It’s not every day you get to watch your principal dance to ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber, but on May 13th and 14th, freshmen at Benson Polytechnic High School got to see just that. Every year, for over a decade, Principal Curtis Wilson Jr. has led the freshman gym students in Zumba. Clad in matching orange uniform shirts, the students had huge smiles on their faces as they followed Wilson’s moves. He effortlessly led them through pushups, jumping jacks, and dance moves straight out of a disco movie. Then he revealed a second t-shirt: his very own gym uniform. And his number? A smiley face.
The Zumba tradition started many years ago. “I have a very, very, very stressful job,” Wilson said, “and I was trying to find a way to relieve my stress. So I found a Zumba class, and I love music, and I love to dance.” Eventually he asked his instructor to lead a class at Benson. “She led the Zumba class, I was on the side in my shirt and tie watching, and then I realized ‘I can do this!’” He decided to lead the class himself, got her playlist, and has been doing it ever since.
It’s a good chance for the students to see their Principal, usually a friendly but intimidating figure in a tie, in a different light. “It’s been my way of connecting with the freshmen.” Wilson doesn’t get the chance to spend much time one-on-one with students, but wants to find ways to connect. “That’s why I do the lunch ball, so I can be around the kids, and I do the Zumba with the freshman and the seniors versus [staff] basketball with the seniors. And that’s my way of being around my students throughout the year.”
Sweat beaded on Wilson’s forehead as he gave his all to “Hand Clap,” while the freshmen were all focused as they mimicked his high kicks and rhythmic stepping.
“I had a great time just dancing and letting myself out. Just having a good time,” said Rey Garcia. His friend Kamar’e Powell agreed, “It was chill. It was cool. I liked the music. But me and Rey went hard on it, so I don’t think most people would do that, but I think other people should.”
Violet Kitchens said, “I really enjoyed it. He was really upbeat and nice. […] [It], in a way, was just dancing but by doing physical activity. And I thought that was really enjoyable.”
But having fun isn’t the sole point of the exercise, as Wilson wants to encourage students to stay healthy. “I’m always working out. I work out every Saturday because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have lasted 13 years in this job. I mean, this job, it’s insane,” he said. “You also gotta do your self-care for your own body. Because if not, after a couple of years you get out of shape, you get lethargic, you get exhausted, and you end up moving somewhere else. So, I just love lifelong fitness.”
Wilson did admit that “13 years ago, I would push ‘em a little bit harder, but then that would mean I would have to go harder. So I’ve toned it down just a hair, but just enough to where the kids can still have some fun.”
Wilson’s goal of connecting with students is a success. He explained that former students will walk up to him years later. “Nine out of ten times, they always say ‘I took your Zumba class my freshman year, and I loved it,’” Wilson said. “That’s the connection that I’ve always wanted. I want that connection with the freshmen over their four years here, but for some of my students it’s a lifelong connection.”
Wilson showed some impressive moves, often eliciting smiles and giggles of disbelief from his students. He ended off with a cool-down to “Risk It All” by Bruno Mars. As he sang along, he led students through slow stretches after a long and vigorous Zumba session. Leaving the gym, his bag and sweatshirt gathered in his arms, a student stopped what she was doing to tell him, “that was so fun.”
