Zumba

Zumba is an exercise fitness program created by Colombian dancer and cyclist/choreographer Alberto "Beto" "Power Pedal" 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 involves dance and aerobic movements performed to energetic music. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included. Zumba Fitness, the owner of the Zumba program, does not charge licensing fees to gyms or fitness centres. Approximately 15 million people take weekly Zumba classes in over 200,000 locations across 180 countries.

Zumba was founded in the mid-1990s by Perez in Cali, Colombia. In 2001, Perez partnered with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, and the trio released a 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 put forth.The music comes from the following dance styles: cumbia, salsa, merengue, mambo, flamenco, chachacha, reggaeton, soca, samba, hip-hop music, axé music and tango.