Zumba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. It was founded by Colombian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez in 2001.[1] It currently has 200,000 locations, with 15 million people taking classes weekly, and is located in 180 countries.[2][3] Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC.
Origin
Zumba was created in the 1990s by dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez, an aerobics instructor in Cali, Colombia. After forgetting his usual music one day, and using cassette tapes of Latin dance music (salsa and merengue) for class, Pérez began integrating the music and dancing into other classes, calling it "Rumbacize".[4][5]
In 2001, Pérez partnered with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion to launch Zumba, and the trio released a series of fitness videos sold via infomercial.[6] Pérez decided on the word "Zumba" because of its similarity to the word "rumba", the Cuban musical genre. Pérez and his partner began to replace the first letter of "rumba" until they landed on "sumba", and Pérez ultimately decided to spell it with the letter 'z' because he liked the fictional character Zorro when he was a child.[7]
In 2012, Insight Venture Partners and The Raine Group invested in the venture.[8] The company expanded into class instruction, and by 2015, according to Perlman, there were 14 million Zumba students in 186 countries.[9]
Choreography
Zumba choreography is composed using all or some of sixteen core steps. There are four basic rhythms: salsa, reggaeton, merengue, and cumbia;[10] each basic rhythm has four core steps.[11]
Classes
Instructors are licensed by Zumba Fitness, LLC to teach classes.[12][13][14][15][16]
There are eleven types of classes, for different ages and levels of exertion:[17][18]
Zumba — a mix of low and high intensity, interval-style moves.[19]
Zumba Step — a lower-body workout that incorporates Zumba routines and step aerobics with Latin dance rhythms.
Zumba Toning — for people who do their workouts with toning sticks, targeting the abs, thighs, arms, and other muscles. This type of Zumba class provides participants with a cardio workout and strength training.
Aqua Zumba — classes held in a swimming pool. The instructor leads the class poolside while participants follow in shallow water. The moves have been adapted to combine the dance movements used in a Zumba Fitness class with those used in aqua fitness classes. There is less impact on the joints, since it is in water, and natural resistance is created.[20]
Zumba Sentao — a combination of strength and resistance training, incorporating dance moves and a chair as your partner. It works your muscles and core without lifting weights.[21]
Zumba Gold — a modified, lower-intensity version of a typical Zumba class.
Zumba Gold-Toning — a toning class designed for older participants with the goal of improving muscle strength, posture, mobility, and coordination.
Zumba Kids (ages 7–11) & Zumba Kids Jr. (ages 4–6) — classes for kids that feature kid-friendly routines based on the original Zumba choreography, while also breaking down the steps and adding games and cultural exploration activities .[22]
Zumbini — a class for babies and children, ages of 0–4 years old and their caregivers to learn, bond, and grow in a musical environment.[23] Their live classes stream on BabyFirstTV.[24]
Zumba in the Circuit — combines dance with circuit training.[25] These classes usually last 30 minutes and feature strength exercises on various stations in timed intervals.
A Plate by Zumba — an e-learning program to learn about healthy eating habits.[26]
Zumba class held in a U.S. Army Garrison fitness center in Stuttgart, Germany, 2009
Health benefits
Zumba is intended as a total-body cardio and aerobic workout, which provides calorie consumption.[27][28] One 2012 study found that a participant burns 300 to 900 kcal with an hour-long Zumba exercise.[15]
Because Zumba offers different options, proponents of the Zumba program claim that it is safe for all ages, meaning anyone can participate.[29] Some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people.[30]
The annual ZIN-con for Zumba instructors from around the world takes place in the United States, including master classes, specialty training and a Zumba concert.[33] In addition to the Annual Zumba Convention, Zumba also operates a number of one-day Academies where instructors can attend master classes and rhythm sessions. These events are held in cities globally.[34] In January 2016, the first Zumba Cruise took place.[35]
Zumba Fitness: World Party was released on 5 November 2013, featuring a new "World Tour" mode that unlocks songs from seven global destinations as a player progresses, as well as authentic customs, local rhythms and native dance styles.[44] The game was followed a couple weeks later by Zumba Kids on 19 November 2013.[45]
On 19 November 2019, Zumba Burn It Up! was released by 505 Games and Sega in Japan and certain countries (digital only) for the Nintendo Switch, as the first Zumba game in six years.[46]
Bans
In 2013, the Haredi settlement of Beitar Illit banned all-female participants or female teachers in the activity.[47][48][49]
In June 2017, Zumba was banned in Iran for being un-Islamic.[50] In August 2017, six people were arrested after being accused of "trying to change lifestyles" by teaching Zumba.[51]
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