With the rise in popularity of Latin music, exercise has followed, and Zumba is among the hottest styles. In Zumba classes, provocative hip-hop and Latin tunes spin to salsa, merengue, samba and cumbia steps.
The dance form was created by Colombian fitness trainer Beto Perez about a decade ago when he forgot to bring his music to a class he was teaching. From his car he grabbed the tapes he was listening to, a mixture of salsa and merengue. He improvised the class, and Zumba was born. It came to the U.S. in 1999.
Who it’s for: Anyone who enjoys Latin music and dance will appreciate Zumba since it combines the two into an hour-long cardio class.
What it’s like: You don’t have to be able to move like Shakira to get the full benefits. At Women’s Weekend Express in Fort Collins, instructor Dianne Doddridge reviews basic salsa, cumbia and merengue steps before the start of each song.
Students watch themselves in a mirror as they line up behind the teacher.
Doddridge tells students how to dance merengue style, shifting her weight from one leg to another as she steps and moves her hips.
“This is more of a cardio class than it is a dance class,” she says, reminding students to lift their legs higher and reach their arms farther.
But if the idea of a cardio-based dance session with G-rated lyrics is too vanilla, a class that focuses mostly on Latin dance with racier music, such as the one taught at Studio Soma in Denver, might be for you.
“I don’t want this to be a class people do for a cardio workout,” the instructor Raquel Cecil says. “It’s about self-expression and it’s a place where people can come to practice moving sensually without an audience.”
In neither class will the teacher tell students what they are doing is wrong.
“There is no right or wrong way to dance,” says Doddridge, explaining that once you learn the basic steps the rest is up to you. “That’s what makes Zumba unique.”
Fun factor: Instructors encourage you to be sexy and silly. You burn calories without realizing it.
Advice: Stop thinking. You’ll be surprised how quickly you catch on to complex steps when you let your body move independently from your brain.
Details: Catch a Zumba class at Ladies Workout Express, 2601 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins. For class times, call 970-482-9339 or visit .
For classes at Studio Soma, 2540 W. 29th Ave., call 303-477-5531 or visit studio-soma.com. For other locations, visit .
