for Fitmotivation subscribers to explore the music, movement and mood of Aqua Zumba®. Debuting at AEA’s International Aquatic Fitness Conference (IAFC) in 2009, Aqua Zumba® has been a popular class offering at pool facilities for the past 16 years. Richard is a well known Zumba Education Specialist (ZES) and has presented Aqua Zumba® at conferences and instructor trainings in 56 countries. Fitmotivation is honored to have him and this special collab with Zumba Fitness LLC.
Aqua Zumba® Pool Party Class-at-a-Glance
This 45-minute aquatic fitness class format features four segments and each segment three or four international songs with choreography. Each choreographed song is taught pure patterned to the structure of the music (verse, bridge, chorus, etc.). All music used in this video has been provided by and used with permission from Zumba Fitness, LLC. It can be sourced from All Approved Music/PPC/PPLA Free and is available to members of the Zumba Instructor Network.
NOTE: The music playlist is included in the print/download version of the notes.
Below, the dance/music style for each choreographed song are outlined.
Pool Party 1
Songs 1-3: Warm Up
Pool Party 2
Song 4: Merengue
Song 5: Salsa
Song 6: Moombahton
Pool Party 3
Song 7: Percussion
Song 8: Kuduro
Song 9: Greek Fusion
Song 10: Brazilian Funk
Pool Party 4
Song 11: Dembow/House
Song 12: Tropipop
Song 13: Cool Down
Below, Richard reveals three tips for achieving maximal enjoyment in an Aqua Zumba® class.
3 AQUA ZUMBA TIPS
1) Don’t overthink it
Zumba is all about the music and mood. Richard recommends encouraging your class members to free their minds and let their bodies move organically. They do not have to master every move to get a good workout. With that said, it is important to note that instructing this routine or portions of it several times will help you improve your mastery of the movement and overtime the class members will master the movement and achieve a more effective workout.
2) Avoid incorrect pool depth
Aqua Zumba is a shallow water workout, but it is possible for your students to get too deep or too shallow depending on their height. If they are too deep, buoyancy takes over and they end up on their tippy toes, incapable of following along with good form. If they get too shallow, the impact can become uncomfortable on their lower extremities. The proper depth is around mid-chest/ arm pit level.
3) Use the bounce!
The Aqua Zumba bounce is now well known. The bounce is intended to get participants moving in the water right away. It also serves as transition between more complex moves. Richard recommends encouraging your class members to bounce it out if they get confused in the moves, so that they can jump back into the choreography from a neutral bounce.
Fitmotivation extends a big thank you to Richard for arranging this special 2-video collab with Zumba®. If you want to know more about Zumba® and teaching opportunities, check out the Zumba website.
