My name is Alejandra Piccollo and Zumba is my passion!
Here is my journey.

Since 1992, I have been teaching Step, Hi-Lo, Latin dance, weights and began teaching Zumba in 2004. I am certified as a Group Exercise Instructor through CONADE (National commission of sports). My very first exposure to Zumba was in an infomercial! That motivated me to check the Zumba website. It was 2004 when I signed up for an instructor workshop in L.A. giving myself a rest from my rambunctious 2 y/o daughter. The experience lit a fire in me and I am now officially the record holder for most Zumba workshops taken with the creator Beto Perez (21 in total).

I had my eyes set on teaching a group exercise class at the YMCA and took all their required certification classes including CPR. For 2 years I tried to teach group exercise but there were never any openings. Finally after earning my Zumba certification, I offered to teach Zumba. I was allowed to teach a few minutes of Zumba during a group exercise class as an audition. Well I passed with flying colors! I started teaching one class a week and that quickly escalated to a current 9 classes a week with an average of 15-20 people per class. Considering that Zumba is a relatively new dance form, these numbers were impressive. In 2004 when I started teaching Zumba, I was the only person in Mountain View teaching this style. I love sharing my passion with my students, many of whom have been inspired to become Zumba teachers themselves.

I hold the record for Zumba workshops, I have attended so far 28 of them... And still counting!

Zumba is special for so many reasons. The choreography is fun and easy to learn. The invigorating music makes you want to dance. There is so much variety throughout the class that it keeps you focused. The level of impact is easily adjustable from mild to vigorous allowing you to have a good cardiovascular workout yet keep you injury free. This is the perfect choice for those who are healthy as well as those with minor physical issues. Best of all, I’ve lost 10 pounds in the process and I had fun doing it. What could be better!

A recent transplant from Mexico in 2001, I’m a wife and mother of two beautiful little girls. I came to California not speaking any English, not knowing how to drive, living in a country that I knew nothing about and with no one to lean on but my husband. I’m here to tell you that with all the odds against me, I did it and so can you! Come try a class and experience how much fun “Zumba with Ale” can be. All fitness levels are welcome. What have you got to lose...except maybe a few pounds?

Thank you for reading my biography.

Alejandra Picollo
Zumba advance Instructor
www.zumbawithale.com

P.S. A special thank you to: Doug and Joan Jones, Zumba specialist educators from Ohio, for their support, Beto Perez-Creator of Zumba, for his encouragement and for introducing this unique dance form to the US. He gave me the opportunity to have a job which brings me so much joy. To My Husband, because with out him, I wouldn’t be here with you. Finally, my sincere gratitude to each and every one of my students. You are the reason I have been teaching so long. What does the future hold? I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and in the future I plan to start my own business combining my administrative expertise with my Zumba experience.