Local fitness and lifestyle coach Dione Mason and the Dione Mason Fitness Group sure know how to throw a party – but it’s not your average party. On May 25, Mason hosted a two-hour Zumba® Fitness Slam Party (a second gathering following her enormously successful Zumba party last fall) at the Great Hall in the Queen West area. You could hear the beat from the street as the energy of every individual in the space resonated off the walls inside. The class is open to all ages, and I mean it! I watched an 80-year-old woman pump her fists and profess how much fun she was having (pictured above on the right).
If you're not quite sure what Zumba is, it's a choreographed cardio-based fitness program designed to create a dance party atmosphere while you work out. While it can be enjoyed from the comfort of your living room, it's truly something to experience everyone dancing, cheering, and laughing as you jump to Latin-inspired moves and music ranging from country to hip hop, to pop, African, and jazz beats.
Mason’s liveliness on Saturday was equally matched by featured instructors Candice Paulsen and Natasha Romero Medrano whose energy levels made my head spin. The group danced to the beat pumped through the loud speakers by DJ Craig Brooklyn. It was nearly impossible not to want to move your feet.
Local entrepreneur Aesha Karunakaran, creator of the Protein Milkshake Bar (and self-professed healthy lifestyle evangelist) served up delicious protein shakes to taste test between songs and I highly recommend you check them out (...flavours like you wouldn't believe! Cinnamon bun? Banana split?).
You can find Mason around town teaching various classes and it shouldn't be too long before another massive Zumba party is in the works. Tickets for this event were $20 in advance. Keep an eye on www.dionemason.com or send an email to info@dionemason.com for more information.
Brought to you by Andrea Wrobel.