Zumba Men of CT Rock Ellington Middle School

On Friday night, was rocking with what looked like a giant dance party.

Zumba instructors Tressa Giordano and Joanne Britton brought four guest instructors from around Connecticut for a rocking class.

Zumba instructors Eddie Calle and John Hinton, Zumba jammer Rodolfo Ramirez, and Hip Hop instructor Maurice Clark were the stars of the show, bringing their style and energy to the house.

“The reason for bringing the guys together for one incredible master class is to show everyone that Zumba is just not for women, it’s for guys too, and male instructors can bring it,” Giordano said. “We also wanted to offer a unique event that brings instructors and Zumba participants together from all over. We’ve already been asked if this event will be an annual happening.”

Giordano said that in her classes, a couple of men can be found but that in other parts of the United States, and internationally, finding men in the classes is more common.

Calle, a mixed martial arts fighter, said that he was asked to drop weight and a year and a half ago, was put in a Zumba class five times a week.

“That was it, I fell in love with it and I dropped about 90 pounds,” he said. “I’ve been teaching for about a year.”

While Zumba is traditionally an activity enjoyed by women, Calle says that a lot of men are getting involved.

“Especially in my classes – the guys with tattoos, the Harley guys, the husbands are coming in. It’s breaking a lot of barriers,” he said. “It’s great. It’s bringing a lot of people together which is awesome. All kinds of diversity.”

Ramirez, who is originally from Mexico City, brought Zumba to his gym – Courthouse Plus in Vernon – and teaches that class and a couple others. He teaches something every night of the week, and then on the weekend, he teaches choreography to other Zumba instructors.

“I love to dance, and I have a passion for sharing this with people,” said the lifetime dancer.

Clark said that he has been dancing since he was six and has been teaching dance since he was 13. He teaches choreography and got into his current role when he was asked to make his choreography class into a cardio class at his gym.

He admits that he makes his dances a little more risqué than most.

“I definitely make my routines a little more sexy,” he said. “A lot of people say they come to my class to escape. We come and let it all out – popping this and shaking that. Anything goes in my class. I’m definitely outside the box. I don’t do too many things that are ‘safe.’”

People from all over Connecticut, and even Massachusetts came out for the event – about 135 Giordano said.

Diana Bonacci of Wethersfield came to the class with four friends for one of the friends’ birthday. She said she has done Zumba before but never with a male instructor.

“It’s fun, you laugh a lot,” she said of the dancing. “I’m not very good at it but I think it’s fun to do. It’s better than being on a treadmill. We just laugh about it.”

EveAnn Mazur of Manchester is a self-described “Zumba lover” and “Zumba junkie” who actually got her instructor training certificate on Thursday, putting her at approximately 12 hours worth of Zumbaing over the last two days.

Mazur said that she takes classes with Giordano and Britton and has also taken them with Ramirez so she came to support them.

“It’s fun,” she said. “Zumba is great for everybody and everybody can do it.”

She noted that there is a little bit of a difference between a class run by a male instructor.

“It’s a little bit of a different flavor with the guys – they’re a little more raw,” she said.

How did Mazur like the class?

“I loved it,” she said.

That can be said for most of the participants at the event.