When the Zumba trend swept the world in the early 21st century, Marisa Bengston-Loerzel was hooked. Over the 20-plus years since the program debuted, Bengston-Loerzel has remained a student, citing its benefits beyond physical fitness.
“Zumba never feels like an exercise,” she explained, “it feels like a dance party. Beyond physical health, it’s improved my mental health and helped me get better sleep and make new friends.”
Inspired by her daughter, Addie—who is diagnosed with spina bifida—Marisa decided to become a certified Zumba instructor in January 2023 with the goal of leading a Zumba class for people of any and all abilities. This led her to connect with Jessica Rheault, Moorhead Area Public Schools’ Community Enrichment Coordinator.
“In the past, I’d done some Community Ed classes so I was familiar with the schedule and the variety of classes offered, so I thought this is perfect,” said Bengston-Loerzel. “This is what we want: we want community—we want everybody.”
The first Inclusive Zumba class, called “Adaptive Zumba” at the time, launched in May 2023 at MAPS’ Vista Center for Education. The class was a hit, drawing a diverse group of students that represented different abilities, age groups, genders and nationalities.
Similar to her own experience over the previous two decades, Bengston-Loerzel observed otherwise-unlikely friendships forged from the program.
“Two ladies who came into the class from different walks of life, and I would say probably wouldn’t have met each other without the class, became really close,” she detailed. “Now one gal has joined the other’s gardening club and they see each other outside of class all the time.”
When the second installment of Inclusive Zumba started in early September, the class made the move from an Early Childhood Family Education classroom at Vista into the gymnasium at the Moorhead High School Career Academy. This new, larger space means the class can now accept up to 50 students, and Bengston-Loerzel hopes that means an even wider spectrum of participants.
“Our class isn’t high impact, so if you’re a person that hasn’t worked out for awhile—or working out is tough for you—you should still come. If you’re a person who works out every day, you should come, too, because you can make it high impact—you can make it whatever you want it to be.”
The next session of Inclusive Zumba begins on November 1. You can sign up for this session today at the Community Education registration site.