One year ago today I kicked off The Year of Play with a <strong>dance off </strong>with World's Most Precious Niece.  In December 2012, I ended the year Zumba-ing my tushie off with my Nana.

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Technically, this was a parallel playdate because Nana lives in Florida.  On a fine and crisp Saturday morning, Nana checked into her weekly Zumba class in Florida while I tried one out for the first time in Arizona.  Nana had been raving about Zumba for ages, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.

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Yes, that's right.  I am a newbie, but Nana Zumbas regularly.  She's 91.  (You may have met her a few months ago over <strong>here.</strong>)

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My seemingly Most Popular Facebook Post Ever happened on a whim (I'm terrible at posting regularly to fb) and featured Nana.  This will give you a little glimpse into Nana's life and how she inspires others through her joie de vivre :

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<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11927" rel="attachment wp-att-11927"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11927" alt="http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3.36.19-PM.png" width="407" height="815" /></a>

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That's my Nana!  It took her TWO WEEKS to get back to me after that phone call!

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Was I annoyed?  Hardly.  Instead, I was OVERJOYED that she is having so much fun that she forgets to call her first-born grandchild.

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You see, Nana nearly died a year ago last November.  She suffered a bad fall, hit her head, and developed a clot on her brain.  The doctor explained to my family that her injury was cause to operate on a younger person, but brain surgery was out of the question for a 90 year-old.

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The doctor changed his mind days later when Nana's condition worsened.  She wasn't eating (this is about as normal for a Portuguese woman as it is for an Italian!), her speech was slurred, and she was confused.

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When I talked to her on the phone the night before the surgery, I thought that was the last time I would hear my grandmother's voice.  How many 90 year-olds survive brain surgery?  Even the doctor advised against it until there was no other option.

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<strong>13 months later . . . . </strong>

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Nana is living the life with her sister at the Senior Dorm.  In addition to the activities listed above, she is also a regular at Sit and Be Fit, Bible Study, Choir Practice and receives dancing invitations from gentleman callers at Happy Hour.

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Oh, and I should probably also mention that at age 76, Nana was in a horrific car accident and was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center.  After making it through days in ICU, she was finally released to a hospital room.

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Later that night, we were called to the hospital at 1 a.m. to say our goodbyes.  Nana was hemorrhaging uncontrollably through her nose.  She was back in ICU, and she was on her last blood transfusion.  Miraculously, an ER doctor came to the rescue and saved her life by inserting a urinary catheter (of all things!) up her nose.

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Not only is Nana the poster child for Late Blooming, but she is also the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!  :-)

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My apologies for the long backstory, but I think her story is absolutely remarkable.  And I didn't even delve into the 6 month depression post-brain surgery, and Nana's refusal to leave the beautiful home my late grandfather built for her in order to move into the Senior Dorm!

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<strong>Just when Nana thought her life was doomed, she bloomed.  </strong>

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Which brings us full circle to Zumba.

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If you are unfamiliar with Zumba, here's the lowdown taken directly from their website:  <em>Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba<sup>®</sup> program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.</em>

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Listen, I'm not one of those dancy-dancy types.  Did I ever take dance as a child?  No.  Was I on drill team in high school?  No.  Have I ever in my entire life felt cool or comfortable dancing in a group setting such as Homecoming, Prom, or at a dive bar or club?  Hell no!

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Did I dance in the chorus in theatrical productions in high school and college?  Technically, "yes", but . . . . that's chorus dancing.  That's not the same thing as "shake your sexy groove thing" dancing.

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In other words, I never tried Zumba because I was <em>intimidated</em> by Zumba.  This white girl can't dance.  Which is puzzling because I'm 50% Portuguese.  Somehow we didn't receive the innate hip shaking gene that other women of Latin origin share.  Think about Spanish and Brazilian women.  They shake their bon bons effortlessly.  Portuguese women?  Not so much.

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<strong>But it's never too late to learn!  Can bon bon shaking be taught?  I showed up to Zumba class to find out.</strong>

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I was greeted by Erika, a sexy spitfire of an instructor decked out in hottie Zumba dance wear.  Yes, apparently there is a Zumba clothing line.

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Erika welcomed me to class (I was the only newbie in a room of about 40) and advised me to follow along the best that I could while having fun.

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The electrifying music started pulsing, and we were off!  I followed along the best I could while dodging dancing women coming at me from all angles.  I laughed it off in the spirit of fun and fitness.  This is one of the gifts of being 40-something.  In my 20s, I would have felt self-conscious.  At 43, I find it amusing.

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[caption id="attachment_11940" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11940" rel="attachment wp-att-11940"><img class="size-medium wp-image-11940" alt="Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless.  It's sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D " src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG00331-20121208-1017-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></a> Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless. It's sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D[/caption]

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I was surprised at how quickly I adapted to the class.  My favorite moves were -- you guessed it! -- the bon bon shaking and the chest shimmies.  Even though I still felt a bit clunky.

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I could go on and on about the class, but let me just say that I was hooked in about . . . . oh . . . . 5 minutes.  Zumba is addictive!  The music and routines change about every 3 minutes, and it's easier to follow than I thought.  Of course, there were challenging bits, but challenges help us grow.

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My only regret was that I made the brilliant breakfast choice of waffles and coffee about an hour before class.  :-p  DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!  Zumba is a real workout!

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I met up with Erika after class and asked thoughtful questions relating to Zumba and bon bon shaking.

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<strong>Erika (an innate bon bon shaker of Latin origin) assured me shaking your bon bon like nobody's business is a skill that can be learned through regular Zumba!</strong>

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That's all I need to hear.  I am now a member of the Y and will be Zumba-ing my bootie off on Saturday mornings along with Nana.

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How was Nana's Zumba class?  I tried to obtain a photo.  I really did.  Nana may be an active 91 year-old, but she is clueless about technology.

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I did get some scoop though via one of her letters.

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