Braden Bochner, staff writer

 The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has planned a ZUMBA class for Beverly Hills High School parents and faculty.
PTSA volunteer Lisa Wolfe was inspired to host the ZUMBA event after attending the parent-teacher book groups started by PTSA volunteers Sarah Gallop and Nancy Reskin.
“There was a nice sense of community, bringing everyone together in an upbeat, social environment, and I wanted to build on that feeling of connection,” Wolfe said.
Following the success of the book groups, the PTSA has created special events and volunteer opportunities for the community. At last year’s Thanksgiving Lunch, the PTSA requested that all volunteers bring a nonperishable food item to be donated to SOVA, the Jewish Family Resource of Los Angeles.
“Our generous community collected over 250 pounds of food,” Wolfe said.  “Seeing the mountains of cans and boxes as one entered the cafeteria was a reminder of how kind the people at our school are.”
Wolfe, who also serves on the executive board as Vice President of Community Service, wanted to bring the ZUMBA class experience to Beverly by hosting a class on campus.
“I was taking a ZUMBA class at the time with a bubbly instructor who radiated joy, so gathering together in his class seemed like a fun way to have people from different parts of BHHS interact with one another,” Wolfe said.
ZUMBA classes are aerobic exercises that include different types of dance, especially from Latin America. ZUMBA classes are known to incorporate different types of music and dance such as hip hop, samba and salsa.
Senior Amelia Wohl, who takes ZUMBA classes at 24 Hour Fitness, finds that the workout is much more than exercise.
“ZUMBA [sic] has helped me relieve so much stress,” Wohl said. “My favorite part of ZUMBA is being able to have fun while exercising and meeting new people.”
Wolfe hopes that she can bring that same connection and vibrant energy to the PTSA event.
“I hope people leave with a feeling of community, a smile on their face, and a desire to come back for more,” Wolfe said.
The ZUMBA class will take place Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Upstairs Dance Room behind the basketball and volleyball gym. The admission fee is $10 for faculty and $15 for parents. For more information click here.