zumba zumba where have i been?

Zumba

Sechelt Aquatic Centre, April 3 to 17

Sunday 10:30am to 11:30am

So... apparently the world has been going nuts for Zumba over the past couple of years and I've somehow managed to miss out on the madness. But my eyes have finally been opened to the dance craze that's slogan is "Ditch the workout and join the party."  Now that's my kind of exercise!

Zumba was created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto Perez, while teaching an aerobics class in his homeland in the mid-90s. The story goes that Perez had forgotten his regular aerobics music and had to use a tape of recorded Latin songs for the class he was teaching; he threw in a couple of samba moves here, a salsa swivel there and it was such a hit that he renamed the lesson "Rumbacise". Word got out that a fun new class had started and people began turning up in droves.

By late 1999 Perez had moved to Miami, where he met investors Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, who saw its money-making potential, and Zumba Fitness LLC was born. More than a decade later their venture has grown into a full-blown fitness phenomenon – more than 10 million Americans take a Zumba class each week, with 50,000 classes taking place across 75 countries worldwide on a weekly basis. Perez has also launched a host of spin-offs – specialised classes for children (Zumbatomic) and the over-50s (Zumba Gold), clothing lines, DVDs and a Zumba Fitness Wii game. Celebrity fans are a dime a dozen: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Victoria Beckham, Natalie Portman, Madonna and Shakira are all said to be hip-shimmying Zumba fans. In 2009 Michelle Obama incorporated it into her Get Moving campaign and a mass Zumba class was taught on the White House lawn at the launch.

The "get fit and have fun" ethos has been the key to Zumba's success and the SCRD has been tuned into the phenomenon for awhile now. Classes start this Sunday at Sechelt Aquatic Centre and it's worth signing up for if you haven't already...you'll probably feel like you're dancing with a bunch of slightly uncoordinated extras in a pop-music video but you'll be burning up to 1,000 calories an hour while having a good laugh!

Check out the SCRD's Spring Recreation Guide for more info.

Image credit: www.fitceleb.com