The César Chávez Cultural Center focuses on multiple areas of growth, including academic success and social justice and now, health and wellness with the addition of Zumba classes.  

Every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., the CCCC hosts Zumba classes for all in their building to offer those who participate an opportunity to relieve stress. 

Based on Latin rhythms, Zumba is a type of dance exercise, led by a Zumba instructor, that gets your body moving and blood pumping.

The movements incorporated are selected and ordered in a way that alternates between different muscle groups. They are presented in a manner that makes them unique each time, slightly changing the target muscles that are used with each new cycle of movement.

It is “having something that is dynamic, that is changing, and it’s not exactly the same all the time,” said Zumba instructor Jenny Urbina. “So you can go to a completely different Zumba class, with a different structure, and it’s going to be something different.” 

Zumba is a cardio-based class that is made for everybody. It is not limited based on physical health or previous Zumba experience.

“It’s enough to get your heart rate up without making you feel like you’re dying,” said OSU chemical engineering student Scott Svadlenak.

One of the things that makes Zumba inclusive to all, is that the intensity level does not rely on experience or technique. You can control the amount of strength and energy you want to put into it.

“If I’m doing a squat, but you want to go super low, it’s up to you,” Urbina said. 

Zumba also offers mental stimulation as the instructor leads you through the dance. With the constantly changing muscle groups, there’s a focus and quickness that goes into switching between movements and keeping tempo.

“You are thinking, but you are enjoying,” Urbina said.  “You are bringing a lot of happiness.”

Marelyn Poox-Castillo, the community relations representative for the César Chávez Cultural Center, explained that despite mainly targeting OSU students, the Zumba classes are open to all of the Corvallis community.

“A lot of our events are open to the community,” Poox-Castillo said. “And I guess a form of community with OSU students, like a form of interconnection.”

This sense of growing community creates a welcoming environment for those who took the class.

“The atmosphere was very good,” Svadlenak said. “It felt very open, very warm, very friendly the whole time.”  

As the term continues to roll on and assignments continue to come and go, creative outlets such as Zumba offer a fun yet stimulating way to relieve stress.

“I just hope that they’re able to be comfortable here and feel welcome and let out some steam,” Poox-Castillo said. 

More information on Zumba can be found on the César Chávez Cultural Center Instagram: @cccc_osu

For more information about the César Chávez Cultural Center, click here.