And a warm welcome back to so many of you who've been away on holiday during June and July. 💛
Isn't it funny how it always happens - the moment the children break up for the summer holidays, the temperatures drop and the skies turn cloudy! True to form, it did happen this year - but only for a few days. The inevitable downpour arrived too, and of course it's been bone dry for weeks since. I actually got caught out on my run, six miles from home, when it decided to chuck it down - I was a drowned rat !! By the time I got home though, I was dry again. Yay!
Don't worry, now it's warmed back up again, the air conditioning will stay on at both venues, so you're covered either way! 🌤️
And a little reminder: if you've got the grandchildren for the holidays, they're more than welcome to join you in class - as long as they're well behaved! Just check with me first to make sure there's a space, and they come free as long as they're with a paying dancer. 👶💃
I've held off introducing brand new choreography this month with so many of you away, but I've really enjoyed weaving in a few of our older favourites - lovely to see everyone's faces light up when a familiar one comes on!
📅 Closure Dates & Class Times
Good news - classes are open right throughout August, with the only closure being the August Bank Holiday on Monday 31st August.
📍 Wednesdays – Millennium Hall, Great Baddow (10am & 11am)
📍 Fridays – Millennium Hall, Great Baddow (11:15am)
💷 A Small Update to Pricing & Cancellations
From 1st September, I'm introducing a simple tiered pricing structure: • Single class – £8 • 5-class pass – £35 (£7/class) • 10-class pass – £68 (£6.80/class)
Right now, there's no real benefit to buying a 10-class pass over a 5-class one, so this small change means the more you commit, the more you save. Most of you already buy 5 or 10 class passes, so for the majority this won't change much at all and any passes you've already bought remain valid until you need to top up again.
Passes also last six months, so there's no pressure to use them up in a rush.
Alongside this, I'm also introducing a new cancellation cutoff.
Classes are getting busier - Mondays and Wednesday 10am are often full - so to keep things fair for everyone, you'll need to cancel in Gymcatch by 6pm the night before for 10am classes, or 7pm the night before for 11 / 11.15am classes, otherwise the credit will unfortunately be forfeited.
You're welcome to wait to book book on the morning of the class if there is a space available.
💃 Latest Routines
Monday's classes haven't been running quite as long as Wednesdays and Fridays, so when I bring back a real golden oldie, it's often brand new to them!
This month I revisited Opa Opa - one of my original fitness playlists, adapted for Gold - and I realised I'd never actually recorded it for YouTube before, so I made a point of filming it while teaching.
We've had a lovely time dancing it again at Wednesday and Friday, and introducing it fresh at Monday. Here's the video if you fancy a practice at home! 🎥💃
I also recently met up with my lovely friend Maria for some choreography planning, so there are brand new routines on the way soon - watch this space! 👀
🌟 Learn with Steph - Step of the Month: Beto Shuffle
Welcome back to Learn with Steph - our monthly feature where we break down the steps and moves that make up your Zumba with Steph classes! This section is for everyone - whether you've been dancing with me for years or you've just walked through the door for the very first time.
This month's move to master is the Beto Shuffle - a brilliant one because it pops up in virtually every rhythm, so once you've got it, you'll spot it everywhere!
It's also a fun one to watch, because everybody brings their own little style to it -some roll their hands, some add their own flair, and honestly, it can end up looking wonderfully different from person to person!
Check out the video below so you can see exactly what the Beto Shuffle should look like and how to perform it.
Want to dive deeper? Head over to the full Learn with Steph area on the website for more steps, techniques, and that all important stretching section 👇
We had slightly fewer walkers this month with so many of you away, but those who did come along were clearly in a power-walking mood! I actually did parkrun first that morning, then dashed over to catch the ladies for the second lap - and they were already head down and charging! They came in at a massive PB of 52:10. 🎉
All joking aside, a few of them are now saying they might have to jog bits of it if they want to beat that time - watch this space! 😂
The next ParkWalk is looking likely to be Saturday 22nd August - I'll confirm the exact date with a poll in the WhatsApp group, so keep an eye out there!
A reminder that if you'd like to join us on ParkWalk, we have a dedicated WhatsApp group for the community. Just search for "Zumba with Steph" under your WhatsApp groups and you'll find us! 📱 And if you've not yet joined the community, please see the WhatsApp section below.
⭐ Leave Me a Google Review
If you've been enjoying your classes, I'd love it if you could take a couple of minutes to leave me a Google review - it makes a huge difference!
Quick tip: make sure you're signed into your Google account on your phone first (the same one you use for Gmail or Google Maps) - it makes the whole thing much quicker and easier. Then just tap your link below, pick your stars, and add your comments. That's it!
I'll also have a QR code you can scan in class, and I'm always happy to help you do it there and then if you're not sure.
📍 Monday class at, Heybridge: CLICK HERE 📍 Wednesday & Friday classes at Great Baddow CLICK HERE
Five-star reviews make a massive difference to my marketing and help Google put me first when people search for Zumba locally - anything you can do to help really is fantastic.
And a little tip: rather than just a word or two, a short paragraph about how the class makes you feel is brilliant - I use quotes from your reviews as testimonials on my website too! 💛
💬 Before You Go...
I'm really loving having everybody back - the classes are full, and there's such a good buzz when the energy in the room is high! 🙌
Don't forget to join the WhatsApp group for any on-the-day updates. After every class, I now always post the playlist in the group, so if you ever want to check out the names of the tracks you've been dancing to, that's the only place I share it - so it's well worth being a member! Tap here to join
