How Zumba® Fitness Found Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan and Changed Her Life L
BY LISA R. MELE
ast summer, I had the opportunity to attend the twentieth Anniversary Event of the movie “The Sixth Sense” with my daughter, Leah Mele-Bazaz, in Philadelphia. During that event I had the privilege to meet the director/producer/writer, M. Night Shyamalan, and his lovely wife, Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan. I also learned that evening that Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan (also known in the fitness industry as Dr. B.) is a mother of three beautiful daughters, a licensed Zumba®, 305Fitness®, and Bombay Jam® Instructor and co-owner of Vibe Vault Fit in Exton, Pennsylvania. I was so impressed with this multi-talented woman that I had to share Dr. B.’s story with our PhillyFIT Magazine readers and fitness enthusiasts.
Dr. B. received her B.A. from NYU and her Ph.D. in clinical developmental psychology from Bryn Mawr College. Her work as a therapist made her want to work more with people to help transform their lives. Dr. B. adds: “It had been a longtime dream of mine to open an orphanage one day in my life. I had also been engaged as a volunteer for several nonprofits thoughout most of my youth. These various pulls led me, eventually to the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation where I felt I could have a deeper and broader impact though that avenue.” Outside her very busy professional and family life, Dr. B. wanted to make time for herself and wanted to try a variety of dance classes. Dr. B. loved the style of Salsa, but most of the members that came to Salsa class brought partners and she felt a bit awkward not having one. One day, someone mentioned that she should try a Zumba® fitness class because they claimed it was like Salsa without the partner. Dr. B. recalls, “I attended Sandra Goes’ Zumba® class at my local Y and I had no idea it was even an exercise class. When I left that day, I called my 30 |
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husband and said, “I am home! If I can just take Zumba® classes for the rest of my life, I will be happy.” For someone naturally introverted and shy,“becoming a Zumba® Instructor was the last thing I could imagine for myself,” Dr. B. explains. Over time, Sandra would let her do a dance or two with her during class and this eventually began to give Dr. B. more confidence in getting in front of an audience, helping her to overcome her shyness. Sandra then invited Dr. B. to attend the annual Zumba® convention where Dr. B. was then approached by the creator of Zumba® and the CEO of Zumba® Fitness to audition for a new Bollywood song for their commercial DVD set. “This was a nightmare of a challenge for me in the terms of overcoming all of my anxieties, but I felt I had nothing to lose and so much to possibly gain by trying something beyond my comfort zone,” she explains. “A month later I was out on a shoot for Zumba® and then I was asked to teach a Bollywood workshop at the next instructor convention.” Dr. B. agreed and immediately knew she needed to www.PHILLYFIT.com | 267-767-4205
get licensed to teach classes and gain more experience before heading to the convention to do a workshop. Dr. B. went from teaching classes in the basement at her local Y to eventually teaching at the ACAC in West Chester and at the former Love 2 Be Fit Studio, now Vibe Vault Fit, in Exton. Since becoming a Zumba® instructor, Dr. B. is also certified in two other dance formats, 305 Fitness® and Bombay Jam®, for which she is the East Coast Brand Ambassador. Dr. B. remarks, “Being a Zumba® instructor wasn’t something I sought out. I would say it found me. I felt most myself and free in class and that is what I want to give my students. Zumba® is PHILLYFIT
