And so they gathered. After months of preparation and hard work, the day was finally here. You could feel it in the air; today was going to be memorable. This wasn’t just any zumbathon. It had special significance. It was about a woman, Darcy Fox, who persevered to make a positive change in her community after dealing with a terrible ordeal in her life. Today was going to be one chapter of that journey.
Hundreds showed up to support her in her 4th annual Silent No More Zumbathon to raise awareness for sexual assault. Darcy was supported by a rock-star team of instructors and volunteers. Here are some of our favorite moments from that day!
A few weeks ago my best friend’s daughter, Kaitlynn turned five years ago. I thought that it was fitting to celebrate this milestone by doing a mini photo shoot with her. It was her day and she called the shots. She had a blast dressing up in her mom’s jewelry, playing with bubbles, and even hosting a tea party with her stuffed animals.
Several weeks ago we helped raise funds at a zumbathon for the Above and Beyond Children’s Foundation. The Above and Beyond Children’s Foundation provides funding for extracurricular activities and after school programs. They pledge to contribute time, effort and funds in the hopes that children and young adults will receive the opportunities that they deserve.
ABCF President, Vanessa Palestino (who also happens to be a Zumba instructor) worked tirelessly at organizing the zumbathon. She was joined on the stage by Timberwolves cheerleader, Markee Huinker, along with a few other local instructors. It was a fun day!
Several weeks ago we volunteered our services at Zumba Tropical to help raise money for educational programs offered by the Sabes Jewish Community Center. The tropical party sizzled with the talented and sexy, Bernice Arias, Vanessa Dembo and Leslie Fhima. Participants enjoyed strutting their hottest moves, were entertained by musicians, and shopped at numerous vendors. Also, who could forget Elaine Francis on the dance floor in her Carmen Miranda attire!
I personally enjoyed diving into my venezuelan arepa with fresh mozzarella cheese on top by ALM Corner Cafe. It was sheer deliciousness!
Here are some pics and a video highlight of the party!
Stan and I have known Darcy for a couple of years since we dived into the world of Zumba photography. Last year we were honored to support her in her annual Zumbathon for Sexual Assault Awareness.
We were thrilled to work with her again on a video project for her upcoming event this April. One of the most magnificent things about our creative trade is that it gives us the ability to raise other people’s voices through our own. Darcy Fox is an amazing and inspiring woman who has taken the worst of situations and turned it into something positive to better her community.
We’ve done numerous Zumbathons, all for great causes, but Darcy’s Zumbathon was always a bit different. I remember talking with her the night we shot portions of her mini documentary. We share the same philosophy on charity causes. It’s hard to truly put into words. There are experiences in our lives that are painful and tragic, and at times, it feels like there’s no coming back because the pain is so overwhelming. But we find the strength deep within ourselves to conquer it. When that happens, we are driven to make a change so that it can help people and nothing in the world will stop you. You feel that one voice can make a difference and and it will send a ripple into the hearts of the community and create a movement for change.
We want to thank Darcy for inviting us into her home, spending time with her family, and sharing her voice with us. Many tears were shed throughout making this video on both sides of the camera.
* We apologize for the delay in getting this blog out during the holidays. Even though it was months ago, we still wanted to write about this great event that brought people together for an amazing cause. *
“Something good will come out of this.”
Those were Gracie Joles’ words to her mom close to the end of her short but remarkable life. For those of you who have not heard Gracie’s story, it is simply a heart-wrenching story. Gracie passed away on Sept. 21, 2011 of a brain tumor at age 8.
Back in November 2011, hundreds gathered (including many kids) to honor this little girl and to support in helping raise funds for St. Judes Children’s Hospital. Supported by the MN Zumba Community and special Zumba Fitness guests, Marcie Gill and DJ Francis, the event was a huge success.
A few weeks ago we had a blast with Acara, Skyler and their son Micah. Check out some of our faves from their family session. Micah was a riot to work with. He was always smiling and tried so hard to mimic the poses we all wanted him to do. It was a fun day with the entire family. When Micah took his breaks, we also snagged some great solo shots of Acara and Skyler. They we naturals and the camera loved them!
Last week we volunteered our services at a Zumbathon to help raise money for Traveler’s Philanthropy that was benefiting the JT Children Foundation in Guatemala. JT Children Foundation provides services to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Tecpan and surrounding villages in Guatemala. The mission of the JT Children Foundation is to build a sustainable support system and coordinated community & family medical, physical, hygienic, nutritional and emotional place for children in need, regardless of disability or circumstance.
Several hundred gathered for this worthy cause, including Zumba Fitness special guests from Florida, Christine Machado and Fabio Barros. The event also had participants from all walks of life, including, kids, disabled individuals, and the elderly, who all danced their hearts out. It was a wonderful time.
Here is another in-home family portrait session we did over the holidays. The Fischers had an absolutely beautiful home and we were able to capture some great memories in just a couple of rooms. During the set-up process, the boys were very curious about all the lighting and photo equipment. We enjoyed their enthusiasm and enjoyed explaining how it all worked. We also met their baby sister who loved getting her picture taken.
Over the holidays we had some in-home family portrait sessions. We really like to make it as convenient and stress-free as possible on the parents. We found that the kids liked being in familiar surroundings and taking pictures was a fun activity. The boys even showed us the cool train set around the Christmas tree.
Here are a few pictures from the Cox family shoot. Thank you for inviting us into your beautiful home.
