History of Zumba®

Zumba® is Colombian slang that means to move fast and have fun. The aerobic workout is famous for its Latin-inspired dance steps - Salsa, Merengue, Flamenco and Samba.

History of Zumba® is as unique as Zumba® itself; being a Zumba® enthusiast, beginner or even just acquainted with it, you may wonder how exactly Zumba® came into being? Judging by its Latin essence one can actually guess that it is somehow originated in Latin America, since the most common music used during Zumba® sessions, despite including various other genres, it’s Latin. Nonetheless, the integration of other international influences and the name itself can lead to other meanings to some people. Coming to know its background can help you appreciate it more.

Beto – The man behind Zumba®

Born on March 15, 1970, Alberto "Beto" Perez is a celebrity fitness trainer who accidentally discovered the concept of fusing a fitness program with Latin music and influence. Raised in Cali, Colombia, by a single mother, he was just 14 when his mom was injured by a stray bullet. To help support them, he started doing three jobs at a time --According to Reader’s Digest.

Reader’s Digest also reported that he saw the movie Grease when he was seven or eight which inspired him a lot towards dance. However, he lacked in formal training, though, he made up for in raw talent. At 19, he won a national lambada contest. One of Cali’s best academies called with an offer to study dance while teaching step aerobics.

After gaining success, he is now currently serving as the Director of the national Zumba® Master Trainer Team (ZES). He is also a professional dancer and former choreographer for Shakira and other high profile celebrities. His most recent celebrity project was with Pitbull.Beto is the main magnetism for Pitbull's new music video (under Zumba® Fitness) "Pause".

The Stumbled Upon Discovery

In an ordinary day in the mid 90’s, Beto entered his fitness class realizing that he had left his regular aerobics music. The only choice then was to use the tapes available in his car. It just happened that all there were available were traditional tunes that originated from his native country, Colombia. He was then led to use and improvise with merengue and Latin salsa. He realized that the new type of music could be phenomenal for fitness.

Then, he improvised using his own mix of music from tapes he had in his backpack (salsa and merengue music he grew up with). Spontaneously he created a new kind of dance-fitness, And on that day, a revolutionary new fitness concept was born – the Zumba® Fitness-Party.

In just a short span of time, the Zumba® class became the most popular at Beto's facility. The creator brought the program to the United States in 1999.

The Three Albertos

The entrepreneurs Alberto Aghion and Alberto Perlman also saw the big potential of the fitness program, so they approached Beto to focus on the global scale. Zumba® classes were then offered all throughout the world when the three came upon an agreement.

The three Albertos formed an alliance and created a business, calling it Zumba® Fitness. They trademarked the word Zumba® and set a goal to expand the brand all over the world.

First the DVDs were launched, and then the infomercial – which introduced the Zumba® Fitness-Party to the public on a wide-scale basis – then the demand for Zumba® classes and Zumba® Instructors rised.

Zumba® Fitness launched a successful infomercial campaign in Spanish for the U.S. Hispanic market and Latin America, increasing sales to millions of DVDs in over 30 countries.

That’s when the company took off and the Zumba® program expanded in a big way. By 2005, Zumba® Fitness grew to a full-fledged Zumba® Academy™ to license Zumba® Instructors to teach Zumba® classes. More expansion followed with the launch of Zumba® wear™ apparel and accessories, music CDs, and in 2008, one of the best-selling at-home fitness DVD series ever – the Zumba® Fitness^® Total Body Transformation System – which starred Beto and introduced Zumba® Fitness’ newest stars, Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant.

Zumba®, Zumba Fitness® and the Zumba Fitness logos are registered trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC, which holds copyright ownership on all Zumba®-related material and use of name and logo. wwww.zumba.com

The Global Rise of Zumba®

• In 2002, Perlman and Aghion secured a deal with a large infomercial company to launch the concept nationwide resulting in the sale of hundreds of thousands of videos in the U.S. market. The overwhelming response created a demand for more Zumba® instructors, so Zumba Fitness® created an instructor training program to satisfy the growing demand. The program was an instant success. By September 2006, there were thousands of Zumba® instructors worldwide.
• A year later in 2007, the Zumba® program launched internationally and currently spans six continents – North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Now, the entire world is partying to the exciting rhythms of the Zumba® Fitness-Party™!
• In 2010, Zumba® shook the ground (once again) by being the first branded fitness program to launch a video game on all three major gaming platforms: Wii, Xbox, and PS3.So, whether it’s a life-saving drug or a new kind of dance-fitness, a "happy accident" can move you in a new direction and change your life forever. That’s what happened to us. And now we look forward to sharing the Zumba® program with you.
• According to Zumba®.com, "As of October 2010, the Zumba® program is being taught at over 90,000 locations in over 110 countries."