Jeremy DeVaal Turns Zumba Into Career

Jeremy DeVaal has become known as the enthusiastic Zumba instructor at Unity Square. He was introduced to the sport while attending SDSU, but said he had no formal dance training and tried Zumba just for fun.

During his second year at SDSU, he moved back to Milbank and began taking Zumba classes at Unity. “I admit one class per week was all I could physically handle then.” However, Jeremy saw the benefits and chose to earn his instructor’s license in Fargo.

He then taught classes at Unity, but still did not think of Zumba as a career. “When I started teaching, I couldn’t handle more than two classes per week. Since then, I have lost 45 pounds and now use Zumba as my primary fitness plan.”

Last year, Jeremy attended more Zumba training and various events in the Twin Cities. In March, he traveled to the Dominican Republic for training. “I was able to teach classes twice a day for a week while enjoying a vacation.”

Jeremy transferred to Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown this year and is obtaining a degree in Entrepreneurship. He commutes back and forth to school and fits in time for teaching classes at Unity and working part-time at Berens Warehouse Groceries. He will graduate in the spring of 2017 and already has a position lined up in the Twin Cities following graduation.
This summer, he will teach nine classes per week at Unity Square with the goal of “making his students feel like rock stars.”

Jeremy also hopes to bring a new class, Piyo, to the area. Piyo incorporates the strength of pilates with yoga and is high intensity but low impact. “Fitness is always changing and I believe you need to vary your workouts to maximize your results. Most people who join Zumba like to dance and want to lose weight, but we can adapt the movements and make it easy and fun for all fitness levels.”

Jeremy enjoys seeing the happy looks on his students’ faces and gets energized from the people in his classes. “ I hope I make class fun and give back to them the confidence and energy they give me!”

Unity Square offers a variety of Zumba classes, all taught by Jeremy. “We have regular Zumba, Aqua Zumba, Kids Zumba, and Zumba Toning that uses lightweight maracas that add resistance for a great arm workout.”

For more information, please contact him at Unity Square at 432-9236.