Alberto 'Beto' Perez, creator of the Zumba® programme, talks about the famous 'party' workout
Zumba was born when I taught my very first class at the age of 16 in my hometown of Cali, Colombia. I showed up to the class (at the time it was just a regular aerobics class) but didn't have the right music that is typically used in an aerobics class. I had to improvise using some of my personal music that I had on tape, which were mixes of my favourite songs—salsa and merengue. That was when the Zumba fitness party was born. The class loved the music; they were smiling ear-to-ear and dancing, so I continued teaching it this way. Once I brought the concept to the US and met my business partners, the success was reconfirmed and Zumba Fitness was trademarked in 2001.
Zumba connects with people not just on a physical level but also on an emotional level. You don't only leave a class sweating after a great workout, you leave smiling because you genuinely feel happier, and it doesn't hurt that you've made some friends along the way. Zumba is all about the community. Many people call a Zumba class their
"happy hour".
Zumba is a full body workout, literally from head to toe. You move your entire body, so it is not strange that after a class, your core, glutes, arms and hamstrings are sore. All the rhythms we practice in class require you to fully utilise your entire body. The more explosive the movement, the better the results. You can burn up to 1,000 calories in a one-hour class depending on the intensity at which you exercise.
We have some amazing things to look forward to. We'll continue to improve the quality of our programmes and to support our instructors in India. We're also creating a TV show with a popular Indian entertainment channel, which will air starting mid-February. The show will invite viewers to join a Zumba class in their living room, blending Latin-American with Bollywood beats.
I am so excited to be here. In India, we have an amazing opportunity because of the cultural similarities of dance and rhythm. This is why Zumba is on its way to become a huge success here. I am excited about immersing myself in the Indian culture and pick up some new dance moves. I can't wait to meet some of our new instructors from the community as well as introduce some people to Zumba. I am also looking forward to the amazing food!
We zeroed in on the word 'Zumba' after going through the alphabet since 'rumba', our original pick, was already trademarked. 'Zumba' has no meaning. We made it up because it sounded catchy.
I work out every day and get my entire cardio/full body workout by teaching Zumba. To build muscle, I train for one hour every day when I am in town.
I listen to an eclectic mix of music, but right now I am loving our new song called Portuñol, with Brazilian superstar Claudia Leitte.
We spoke to Sucheta Pal, qualified Zumba education specialist, who brought Zumba to India and has a team at Your Fitness Club in Mumbai Central. She says, "It's great that slowly various other forms of Zumba are also gaining popularity such as Aqua Zumba and Zumba Toning. Zumba kids is yet another form which will become a favourite very soon."
Perez, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Zumba LLC, will be conducting a Zumba class at Andheri's Lalit Hotel on February 1.
As told to Meher Mirza
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