By Danielle Pierce-Master, MA Dance / Edited by Samantha Bellerose, B.Ed, Dip.Dance (Performing Arts)
Zumba Ⓡ Fitness is a Latin Dance-inspired dance cardio workout. Zumba was founded in 2001 by Beto Perez. Perez was teaching Aerobics and forgot his class music. But! He had his personal collection of Cumbia and Salsa music in the car, so he put it on and used it to teach his class.
The music driven class became a global fitness craze and is taught around the world. If you take a Zumba Ⓡ Fitness class, you can expect to rock out to Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Bachata, Quebradita, and other rhythms. Zumba also offers ‘specialty’ classes, like Zumba Kids, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Sentao, Zumba Toning, and Zumba Gold.
Zumba is a great workout for anyone, and excellent cross-training for dancers looking to boost their cardiovascular fitness. Many dancers get licensed to teach Zumba as a side business to supplement their dance work. If you want to find a class near you, look at the “Find a Class” tab on Zumba.com. Sneakers with a light tread are the recommended footwear for Zumba class.
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