Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s. Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC. The Brazilian pop singer Claudia Leitte has become the international ambassador to Zumba Fitness. Zumba was founded in the mid-1990s by the Perez in Cali, Colombia. In 2001, Perez partnered with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, a
nd the trio released series of fitness videos sold via infomercial. Insight Venture Partners and the Raine Group made an investment in 2012. The company expanded into class instruction and by 2015, according to Perlman, there were 14 million Zumba students in 186 countries. The name "Zumba" has no particular meaning, it was chosen arbitrarily as a brand name. Zumba classes are typically about an hour long and are taught by instructors licensed by Zumba Fitness, LLC. In one Zumba class a person can burn between 500-1000 calories depending on the energy the individual puts into the class.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. Zumba Gold is a program designed for beginners and older individuals. Zumba Step is a lower-body workout that incorporates Zumba routines and step aerobics with Latin dance rhythms. 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 provides participants with a cardio workout and strength training. 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 . Zumba In The Circuit combines dance with circuit training. 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. 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. Strong by Zumba was launched in 2016, this specialty combines high intensity interval training with the science of Synced Music Motivation. 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. At least some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people, to help them build strength, improve motion and posture, and socialize.
