Leveraging life one class at a time
I love being able to share more about my wonderful students with all of you. This week I am featuring Angela Wu in my Student Spotlight!
This past year, I began to notice a pair of enthusiastic dancers at the front of each and every Fit +Flaunt and Zumba class at WAO. The two danced so happily together, and it was only months later that I discovered that the dynamic duo is mother and daughter, Maggie and Angela. I find something so touching about dancing with people that are part of the same family. I always love to see the parents and kids, or siblings and cousins finding unique ways of spending time together outside of the home. It feels like an honor that they choose to spend their time coming to class!
In the words of Angela:
Age 22 has been a big turning point for me. As a fresh graduate, it’s like you’re suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar society without any warning. Life has gotten busier than ever with my Masters program to be completed and a part-time job in an investment company. Nevertheless, there’s this book that I read recently and it’s about LEVERAGING life (taking back control of your life by balancing your work and free time). I learned from it that we should seize every small opportunity for change in life and use it as motivation to welcome the future. In short, Fit & Flaunt classes is one of those leverages for me.
Four years ago I came back from Indonesia to study in university in Taiwan. I’ve only seen my family less than one third of the year since then. Therefore, every time my mom’s also back in Taiwan, she tries to find so many activities to do with me. This June she took me to Katie’s Fit & Flaunt classes at WAO, and it was the kind of dance class that I had never experienced before! Unlike those hip hop or jazz classes I used to take in middle school, Fit & Flaunt doesn’t put so much focus on the steps. It’s not a big deal if you take a wrong move or miss a beat. Rather, it is designed for the students to simply enjoy the music and themselves while sweating off all the weariness either from work or school (or calories from the late-night supper we had the previous day?!). In Fit & Flaunt class, we do some cardio as well as muscle toning first, and eventually work on a little cute and sexy choreography. It is no doubt a very entertaining class to attend!
Moreover, Fit & Flaunt reminds me of the good old days in Indonesia when my friends and I would always sign up for dance performances. We were once pretty confident in ourselves, but ever since we moved back to Taiwan (an entirely new environment for us), we were too busy fitting into a new group and keeping up with school that it seems something may have been lost in us.
Luckily, I think I might have gradually rediscovered some self confidence in our Fit & Flaunt classes because Katie’s constantly encouraging us to embrace ourselves, and she has this incredible charisma of spreading happiness among her students.
Thanks to Fit & Flaunt and as well Katie’s Zumba classes I have gotten to enjoy some quality time with Mom! In addition, I’ve always felt like I am set free from my extremely packed schedule every time I am in a class!!
P.S. Currently, Mom’s missing the classes so much while she’s in Indonesia that she is now taking 4 Zumba classes a week there! … XD
Whether it’s with relatives, friends, or fellow students, we all feel like family when we are dancing together. Thanks for your continued support and for joining me in class or online each week!
Keep moving!
xx,
Katie
讓舞蹈來照顧你的心理健康
我真的很喜歡和大家分享每一位學生的美好，這周，我的焦點學生是Angela。這一年我開始注意到一對非常熱情的舞者，每到周一周二晚上在 WAO 的舞麗自信和 Zumba 課，我都會看到他們站在最前面。她們總是很開心的一起跳舞，直到一個月過後，我才發現她們竟然是母女！和家人一起跳舞有一種微妙又動人的感覺，每當看到父母和孩子們或是兄弟姊妹和表兄弟姊妹們，在家裡以外的時間仍然聚在一起嘗試不同的事物，總是讓我覺得窩心，所以當我發現她們選擇我的課來當「家外時間」時，真的讓我備感榮幸。
Angela 的分享：
22歲對我來說是一個很重要的轉折點，成為社會新鮮人就像是你無預警地被丟進一個不熟悉的社會。為了兼顧在投資公司上班與研究所的課業，讓我感受到前所未有的忙碌。然而最近看的一本書中提到一個善用生活的方式 ------ 藉由平衡工作與閒暇時間，來拿回你生活的主導權。我在這本書裡面學到，我們應該把握生活中每一個微小的改變，藉著它們來激勵自己、迎接未來。舞麗自信正是一個我用來激勵自己的機會。
四年前，我從印尼回台灣就讀大學，在這之前和家人相處的時間一年不超過四個月，所以每次只要媽媽從印尼回台灣，她總會找一些不同的活動邀我一起參加。今年六月她帶我去上 Katie 在 WAO 的舞麗自信，這堂舞蹈課的模式是一個我從未曾體驗過的，和我在中學上過的街舞和爵士舞很不一樣。在舞麗自信中，我們不會花太多時間專注在每一個舞步，跳錯一個舞步或是少跟了一拍也沒關係，這堂課的重點是要用大流汗來甩去生活中的倦怠感（或是甩去前晚消夜的熱量？），讓學生們能在音樂中盡情地享受自己。從一開始的有氧運動、肌力訓練、到最後可愛又性感的編舞，真的是一堂娛樂性十足的課程。
此外，舞麗自信讓我回想到在印尼的時候，我和朋友們常常會報名一些舞蹈表演，那時的我們真的充滿了自信與光彩。但是，自從我們搬回台灣 ------ 這個全新的環境------以後，忙於適應新環境、新團體、加上學校的課業，開始覺得我們的內心中少了些什麼。在舞麗自信的課程中，因為 Katie 不斷地鼓勵我們要欣然接受自己，透過她無比的魅力散發快樂給所有的學生，很幸運的，我逐漸地找回我的自信。
我很感謝舞麗自信和 Katie 的 Zumba 課，讓我可以和媽媽共享這如此特別的時光，每次上課都讓我忘卻極度繁忙的生活。
PS. 回到印尼的媽媽因為非常想念 Katie 的課，現在她在那一周上4堂 Zumba 課呢! XD
不管是和親戚、朋友或是一起上課的同學們，當我們一起跳舞的時候我們都像是一家人。不論是每周來上課同學們或是在家和我（的Youtube 影片）一起跳舞朋友們，謝謝你們持續的支持。
繼續前進！
愛你的 Katie
( Anna Liang 譯 )