Hello! I'm Simone Samuels, and I live in Ottawa, ON. I've been a ZIN™ Member since Jan 2016 and I absolutely love teaching Zumba classes. The reason is simple: Every class feels like a party! I am currently licensed to teach Zumba and Aqua Zumba®. I try to foster an easy-going, unintimidating, body positive atmosphere where we laugh, make mistakes and have fun. People who have visited my classes often tell me that my classes are… different — in a good way. 1) I believe in creating a warm, welcoming, encouraging, safe and non-judgmental environment for all participants. I know that the gym/studio/fitness centres can feel like an antagonistic and scary place for some people. I actively try to do my part in making fitness spaces less intimidating. 2) I believe that we all have good bodies and that there is nothing wrong with our bodies. I believe that our bodies — no matter its state — deserve love, respect, appreciation and care. 3) I believe that the body was made for movement. 4) I believe that we can and should exercise for more reasons than just weight loss. 5) I believe in the joy of movement. I believe that we should move our bodies because it is good for us and because movement feels good. 6) I believe that we should exercise out of love and respect for our bodies, and not out of shame, masochism or punishment. 7) I believe that fitness is for everyone. 8) I believe that fitness can be fun. We don't just dance and go home -- we're a community of people of all levels of dance-ability where we care about one another. I'd absolutely LOVE IT if you joined our tribe! Come join me -- I guarantee you will have a blast! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a message!