Name: Kathleen Sipos

Business: Lompoc Valley YMCA, 201 W. College Ave.

Title: Fitness instructor

What are your duties? “I teach Zumba Thursday nights, and I’m a certified Pilates instructor.”

How long have you been teaching here, and what is Zumba? “Since January. Zumba is kind of a Latin-based aerobic dance exercise.

“I’ve danced with Garcia Dance Studio for the past 10 years.”

How did you start? “A friend of mine was an instructor here. Theresa, a director here, knew I had dances, so she asked me if I’d like to teach Zumba.”

How does Zumba and Pilates compare? “They’re completely different. Pilates is ballet-based, and focused on the core. Zumba is more about just moving. It’s based on the music and the feel of the music.”

What are your goals for a class? “My goal is for everyone to have fun. I try to pick good music.”

What is it like working at the Y? “I’m a teacher at my main job, elementary at Clarence Ruth, and that’s kind of why I wanted to work here, for the community connection. It’s not just a gym, it’s a family, too.”

What is your favorite thing about your job? “Dance has always been a big part of my life, and this is another opportunity.”

What is your biggest challenge in this job? “Finding the time to create new routines. It’s very time consuming just to learn each new song, and build a class around it.”

What do you do with your time off? “I don’t have much, between being a teacher and a dancer. Spending time with my friends and family.”

If you are an employee or owner of a local business, and would like to be profiled by On The Job, call 737-1059 or e-mail gwallace@lompocrecord.com.

November 17, 2009