Zumba is based on social dancing, and as the Zumba slogan says, you “Ditch the workout, join the party.” That means you don’t have to focus on technique or form when dancing Zumba; you just feel the music, feel free, and have a blast dancing with others in your own style. Figure 8 has the same “fun” factor as Zumba, however, Figure 8 training is highly technical with a primary focus on dancer’s stance, abdominal compression, precise body actions (hip sway, hip tuck, and hip roll), mind-to-muscle connection, breathing, and layering system progression.
Also, Zumba dance routines are choreographed to fit specific songs, which often do not follow a 32 count musical phrasing, and therefore cannot be repeated equally from left to right side of the body. Figure 8 dance drills are choreographed to 32 count musical phrases, allowing the dance patterns to be repeated on the left and right side of the body equally. This results in balanced muscle development.
The cueing of Zumba and Figure 8 differ, also. Unlike Zumba, which is cued visually, a Figure 8 Instructor uses a microphone for verbal cues on correct dance patterns and proper technique in posture, form, body action, and muscle activation, especially in the core.
