A package has arrived for assistant principal Irma Muñoz. Throughout the morning, the cardboard box sits on her desk next to a stack of administrative paperwork as she conducts meetings and makes important phone calls. At lunch break, Muñoz sets down her pen with a sigh of relief and takes up a pair of scissors to break open the seal of the box. Inside is an array of bright, rainbow-colored rubber bracelets, each one inscribed with a different motivational message. Lifting up one of the bracelets, she hears the catchy Latin drum beat in her head and starts to envision a new dance routine for her class that afternoon.
“These bracelets are for my Zumba students,” Muñoz said. “I always give them out at the beginning of my classes.”
Muñoz has been a licensed Zumba instructor since 2013, regularly teaching the Latin-inspired cardio fitness dance to classes of 20 to 25 adults.
“I teach Zumba twice a week, every week at a gym in Berkeley,” Muñoz said.
Muñoz’s passion for Zumba began eight years ago, when she fatefully set foot in her first Zumba class.
“It all started when a friend of mine was having a Zumba birthday party, and she invited me to attend,” Muñoz said. “I was so happy just to be invited to a party that I decided to go.”
Muñoz remembers walking into the studio as a shy first-time student, standing in the back row, just hoping to forge new friendships. But by the end of that class, Muñoz had discovered a newfound passion for movement.
“Imagine being able to just move to the music and be free,” Muñoz said. “That’s what Zumba feels like.”
After taking a few more classes, Muñoz said that she and her friend decided on a whim to undergo the requisite training to get their Zumba licenses together.
“After I became licensed, I just wanted to be a sub at first. But one day, a gym was hiring instructors and I decided to audition,” Muñoz said. “I had to go dance in front of the manager of the gym. It was a little nerve wracking, but to my surprise, I got hired for a regular position.”
Although her path to becoming an instructor was unplanned, Muñoz said that teaching Zumba has now morphed into one of the most fulfilling parts of her life.
“It’s totally rewarding, and it’s not as scary or intimidating as people think,” Muñoz said.
The rewards of teaching are twofold for Muñoz. Being a Zumba instructor allows her not only to help others reach their personal fitness goals, but also to educate others about her culture, Muñoz said.
“As a Mexican, I get to celebrate my culture because Zumba is based around Latino music,” Muñoz said. “It gives me the opportunity to share a really important part of my identity with other people.”
Self-expression in general is an integral component of Zumba, Muñoz said. Although the steps in Zumba are structured and repeated multiple times, Muñoz still emphasizes the opportunity for individuality.
“I encourage my students that if they don’t like my moves, they can do their own,” Muñoz said. “They have that sort of freedom.”
Muñoz’s career as a Zumba instructor has even overlapped with her career as an administrator. In both, she has learned to be open-minded when working with individual students. Muñoz said that she has tried to further merge the two parts of her life by sharing her Zumba instruction with the faculty and staff at PHS.
“Once in a while, I will do a Zumba song with the teachers during faculty meetings,” Muñoz said.
Special education teacher Emily Hook, who teaches Jazzercise outside of school, said that learning Zumba during the faculty meetings has allowed her to see a completely different side of Muñoz.
“She had an extra twinkle in her eye, and you could really tell that she loves her culture so much,” Hook said. “She truly shines when she’s teaching Zumba. I’ve never seen her so happy and excited.”
Senior Chloé Kamber has also noticed Muñoz’s contagious passion for Zumba and Latino culture.
“When I was in dance class sophomore year, I did a Reggaeton dance in the dance show,” Kamber said. “[Muñoz] came up to me and said that she loved that there was more diversity and representation in the show.”
Kamber, who is also a licensed Zumba instructor, said that Muñoz has offered her many insights into what it means to teach others.
“She told me that she practiced a lot before she started teaching Zumba, because you have to really know what you’re doing before you start teaching it to other people,” Kamber said.
Kamber is particularly inspired by Muñoz’s respect and compassion for her students.
“She always makes time for me if I ever have a question to ask her,” Kamber said. “You can tell that she cares a lot about all of her students.”
Muñoz’s future goals for her Zumba career include growing her class size and participating in a Zumbathon.
“A Zumbathon is where you do an hour and a half of Zumba with other instructors,” Muñoz said. “One person does ten minutes, another person does ten minutes, and there are hundreds of people there. One day, I definitely want to be a part of that.”
No matter where her career takes her, however, Muñoz said that she is sure that Zumba will remain a lifetime pursuit for her.
“I think it’s important for everyone to have something—whether it’s a hobby or an interest—that keeps them active outside of their full-time position,” Muñoz said. “That’s what Zumba does for me. It keeps me young at heart.”
