by Keri Nadeau

Created on: December 29, 2008

It's 5:20 on a Tuesday evening. One by one, the people file up the perforated steel steps, walk down the narrow hall, round the corner and head into the small office. They sign their names on a clip board form and pass either $5 or a punch card to the pretty, young, brunette woman on the other side of the desk, and then continue through the office to the studio beyond. There is a jovial atmosphere, with many of these people appearing to be old friends. Latin music plays at a medium volume in the background, and several people begin dancing to it as they await the main event.

At 5:30, give or take a few minutes, a man in a tank top and cargo-style shorts makes his way to the front of the room. The conversation quiets to a dull roar as he gets the music ready to begin class. "Ok- let's go" he shouts, and increases the volume of the music. Class is underway, and all eyes are on him.

Zumba began in the mid-1990s by Beto Perez in his native country of Colombia, when this aerobics instructor forgot his more traditional aerobics music at home and, in a moment of desperation, substituted his own musical selections of mostly Latin-infused dance music as the soundtrack for his class. It became wildly popular, and the beginning of a fitness trend, and an aerobics empire, was formed. Zumba, a slang term used in Spanish-speaking central and south America meaning to dance quickly, fast grew into its own fitness craze, spawning infomercials, DVDs, a instructors training program and an apparel line-all moves designed to take this movement worldwide. More than 10 years later, Zumba is now taught by over 25,000 people in more than 30 countries all over the world. More than 3 million copies of the at home DVDs have been sold to date. As a workout, Zumba has been shown to be a highly effective calorie burner, burning up to 500 calories in a single 60 minute class. This is comparable to running at nearly 4 MPH for the same amount of time.

The live class is frenetic and loud. The instructor cues it visually, directing the sea of people with his hands, head, feet and hips. The choreography is broken down, and then repeated throughout a song to make to make it easy to learn and follow. Couple the energetic instructor with a group of excited front-row regulars, and you have an atmosphere that feels more like a dance party than a workout. As several songs play, the group of regulars can be heard whooping, clapping and singing along to the music. The class follows a traditional format: 10-15 minutes warm-up and stretch, followed by 40-45 minutes of cardio dance, 5-10 minutes of muscle work and a quick cool down and stretch.

As the class winds down, the instructor leads the group through a quick cool down and stretch. The last deep inhale and exhale completed, he again shouts over the music "You're done." Whoops and claps erupt around the room. As the class moves toward the exit to the studio, they are sweaty, many having soaked their work out wear, but also exhilarated. Many of these people will be back the very next evening to do it all over again.

To find a Zumba class in your area, go to www.zumba.com. Click on Class Finder' and enter your zip code or city and state. You may also purchase apparel and preview and purchase DVDs on this site.

Learn more about this author, Keri Nadeau.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.