Transforming complicated dance moves into simple steps and exercise into fun, out choreographer/director Sherry Zunker uses her expert dance background to lead BeMoved Dance Fitness. The dance fitness experience geared for all ages and experience levels features 16 genres; offers its Series One DVD, Bollywood; and has classes taking place at 45 locations across the United States and Canada.
Zunker, the BeMoved founder, talks with Windy City Times about her love of dance, BeMoved and the new BeMoved DVD.
Windy City Times: When did you start dancing?
Sherry Zunker: I personally started dancing when I was 5—so that would've been, my gosh, 47 years ago.
WCT: What kind of dance did you start with?
Sherry Zunker: I started in tap and then shortly after came ballet and then eventually did jazz.
WCT: What made you decide to make dance your life?
Sherry Zunker: I don't feel like it was a choice. It was just in me. I always knew I was going to be a dancer. I just knew and I always loved it so much. It was the one thing that I was just extremely passionate about and as I grew up—because I danced so much and was so passionate about it—I was able to attain a lot of good training and scholarships and start a career very early. It's just been my whole life.
WCT: After such a dance career, how does dancing make you feel?
Sherry Zunker: It's interesting. My relationship with dance keeps changing as my life keeps changing.
WCT: So the meaning of dance has evolved for you?
Sherry Zunker: In my career as a choreographer, not only have I worked with professional dancers, but I've also worked a lot with actors and singers, so I've had to develop in the last 30 years a way to make people who don't have a dance background succeed really quickly. To choreograph things that make sense for them and feel good for that person, and having that experience and actually loving to do that for them has really helped me to create BeMoved because I'm able to take movements that look good of somebody that's never danced and for it to make sense to the body if you haven't had training.
WCT: Do you work particularly well with beginners?
Sherry Zunker: When I created BeMoved, my ideal audience was people who had had no formal training. I really wanted them to experience dance in a very artistic, inspiring, very moving and pain free way. I direct a lot now, which is really to me teaching.
By teaching itself and through the experience of having so many years of it, there's really so much that you learn. Even though when I actually decided to do BeMoved, seriously it took weeks to create what that class should be. What I did realize is that it's taken me 30 years. It's been in the making for 30 years. That's the magic of it is how you take something that could be very complex and actually make it simple, but interesting and engaging.
WCT: How does it differ from Zumba?
Sherry Zunker: I think it's really different from Zumba, but I'm thankful for Zumba because it's gotten so many people dancing. People love to dance, so I felt like people either wanted another experience beside Zumba or couldn't do Zumba because it's too athletic and too aerobic—it's really intense. I personally couldn't do it because of my injuries. So I thought if I'm feeling this way, I think maybe other people may want something where you start more organically and really warm up the body properly, but then really get a chance to move in more of a pain free way so you can keep doing it a lot.
BeMoved has 16 different dance styles you can experience, so that's a big difference. The other thing is the class structure is very different, where you start out slower and you gain more momentum as the class goes. Then the style of dancing is different because you're going to be using your upper body and your arms a lot more in BeMoved and it's a lot more lengthening. It involves a lot more control, and a lot more suspension. So you're using your body in a way a dancer might use it, but not like a normal person, which makes it so different, which is why honestly BeMoved is a phenomenal compliment to people who love Zumba because you would move your body in such a different way.
It's interesting with BeMoved: You get a really good cardio workout, but it's not because you're jumping or twisting or doing fast direction changes. It's really because you never stop moving the entire class regardless if it's fast or slow.
WCT: Is the DVD like taking the class home with you?
Sherry Zunker: The DVD is exactly like the class; however, the only difference is you're by yourself and you're not in the room with that kind of energy. But it absolutely is a very good representation of what a BeMoved class is like. The other thing that's nice about the DVD is for people who haven't danced, it really gives you some insight into the basic movements that you'll do when you come to class. What's different about it is there's a tutorial that really explains things if you want more explanation about how to really something like a movement or an exercise.
WCT: Why did you select the Bollywood genre for the first DVD?
Sherry Zunker: I felt it was such a good representation of BeMoved because Bollywood is a combination of all different cultural influences from America and different countries mixed with Indian culture. So there's something very fun and energetic about it. At the same time, with the Indian influence, there's an artistry about it. I feel like that is, to the tee, what BeMoved is. It's fun, it's attainable, but there's this element of artistry and Bollywood has that. It's also a popular genre these days.
It's so new to us in America in the last couple years. The other reason I chose Bollywood is because when you sell a DVD you cannot use the music you use in class because of rights. I knew I could get great Bollywood music.
WCT: So BeMoved captures the emotional as well as the physical?
Sherry Zunker: I wanted people to have this emotional experience. I had no idea it was going to be such a cardio workout. The fact that we never stop moving, your body and your emotions are kind of going at the same time. I build a class like I would build a show. The challenge for me is keeping it simple enough and still making it interesting. It would be so easy if I could make it hard.
WCT: Meeting your wife while salsa dancing, is that a genre you're "BeMoved" by?
Sherry Zunker: Absolutely! I just love that music. It obviously has a personal meaning for me. I only pick things I am moved by. The real key is not the genre, but the music I pick for the genre. So I feel like that has a lot to do with it. My life is made of searching for music continuously. The thing is there's a lot of good music out there, but there's a big difference between something that's good that'll work for class and something that I would put in a show. There's a big difference in those choices. I'm constantly looking for that level. Is it a good song? Is it popular? Is the arrangement good? Is it a tempo people can dance to? Does it make you want to move? Does it evoke an emotion? Some things do and some things do, but not quite on the same level.
You feel like you've almost performed on stage together. So there's definitely some kind of connection and camaraderie within the room. Even if it's an exercise class, you feel like you just performed.
For more information on BeMoved, visit www.bemoved-dance.com .
