Zumba® Fitness’ Director of Music tells us the stories behind his favorite Zumba tunes!
From Z-Life Magazine Ever hear a song in Zumba® class and wonder where it came from? Zumba® Fitness’ Director of Music Sergio Minski gives us a taste of his five favorite original Zumba Fitness songs … and the stories behind them. 1. Sweet Girl “We originally commissioned this song for a volume of kids music and gave one of our producers, Jose Luis Arroyave, two days to create a new merengue. It came back to us and was such an amazing track we knew we had to do more with it. [Zumba Fitness® Co-Founder] Beto [Perez] actually came up with the idea to add lyrics referencing...
Read MoreZumba Fitness®: It’s Fun, But Is It Effective?
by Jessica Matthews “Ditch the workout. Join the party!” Many of us have heard this marketing slogan for the hot and ever-so-popular fitness class Zumba®, but can you be a part of the party and still get a great workout? Inquiring minds wanted to know! The American Council on Exercise (ACE®) took that question to John Pocari, PhD, and his team at the University of Wisconsin—LaCrosse’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science and got the facts about the effectiveness of the Latin-inspired dance fitness workout that’s being performed by more than 12 million people worldwide....
Read More8 Things to Know Before Your First Time: Zumba® Edition
-by Lizzie Fuhr Stepping into a Latin-dance-inspired Zumba® class for the very first time can be overwhelming. Between all the new faces and loud music, the whole scene can be a little unnerving. If you’ve always wanted to check out the “fitness dance party” for yourself, these eight insider tips will give you a sense of what to expect before heading into this fast-paced workout. This way you can leave your nervous feelings at the door and focus on the fun! You’re going to sweat: Committed gym rats will be surprised at the...
Read MoreZumba® Founder Beto Perez’s 5 Tips For Taking Your First Class
-be Leta Shy When it comes to taking your first Zumba® class, no one may know better about the anxieties students face than someone who’s taught thousands around the world — the inventor of Zumba® himself, Beto Perez. “Sometimes people see the class through the window and they feel a little intimidated because they see the coordination. . . [and] think that they need to know choreography before,” he says. “In Zumba® we don’t have levels; we don’t have beginners, intermediate, or advanced. We prepare the instructors in a way that anybody can do it.”...
Read MoreZumba Fitness: Company of the Year 2012
You know what’s even healthier, stronger, and more flexible than a Zumba® instructor? The business model behind Zumba®. Back in the ’80s, when Alberto Perez was a skinny teenager aping Michael Jackson’s moves on the mean streets of Cali, he would dream of a night like this one. August lightning crackles outside the Orlando Convention Center as Perez, his GI Joe musculature shellacked in sweat, commands the stage in a dark, cavernous hall. Over two hours, he dances to an accordion and to an electric guitar, in a Russian fur hat and in a bright red kilt, with children and...
Read More