This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Cook Me a Diamond

Zumba with Leticia Ortiz, more dance in Italy, Doug Henning magic. Michael Jackson, Daddy's carbonara.

!Zumba!

Fitness instructor Beto Perez, a native from Cali, Colombia, took an unexpected turn in his life, one fateful day in the mid-'90s.

When he set off to teach an aerobics class and forgot his music, he improvised using his own mix of music like salsa and merengue, music he grew up with.

Spontaneously he created a new kind of dance-fitness workout that focused on let the music move you, and high energy that electrifies the room. On that day, a revolutionary new hot fitness concept was born: Zumba.

Healdsburg is live with . But Leticia Ortiz's classes are special. Here is her bio:

My name is Leticia Ortiz. I have been teaching Zumba Fitness since  Summer 2008 and I still LOVE it! I was introduced to Zumba Fitness at a local gym.

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It was different than other workout experiences I had in the past. It was Super FUN & Exciting! I loved the music, dancing and the Great Energy in Zumba class.

I wanted to share this wonderful workout with others, so I got my certification & began teaching. Three passions of mine all rolled into one…fitness, dance & Latin music!! I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces. I know it’s easier to stick with a fitness routine if you are having fun and you definitely have Fun in Zumba class! My classes are helping others reach their healthier lifestyle goals.

Since my initial certification, I have expanded my classes from teaching one class to nine at the present time in Santa Rosa, Windsor and Healdsburg. My schedule:

Mon/Thurs  6pm Healdsburg Parks & Rec

1557 Healdsburg Ave

$10 drop in or sign up for 6 week session

Tues  6:30pm Windsor Com Ctr

(707) 838-1260 to sign up for 6 class

Wed    6pm Healdsburg Com Health & Fitness Gym

1500 Healdsburg Ave Drop in welcome

Sat    9am  Zumba with Leticia Location TBA 1motownmom@att.net

Since Zumba is a high-energy cardio, Latin inspired dance workout, I love it.

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Leticia starts with slow movement, rising to aerobics exercises then salsa!  The hour goes fast. You burn calories and body sculpting creates a calorie torching, strength training dance party. Her choreography incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, and Bollywood moves.

She doesn’t forget the squats and lunges, too.  I like her vocal inspiration:  Ow.

I recommend her classes.

In '82, Jekyll & Hyde, Together Again, was a film that I cannot remember the scene. No stories.  Ha.

Going Berserk was a good gig, Universal, two weeks, $1000/week.  There were 15 aerobic dancers dancing with John Candy. Funny film.

Matt Houston was a flamboyant Texas tycoon turned freewheeling P I, that sets up shop in L.A. in a high-gloss crime drama that's packed with plenty of gadgets and girls. The audition was at ABC. We didn’t have to dance. They took our pictures and they cast from the pictures. Hollywood was breast obsessed. I was glad that I wore my padded bra. Ha. I was picked.  They cast 12 dancers. TV is fast in terms of shooting scenes, unlike movies.  The gig was only one day.

The first episode was The Showgirl Murders. We shot two scenes. The choreographer was played by George Chakiris; remember him from West Side Story? Very nice man, I was lucky to play off him.  The script called for a dancer who makes a mistake in the choreography.

I was in the spot where the mistake was to take place. The director asked, "Maybe, she, (another dancer), is closer", (he didn't know our names). I said," No, no, I can make the mark!" 

So, in the scene, I made the mistake in the choreography and George yells at me.  At the end of the day, last take, the camera was situated so when I kicked my leg......crotch shot. And it made the cut! I was not a happy camper…. Whatever.

It was all good because ABC kept hiring us, Butterfly, Target: Miss World, four episodes.  Country in Las Vegas Country Top 20 was a NBC variety TV show.  It was shot in Las Vegas: sin city, not my favorite location.  It was like Disneyland for adults. The reason is, I was not a gambler. The Las Vegas vibe is not for me. And not a country music lover, still.  But Conway Twitty, Barbara Mandrell and Don Williams sang their country songs in country sets with cowboy outfitted dancing girls. The show was good if you like that sort of entertainment. I hate LV. I stayed there for three months.

1983. I got a McDonald’s commercial. The advertisers called me and my dance teacher Jamie Rogers, (West Side Story, the movie, he played a shark and worked with George), submitted my name. Jamie was hot in la. His classes were always filled, two-hour classes of modern everyday. I learned a lot about Martha Graham's technique that made me a stronger dancer. We were in the sprawling white studio in Culver City to record the lines, I had one line. When you talk on a commercial, you get more money, the next day; we shot it in a stage in Hollywood.  Jamie’s assistant choreographed the commercial because Jaime was busy with another gig. The commercial was shown only in the west (regional, less money).

Street of Fire. I was Diane Lane's double. I did the concert scenes, when they are shooting the audience and the kidnaper scene.

I was in beautiful France and Germany for Puma sneakers. In Jan. in the same year, I was doing a variety show for Italian TV: Risatissma.  The director asked six dancers to go to Italy to shoot more shows.  I spent four months in Milan, paid apartment, and $1000/week. What an experience. After the gig, my mom came over and we traveled to Venice, (it snowed), Rome and Florence.  In Feb. I celebrated my 30th birthday in Milan at Peter Pan restaurant.  I felt, so blessed dancing professionally, earning money, traveling to exotic places. Do you Adam and Eve it? I did. Loved it.


Di Danza Milan
Jaime Rogers submitted my name again for a Stayfree commercial.  They hired a model that was not a dancer.  They shot it in silhouette, so the dancer and the model had to have the same profile.  They examined our noses, the model and me.  It was painful, waiting around for their decision. I got it.....no, my nose got the gig. Body parts: boobs, legs, crotch now, my nose.  When the model was doing her lines, the advertisers asked me to wear the pad for legal purposes. Hey, it was ok because I earned $25,000 that day.  It was a long day, but profitable!

It was ‘84; I auditioned for Doug Henning's stage show.  The magic guy. Tj, Clark, Jenny and me rounded the troupe out.  Sadly, Doug, passed in 2000.  Doug asked everybody to sign a release. We couldn't divulge any magic secrets.  I had to climb into tiny spaces, like the panther cage and sawing in half with Jenny.  Doug's sawing in half was fun, because it was a 'double' sawing in half. Everybody loved it.

Doug put us in a coffin like box, I was wearing pants and Jenny was wearing a skirt. Doug saw us in half with our feet wiggling. Doug turned the boxes around and put us together again but switched the boxes.  TO-DA!  I was wearing the skirt and Jenny was wearing the pants.


Doug, me and the tiger
Doug had tigers, panthers, penguins, turtles, and a monkey...a zoo.  Doug hired big animal trainers, a chef, (Doug was a vegan and mediated twice a day), carpenters, drivers, and a double.  Doug levitated, did slight hand magic.  I will tell you one trick.

As Doug's assistant, I climbed into a cage, with a red cover partially hiding the cage, (the panther was in there), I got in with the panther, but the panther was separated from me by a board, and under the red cover. 

Then, Doug covered the cage, he was circling it too. Meanwhile, I had to flatten myself out, fast, in the bottom of the cage. The board covered me, letting the panther go when Doug revealed….  TO-DA.  A black panther and no girl.  The panther peed a lot in the cage with me in it!  Ugh.

Before the show was on the road, we did Johnny Carson's Tonight show. We did the panther trick. The first venue was Los Angeles, next San Francisco, my hometown, and a week at the Orpheum theatre. When I was 21, I volunteered at the Orpheum. I got to see the show as I took the theatergoers to their seats. Pippin’ with Ben Vereen was hot at the time about 1972. Twelve years later, I am performing at the Orpheum.  Who knew?

We toured St. Louis, Cleveland, (ugh) and Atlanta. Atlanta was cool because Michael Jackson was on tour as well. Michael loved all animals and wanted to see our show.  It was a secret.  Michael was ushered in and saw the show. He went backstage to see the animals after. We met the shy Michael. It was a thrill. Michael said he liked my dancing.  I responded with something dumb. Since, he saw our show he gave us tickets for HIS show. It was at some big football stadium.

Chicago. What a city, windy but, awesome pizza. I was ready for NYC. We arrived in New York at JFK eager to see the big apple. The gig was at the Lunt-Fontain Theater, 46th and Broadway.  Again, who knew? dancing on Broadway?

It was 1984. I was having a ball, dancing eight shows/week, auditioning and going out at night with my girlfriends when the theatre was dark. I was Carrie, Sex in the City.

The show closed in four months. I decided to move to New York.  Jenny and I got a sublet apartment in Riverside Ave. The first item was getting an agent. I got one and they sent me on commercial auditions.  I went to an audition for Twix. I don’t know how I knew but they were looking for dancing airline hostesses. I wore a blue suit. Well, after the audition as I was leaving, two advertisers came to me and ask me to stay.  I got it. No, the blue suit got it.  Now, I was doing a commercial in New York City!   This glee was short lived.  I shot the commercial but somehow it was scrapped. I ended on the cutting room floor. Shoot.

meter maid
Meanwhile, I met my future husband.  Got married, had a baby, did another commercial,  divorced and got sick. I didn’t die but I was indeed sick.The dance career was over, not because of the illness but I was too OLD. I am an old gypsy. Sag to the rescue again.

In San Francisco, 2005, I was involved in SF Casting. I did Sag extra work. They call it background work. YOU are the background. But Sag extra work paid more, about $100/day. We stood around or walk on the  street, or in a café. There were many Sag members on the shoot, and we had a ball. I did: Rent, Milk, and Pursuit of Happyness. I worked every weekend for two months for Pursuit, fun gig. That's all.

Food fashion: Daddy’s Carbonara

Try it. It is so easy and has a lot of flavor. I baked the bacon instead of frying. About 15 mintues at 400 degress.

so easy and yummy
1 pound dried spaghetti

1 pound bacon

10 ounces frozen peas (1 package)

4 eggs

1 cup fresh grated parmesan

black pepper

Start cooking the pasta (I have long subscribed to the less-water method Harold McGee addresses here).

Take the bacon out of the package, cold out of the refrigerator, and cut across the slices into 1/2" wide blocks. Cook in a skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the blocks with a wooden spoon.

Dump the peas into a Pyrex bowl with a little water and microwave 3-4 minutes, until they are warm, stirring halfway through.
While all the cooking is going on, mix the egg, parmesan, and pepper (to taste - it's best to use a lot, but for kids, maybe less) in a large bowl. It should have the consistency of thick batter.

When the pasta is done, drain it quickly. Don't linger, as it's good to capture some of the water. Dump the steaming spaghetti into the egg mixture, and agitate well to cook the egg. Add the bacon with a slotted spoon.

Some purists will just empty the skillet into the bowl, but that is too much. Mix in the peas, and you're done. The biggest challenge is to get the bacon and peas mixed in evenly.

Next post: Susan Graf, more Healdsburg Street Chic, French Onion soup. Yummy.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?