Zumba

Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s.^[1] Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC.

Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included.^[2] Zumba Fitness, the owner of the Zumba program, does not charge licensing fees to gyms or fitness centers.^[3] Approximately 15 million people take weekly Zumba classes in over 140,000 locations across more than 185 countries.^[4]

Origin

In the mid 1990s, Beto Perez forgot his tape of aerobics music for a class he was teaching. He went to his car, listened to music – consisting of non-traditional salsa and merengue music – and improvised a class using this non-traditional aerobics music. After finding initial success in Colombia, he moved to the United States in 2001, where he teamed up with cofounder Alberto Perlman and a childhood friend, COO Alberto Aghion. The trio produced a demo reel, and the concept was discovered and licensed by a company called Fitness Quest to create a direct marketing campaign and a line of home videos.^[5]

Classes

An instructor coaches a Zumba class in a fitness center.

Zumba classes are typically about an hour long and are taught by instructors licensed by Zumba Fitness, LLC.^[6] The exercises include music with fast and slow rhythms, as well as resistance training.^[7] The music comes from the following dance styles: cumbia, salsa, merengue, mambo, flamenco, chachacha, reggaeton, soca, samba, hip hop music, axé music and tango. There are nine different types of classes for different levels of age and exertion.^[4] Zumba Gold mainly targets the older population. It is specifically designed to the needs of the elderly and includes the same kind of music as the Zumba fitness party class. Zumba Step, the newest Zumba program, tones and strengthens glutes and legs with a gravity-defying blend of Zumba routines and step aerobics. Zumba Toning is for the people who do their workouts with toning sticks. Zumba Toning will target the abs, thighs, arms, and other muscles throughout the body. Zumba Toning sculpts the body and provides participants with a cardio workout. Aqua Zumba classes are held in a swimming pool. The instructor leads the class poolside while participants follow in shallow water. Moves have been specially adapted to combine the same dance movements used in a Zumba Fitness class with those used in aqua fitness classes creating a fun and effective total body workout. Zumba In The Circuit combines dance with circuit training.^[8] These classes usually last 30 minutes and feature strength exercises on various stations in timed intervals. Zumba Kids and Zumba Kids Jr. classes are designed for children between the ages of 4 and 12. They have the same dance and music styles as regular Zumba classes, but have routines designed specifically for kids. Zumba Gold-Toning is a toning class for older participants with goals of improving one's muscle strength, posture, mobility, and coordination. Zumba Sentao is a chair workout that focuses on using body weight to strengthen and tone the body.^[9] Zumba instructors have the option to become ZIN™ Members (Zumba Instructor Network members) to receive bimonthly training DVDs to assist with the creation of music and choreography for their personal Zumba classes.

Because Zumba offers different options, proponents of the Zumba program claim that it is safe for all ages, meaning that anyone from age 0 to 100 can participate in this form of aerobic exercise.^[10] At least some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people, to help them build strength, improve motion and posture, and socialize.^[11]

Products

Zumba sold DVDs via infomercials in 2002.^[12] In 2005, the Zumba Academy was launched to license instructors for teaching Zumba classes.^[13] In 2007 the company launched a clothing line called Zumba wear.^[14][15] In July 2012, it released the compilation album Zumba Fitness Dance Party.

Video games

In 2010 Zumba released its first fitness video game on November 30, 2010.^[4] As of August 2011, it has sold 3 million copies.^[16]

The Zumba Fitness 2 video game was released in November 2011. A similar game was released on the Xbox 360 as Zumba Fitness Rush in February 2012.^[17]

Zumba Fitness Core was released in October 2012 for the Wii and Xbox 360. The game includes new features such as nutrition tips and ability to set personal goals.^[18]

Most recently, Zumba Fitness: World Party was released on November 5, 2013. That game features the new World Tour mode that unlocks songs from seven global destinations as you progress, exposing you to authentic customs, local rhythms and native dance styles.^[19]

The game was followed by Zumba Kids on November 19, 2013.^[20]

All of the Zoë Mode-developed Zumba titles run on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.

Games

• Zumba Fitness (video game) (2010)
• Zumba Fitness 2/Zumba Fitness Rush (2011)/(2012)
• Zumba Fitness Core (2012)
• Zumba Fitness: World Party (2013)
• Zumba Kids (2013)

Charitable causes

Zumba Fitness has raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations, including Susan G. Komen, Augie's Quest, World Food Programme, Feeding America and the American Heart Association.^[21]

Celebrity trend

Part of the Zumba programs' popularity can be explained by its adoption by celebrities. Jennifer Lopez, Jackie Chan and Kirstie Alley are known to take Zumba classes.^[22][23] Other celebrity fans of Zumba include Eva LaRue,^[24] Jennifer Love Hewitt,^[25] Natalie Portman,^[26] Emma Watson,^[27] Victoria Beckham,^[26] Halle Berry, Toni Braxton,^[28] Nicky Hilton,^[29] Shakira^[30] and Wyclef Jean.^[31]

"Kosher Zumba"

"Kosher Zumba" is a trend in Orthodox Jewish circles where woman-only Zumba dances are performed. Music lyrics containing sexual references are replaced with non-explicit material.^[32]

References

• Media related to Zumba at Wikimedia Commons