Erin Trammell is a first grade teacher at Hayden Primary School by day and a Zumba instructor by night who will be starting a Zumba class at the Warrior Community Center on Jan. 17. It will be every Monday at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $6, and a portion of the fee goes to the city.

First, what is Zumba?

It’s an exercise program that’s based on Latin dance, like samba and salsa. It also includes a little hip-hop. It’s been around since 2000, and now it’s a huge, huge thing.  Their slogan is “ditch the workout, join the party,” and it really is like a dance party instead of a workout. You just hit play and go; you teach the choreography within the music by starting out slow and building speed.

What got you started teaching Zumba?

Last year, I was in and out of the hospital a lot, and I was taking up to 11 pills a day for different things. I gained a lot of weight and got really unhealthy. Last November, I just decided that I couldn’t do that anymore, so I changed my eating habits, started drinking more water and started walking on Jan. 1. I discovered Zumba shortly after that, and got hooked on it. In a little under a year, I’ve lost 110 pounds.

Do you think being a school teacher helps you be a better Zumba instructor?

When I was trying to choose a career, I knew I wanted to help people. So, I narrowed it down to either a nurse or a teacher. I feel like reaching out to first graders and helping them get a good foundation of skills is similar to teaching a Zumba class to be fit and full of energy. My mother was actually an aerobics teacher for years, and I never saw myself becoming an exercise instructor.