Hannah Shihdanian: Zumba Diva

Part of my mission with this blog is to review Zumba and dance instructors/studios, so you'll have some good info about where to spend your time and money. If you're like me, fitting these activities into your life takes a mindful approach, and a wimpy exercise class will make your face go all pruney with disappointment.

I'm still working on a rating scale, but in essence, my aim is to be positive and supportive. I won't ever slam anybody. That's just...yuck. Instead, I'll use my immense power to tout the best folks around. So, in that spirit, I'm starting off with the wonderful Zumba instructor, Hannah Shihdanian. (taaadaaaa!)

Coolness: Um, well, when your instructor also is the lead player in a funky ART production of Midsummer Night's Dream on most weekends (called The Donkey Show), the coolness has been raised to a whole new level (see photo here of me n' Hannah/Titania) Yowza!

Community: Hannah's got groupies, you betcha. They're a welcoming bunch, and pretty diverse. They're fun in class, but not the super-loud whoop-it-up type. Our loudest member just moved back to Germany with her family, so maybe somebody else will take on Laurence's vocal participation role soon.

Connectedness: Hannah's got a Zumba website that she updates consistently, so you'll see the latest changes to her schedule if you bookmark her page. She uses her personal FB page to post Zumba videos from her class (fun to see folks workin' it for the camera), as well as make other class announcements. I notice some instructors have a separate FB page for Zumba stuff, and that's fine, too. The bonus with Hannah as a FB friend is that you get to see all the other cool things she's involved with, as she choreographs and directs shows and has the most beautiful friends around. She's great about emailing her students about specials she's running, upcoming video recordings, schedule updates, and such.

Environment: Hannah teaches regularly at the Waltham YMCA and Sundays at the Needham YMCA. The Waltham Y studio is nice, though it would be better if part of the floor space did not have spin bikes cluttering up the joint. The AC usually works well, and there is a ticket system in place because her class sells out. Get there 20 min before class to ensure a spot. Needham on Sundays does not use tickets or online reservations. Folks start lining up 20 min before class. That studio is not cluttered with other gear, and the AC is typically OK. Their locker room in Needham is super-small, so expect close quarters when changing afterwards. Hannah has a studio she rents out for Tues. night and Saturday morning classes, as well. It's nice and big, lots of mirrors, and has a cool party-like vibe with disco lights. The floor there is a little slippery compared to the YMCAs, so I use different footwear for that studio and it's just fine.

Sweat Factor: For me, it ain't worth my time if I don't leave a class completely dripping with sweat. Hannah never disappoints. It's intense, it's challenging, and you know you've done good work when you leave the studio. She always demonstrates low-impact variations, so no one is left out.

Dance chops: Doesn't get any better. Hannah is a dancer, first and foremost.  Expect a beautiful, full-out model of what the moves should/could look like (in your dreams). Never a phoned-in class, ever, even when she's been injured or fighting a cold. A true professional. It might take a newb a few classes to feel really confident with the choreography, but it's so very worth that investment.