Lydia Pittkin
BRCC student, Zumba Instructor Moves to a Busy Beat
BRCC student Lydia Pittkin is always on the go. Whether it is taking classes or teaching Zumba fitness classes here and at several other Valley locations, sitting still is not an option. Unless, of course, you count the driving time from her home in Greenville to Weyers Cave to Harrisonburg to Waynesboro to Staunton to Lexington and points in between!
“I do a lot of driving,” said the 21-year-old. “I love books on CD, and I have a great 600-song playlist on my iPod.”
BRCC joined the Zumba fitness craze last spring. Many BRCC employees enjoy classes after work, and a new class aimed at students will be offered on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m., starting September 14. According to Lydia, the best thing about Zumba is, “It’s a party. It’s going out dancing with your friends. It doesn’t feel like working out.”
Lydia discovered Zumba when her mother “dragged” her to a class. She was impressed with the fantastic music and that she, with no dance background, could learn the moves and routines. “When I’m teaching, it doesn’t feel like work. The students are fantastic, just awesome,” she said.
Lydia began her Blue Ridge journey in 2009, and this semester she’s taking a math course and American Sign Language, which she loves and highly recommends. And when she’s not studying or teaching, Lydia might be found helping her parents run their bed and breakfast called Penn Merryl Farm in Greenville. “I love to write. I’d like to maybe be a travel writer or a novelist,” she said of her career aspirations.
To learn more about Zumba or other fitness and personal enrichment offerings, visit the Workforce Services and Continuing Education Website or call (540) 453-2215.
