By Lindsey Huster  

 

Shimmy, samba, shake, and repeat- every Wednesday morning at Danceworks studio, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a group of women gather to get their "Zumba on."

 

Zumba, Columbian slang for "fast" is the latest in dance aerobic exercise, which combines Latin beats and Flamenco feet with cardiovascular exercise. For sixty minutes, women dance to their heart's delight to the likes of Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin. Unlike most dance classes, however, this class welcomes a wide range of dancers, both old and young as well as first-time and lifetime dancers.

 

"I think it's a great combination of exercise, a lot of fun and great music," said 60-year-old retired auditor Joy Towell.  Towell has danced since she was a young girl, and after retiring decided to give Zumba a try. 

 

Even for the un-Fred Astaires of the class, Zumba continues to be a blast. 

 

"It's a good workout and fairly painless," said Melissa Mooney, a 54-year-old retired librarian.  Mooney, who has never danced before, praises Zumba as a great form of exercise for her arthritic knees. Unlike other forms of cardio exercises, Mooney says she can control the level of intensity according to her level of comfort.

 

Zumba's roots began in the early 1990s in Miami, Florida by trainer Alberto "Beto" Perez.  After forgetting his music for class one day, he grabbed tapes from his car, which included his favorite Latin beats.  Using salsas and samba, Zumba was born. Since then, Zumba has been featured in such publications as the New York Times and The Washington Post as well as television shows including The Today Show and CNN. So far, over 25,000 instructors have been certified worldwide.

 

"It's a workout you don't even know you are doing," said instructor Susie Wiedmeyer. Wiedmeyer, a 23-year-old graduate student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who was certified a year ago to teach Zumba. 

 

Wiedmeyer believes one of the biggest draws for Zumba is its ability to draw a diverse crowd of dancers.

 

"Zumba is about your style. It's not such a cookie cutter image [of dance technique], and it gives you a lot of freedom." For instructors, this also means putting a little improvisation into the class as well. Zumba instructors are told to use 70 percent of Latin-inspired dance, and 30 percent of whatever the teacher enjoys.

 

For Wiedmeyer, that 30 percent usually includes a large amount of Reggaeton, and a variety of options for levels of difficulty. "I try to give dancers the ability to take it down a notch," said Wiedmeyer.

 

For both dancers and instructors alike, Zumba proves to be a great way to burn some calories while having fun.

 

"I like the music and like the fact that I sweat, and I have a great time doing it," said Mooney.

 

          

Photo by J.C. Rojas