For dance and fitness lovers, a big Zumba bonanza is coming up next month. As part of the celebration of the first anniversary of Kulinarya Qatar (KQ), the Health and Fitness Committee helmed by Shiela Marie Sanchez has decided to add yet another feisty dimension to the Filipino Community Family Day and Food Festival by organising Glow Zumba and bringing down two famous artistes from the Philippines to get people grooving.
Joshua Zamora of the famous male dance group The Manoeuvers, and singer-actress and his better half, Jopay Paguia, who is currently a regular at a local TV series Tubig at Langis (Oil and Water), are the two star attractions at the event. The couple will be the highlight of Kulinarya Qatar 2016 event at Westin Hotel and Spa, Ballroom 2 and 3, on September 14, from 5.30pm to 7pm in a fitness mega-show titled Glow Zumba.
Sanchez told Community, “We are generating greater awareness about the culture of the Filipinos. In Qatar, there are 35 Filipino restaurants and around 15 would be joining this event so that the visitors attending the bazaar can taste the delicacies and learn more about our community and our country. The Glow Zumba event is part of that.”
Sanchez explained that the ambassador of the Philippines to Qatar, Wilfredo Santos, is highly encouraging of the Filipino community to stay fit. Sanchez, who is also a licensed ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network) instructor, said, “Being part of ZIN, it’s important for me to show people the benefits of Zumba and also encourage them because it’s not only about dancing but also combining it with exercise in a way that nobody gets bored of working out. 
“This way, those practising Zumba can be happy and fit at the same time. Health and fitness is crucial to Filipino expats and in line with the ambassador’s campaign for Filipinos to live a healthy lifestyle. Glow Zumba was conceptualised and integrated as a feature of this year’s celebrations. The participants will be dancing with glow-in-the-dark sticks in a dimly lit ambience. It will be fun!”
The special event is ticketed and reservations are required to get into the Zumba Pit designed for enthusiasts. The participants will look to enjoy the programme together and also “get glowing skin while sweating it out” to electrifying Zumba music specially arranged by the visiting celebrity artistes. 
Proceeds from the Glow Zumba activity will be donated towards a worthy cause benefiting the distressed workers in Qatar.
Apart from Zamora, a licensed ZIN and a popular face in the fitness and Zumba circles in the Philippines, and his wife Jopay Paguia, local ZIN instructors of Doha who are also Zumba stars here will be invited to join the celebrities in showcasing their fitness expertise. The local stars are Marvin Abaredes of Pinoy Zin Qatar, Coolman Tito, Tachi and Eddie.
If you are interested in participating in this event, you can contact the Health and Fitness Committee KQ2016 at 5505-8685, Beats and Bytes Dancers and Kulinarya Qatar 2016 Secretariat at 4488-4460.
As for the star attractions, Zamora was part of Manoeuvers for almost 11 years and as a back-up dancer of Gary Valenciano. Zamora and his group performed in several well-known shows from the two giant networks, ABS-CBN and GMA7. Zamora also went with Valenciano on concert tours around the globe. 
It was during this time that the Manoeuvers made waves in the dancing circuit by creating a craze for dancing and popularising songs such as Macarena, Rump Shaker, Informer and many more.
Zamora also had a chance to dance for the youth as Globe Telecom then got them for its project GenTxt School Trip Dance Clinic where being part of Manoeuvers, they travelled all over the Philippines to promote dancing to the youth as a way to veer away from the use of drugs. 
Aside from schools, Joshua conducted dance workshops through Trumpets Playshop and Bread of Life.
Jane Paguia-Zamora, known professionally as Jopay, is a Filipina singer, dancer and actress. She is a former senior member and an original member of Sxbomb Singers, with Rochelle Pangilinan, Evette Pabalan, Weng Ibarra, Izzy Trazona-Aragon and Monic Icban. Jopáy is also a cousin of singer-actress Nadine Lustre.