Meet the Team
We're a bunch of locals who love to dance and believe fitness should feel more like a party than a workout. Between us we've got decades of dance training, from ballet and tap to contemporary and jazz, and even a rugby player who never saw this coming. What we all share is a simple belief: there's a place for every body on the dance floor.
Jennifer Loef
Licensed Zumba Instructor · Bachelor of Dance Studies (University of Auckland) · 20+ years teaching dance
Jennifer has been dancing for as long as she can remember and has spent more than 20 years teaching it. After having her four boys, she went looking for a way to keep dancing that was kinder to her body but still gave her the joy and challenge she loved, and found Zumba. Today she leads Zumba & Shake Franklin with one goal: a class where every body and every effort is celebrated. Whether you want to push yourself hard or just try something new, Jennifer will meet you where you're at.
Lucy Simpson
Licensed Zumba Instructor (9 years) · Trained in tap, ballet and jazz · Former choreographer
Lucy brought her love of dance from the UK to South Auckland over a decade ago. A trained tap, ballet and jazz dancer, she's built a career fitting ballet dancers with pointe shoes, and she's been teaching Zumba for nine years. Somehow she balances it all with family life, and she's big on getting involved in the local community. Her philosophy is simple: fitness should be fun, accessible, and for every age.
Tino Simoneti
Licensed Zumba Instructor · Original team member since 2022 · Playlist guru
Tino is the team's OG. He joined in July 2022, back when classes had about seven people. His Zumba story starts with a hard no: when rugby season finished and his mum and sister asked him to tag along to a class, he wasn't keen. But he kept showing up, eventually jumped on stage for one song in particular, and now does more Zumba than rugby. For Tino, it comes down to this: no judgement, go at your own pace, and leave feeling energised.
Claire Gray
Former professional contemporary dancer · University dance scholarship recipient
https://www.zumba.com/en-US/p/claire-gray/4797703
Claire is a true local. She grew up in Pukekohe and has four generations of whānau living in and around Tuakau. Trained in ballet, jazz and contemporary, she danced on a university scholarship and then professionally with a Hamilton contemporary company. Then life got busy, and she didn't dance for nearly ten years, until she wandered into a Zumba class at Tuakau Town Hall. It was love at first dance. Now she's part of the team and the wordsmith behind our funding applications. By day, she works for international aid organisation Tearfund.