Sandy Johnson & Charisse Grayer
What puts the “licious” in Zoombalicious?
“You’ve just got to see it,” explained the class of women before cranking up their speaker in the Foose Elementary School gym on a Thursday night.
The group spread out in the gym and, as the music turned on, so did their energy. And they were right—you have to see it to understand the “licious.”
There’s something about Zoombalicious that has kept the dedicated group of women coming back time and time again to dance, sweat and push themselves. Several of them even made their commitment permanent—getting tattoos in honor of the class, reading, “Z Z 4 L” or “Zumba zisters for life.”
Some come because the program helped them lose weight or combat health issues, others like the dancing, and most all of them love the sisterhood bond that it provides.
“We have a tightknit following,” said instructor Sandy Johnson. “It’s more than just exercise. Some of them became family.”
Glowing & Growing
I think everyone in the class would agree—there’s no Zoombalicious without Johnson, the founder and instructor of the class. Her energy on the floor is unmatched, which is one of the biggest reasons why people love coming.
“I’ve never seen nobody smile while they’re doing Zumba because you know it hurts,” said Lori Smith, a participant. “She has this glow when she does Zumba, and everybody just lights up from it.”
Johnson discovered Zumba around 2007, during the time that the dance exercise program took off and grew in popularity. She took a class at the East Shore YMCA and quickly started to stand out amongst her peers, as she would add her own flair to the moves, often earning her a spot up front leading.
“I feel like I’m in my own little place when I’m doing Zumba,” she said.
She loved dancing to the Latin music that typically accompanied Zumba, but wanted to switch things up once she got her Zumba license and started her own program. Johnson settled upon hip-hop and called her class Zoombalicious to distinguish it from traditional Zumba. Charisse Grayer, Johnson’s friend and fellow Zumba fanatic, joined her, leading the administrative side of the program.
The first class Johnson taught at a former dance studio downtown in 2013 was a packed house. But the program only continued to grow as she partnered with Harrisburg’s parks and recreation department to hold classes in local school gyms. Sometimes 80 to 100 women showed up to work out.
Just as Johnson had become hooked on Zoombalicious, the community did, too.
Participants started losing weight and improving their health. One woman lost 100 pounds.
“Health and wellness is very important, especially for women and women of color,” Grayer said. “Women of color don’t always get the same care.”
Zoombalicious student Gloria Ravenel, 62, found out years ago that she had high blood pressure and diabetes. She attributes her improved health to the class.
“I thank God for Zoombalicious because I might not be here today,” she said.
Here for You
Beyond the health benefits to the dance class, Zoombalicious has become a place for friends, new and old, to find community. It’s not uncommon to see students chatting after class, finding advice and comfort from their Zumba sisters, Johnson said.
“Every woman you see in here has a different background, a different upbringing, but when we all get together, you don’t see race, you don’t see income, you don’t see none of that,” she said.
The group has also participated in trash cleanups around the city and Christmas gift donation events and has given away free prom dresses to high school students.
Both Johnson and Grayer’s goal with the program is to give back to their community. Through their long-term dedication to leading Zoombalicious, they have influenced others to start their own fitness classes.
Traci-lyn Brown started attending the class about a year ago and loved the high intensity workout it provided. Just recently, she started her own step fitness program, “Xtreme Hip Hop.” Attending Zoombalious and seeing Johnson’s skill as an instructor gave her the confidence to lead her own class.
“They’re great women I can look up to,” Brown said.
Since COVID, Zoombalicious is still getting back into the swing of things, Johnson said. Class sizes are much smaller than they were before the pandemic, but that doesn’t stop her from bringing the energy.
“Even if I only have one person, it’ll be treated like a full class,” Johnson said.
In Zoombalicious, everyone is welcome, no matter their age or ability. Grayer will often model a modified, low-impact version of the night’s workout for elderly, disabled or injured students.
Some students have been at Zoombalicious since the beginning. Others are new, and some come and go as life changes.
“I’ll take a crazy job and my schedule won’t permit it for a while, but I’ll always come back anytime I can get here,” said Dennise Hill, a student and Harrisburg’s director of building and housing development.
The program has also changed somewhat over the years. In 2015, it moved under the city’s sports-related nonprofit, M.O.S.E.L.F. RBI, after it was on the brink of ending due to an expiring grant from Highmark. Students and instructors showed up to several city council meetings advocating for a solution and were successful. Then, this past December, Zoombalicious became its own nonprofit.
The common denominator during the ups and downs the program faced during the years? Instructors Johnson and Grayer. Their passion for the program hasn’t wavered.
“My family always gave back, and Charisse too,” Johnson said. “And being from the inner city, from Harrisburg […] and coming and giving back health-wise, it’s not tangible, but I’m here for you.”
To learn more about Zoombalicious, visit their Facebook page.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
