The Zumba Craze is Spreading

The room at in Tolland was packed on Thursday night with people of all ages and athletic abilities taking part in a Zumba class – and that was a small class!

Instructor Tressa Oliver Giordano, a 1996 graduate, said that the numbers are down a bit because it’s summer, but that in the fall, the Zumba classes get about 70 people a night. She added that when she and co-teacher Joanne Britton have taught at , they will fill the gymnasium.

This is just one way of seeing how quickly Zumba is growing in the area.

Another is that even though it is the summer, this group outgrew its original home and had to move to Star Hill because there was more space there.

“I think a big part of it is that there’s no judgment,” Giordano said. “People just come in and they can let loose and have fun. Nobody is watching them, it’s not intimidating, and you’re exercising and you don’t even know it. The whole Zumba philosophy is support one another and love one another – and you make all these friends. We do road trips and we do Zumba classes in other states. It’s like a second family. I think that’s a big part of it. You just get that support.”

For Jan Lacus of Vernon, she does the Zumba classes for fun and for health reasons – both physical and mental. Lacus is just returning after having surgery and is very happy to be back.

“I enjoy it,” she said. “I’m just coming back now after seven months off. It’s great to get back. My doctor said it’s a wonderful thing to do.”

Michelle Giordano – who is not related to the instructor Giordano – said she started doing Zumba almost two years ago because she decided she needed to lose 15-20 pounds.

“Between Zumba and diet, I did it,” she said. “I have a coworker who was very ill at the time and it just helped with the stress. It keeps you grounded and it’s fun and it’s something to look forward to. I can’t wait to go exercise. It’s crazy. I get all excited. This is one of those awesome things. One of my friends had been doing for years and said I had to come and I’d love it. She was so right. I do it because I love it!”

She added that it’s fun, it’s a good time, the music is great, and that you make friends – some who may even live in your town but that you wouldn’t otherwise meet.

The music ranges from songs that are popular today that you would hear on the radio to Ricky Martin to Michael Jackson to disco. It makes for a fun, exciting, and upbeat workout.

Giordano describes herself as a “mild-mannered mom by day, crazy Zumba person by night.”

“I’m in good company. My coworkers know I do it but I don’t know if they know what goes on,” she said with a laugh.

In addition to just having some fun and getting some exercise, there was something else to celebrate on Thursday night. A year ago this week, Tressa Giordano had two holes in her heart closed.

“They found them last year and I was having mini-strokes,” she said. “It was a really scary thing.”

Giordano said that she took six weeks off but would come to class and watch and that she had tons of support from the people in the class.

“The people here were sending cards, making meals,” she said. “They were so supportive and they were psyched when I came back.”

Everyone in the class was given heart stickers to wear on their clothing or bodies and there were cupcakes with hearts on them after the class.

You might think that after having heart surgery, Giordano would have slowed down a bit. You’d be wrong.

“I teach about 10 classes a week,” she said. “Sometimes I do two a day. I love it, I really do.”

Giordano also teaches classes at the in Ellington and at  in Manchester.