La Fiesta! With the city matching their steps to that of Zumba, the party is sure to be long-lived or like they say in Spanish, La Fiesta. But what when a Zumba Jammer comes knocking on the door?

A first for the country and for the city, New Jersey-based Zumba Jammer Vin Iyer (picture right) stepped into Calcutta with her rocking steps of not just Zumba but also belly dancing from October 3-5, for a workshop with Zumba students organised by DNA Danceworks.

Who is a Zumba Jammer? “An instructor certified in Zumba fitness who can hold workshops to share their own choreography to Zumba music, which has to comply with the rules of Zumba fitness. Only the Zumba Instructor Network members are allowed to come and take that workshop,” said Vin, who also excels in ballet, jazz and tap dance.

Born in India and brought up in USA, Vin always nurtured the wish to come back to India with her dance. “Right now, there are 200-plus Zumba Jammers across the world. But I wanted to be the first one to conduct a workshop here, back in my own country,” she said, looking at her over-enthused class who had braved the rain and the waterlogging to make it to the Dew Drops Dance Studio on 27B Dr Rajendra Road (near Northern Park; Forum) over the weekend.

Vin is set to tour five cities in India with her Master Classes — Calcutta, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Goa. Calcutta was the first stop for Vin’s month-long workshops but the jam sessions will happen in Mumbai and Goa on October 20 and 21.

Did someone say hectic? “Yesss! I love hectic,” was the exclamation from the 48-year-old.

Coming to belly dancing, it was quite an eye-opener. For one, it wasn’t about just moving and shaking those hips. “It is a completely internal workout. It’s not only about cardio but more about getting control of your body muscles and being able to move each part separately. So before you take charge of anything else in life, it is important to get control of your own body,” said Vin, who got hooked to the dance form about seven years ago.

And if you are still wondering what’s so great about dancing away your life, hear it from the pro. “You get to be fit, meet this whole new set of students, make friends and more importantly, enjoy what you do! It’s just like a party that you have together,” smiled the lady.

If one is adventurous enough, there is more in store. “We are soon going to hold Aqua Zumba classes in places like Tolly Club, Saturday Club, Gold’s Gym Alipore, South City International School and CC&FC. It’s a unique form as it involves working your body movements beneath the water. The speed is slower as water provides resistance and this is beneficial for various body aches. It also helps burn more calories,” smiled city-based Amit Shaw of DNA Danceworks, who is all set to become a Zumba Jammer himself.

Vin Iyer might be back in the city in December for a 10-day workshop. So if you missed out on this one, watch out for a winter date with dance.

Sreyoshi Dey Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya