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History of Zumba

Zumba was created by the choreographer and fitness instructor Alberto “Beto”
Perez in the mid-1990s. According to the official Zumba website, it was a result of a “happy
accident” – Beto was on his way to teach an aerobics class and realized he’d forgotten his
music. He didn’t have time to double back and get it, so he improvised, using the salsa and
merengue tapes he happened to have on him. Instead of strict rep-counting, he ended up
improvising a class that was the perfect mix of dance and aerobics that kept his students
moving and having fun!
In 2001, he started teaching his hybrid dance/aerobics in Miami, and through
another “happy accident”, he got in touch with two other Albertos – Alberto Perlman and
Alberto Aghion. Together, they called the new style “Zumba”, a word that doesn’t have any
specific meaning but has become synonymous with this great combination of fitness and
fun, and brought it to fitness centres all over the world.
Zumba was designed to be low-impact, and to be an intense and efficient calorie-
burning workout that is adaptable and suitable for all different ages, body types and levels
of fitness. At Womens Fitness Clubs of Canada, we aim to help women of all ages, shapes
and sizes reach their fitness goals in a healthy, comfortable and supportive environment.
Zumba’s philosophy therefore fits in well with ours!

Origin of Zumba
Zumba was founded in 1998 by Pérez in Cali, Colombia. Pérez, an aerobics
instructor, forgot to bring his regular music to his aerobics class. He happened to
have cassette tapes of Latin dance music—salsa and merengue—and danced to them
instead, which Pérez later taught as "Rumbacize". In 2001, Pérez 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 word "Zumba" is a neologism that was expressly created as a brand name. The
original name was "Rumbacize", a combination of rumba (a Spanish word "party" and
various dances) and Jazzercize.

Terminology

Zumba-The name Zumba is derived from a Colombian word meaning to move fast and
have fun.

Zumba Gold-targets the largest growing segment of the population: the older adult. It
takes the Zumba formula and modifies the moves and pacing to suit the needs of the active
older participant, as well as the deconditioned participant.
Zumba Atomic-Designed exclusively for kids (ages 4-12), These classes are high-energy
fitness-parties packed with specially choreographed, kid-friendly routines and all the music
kids love

Zumba Toning-It combines targeted body-sculpting exercises and high-energy cardio


work with Latin-infused Zumba moves. Students learn how to use lightweight, maraca-like
Toning Sticks to enhance rhythm and tone all their target zones, including arms, abs and
thighs

Zumba Aqua-Integrating the Zumba formula and philosophy with traditional aqua fitness
disciplines, Aqua Zumba blends it all together into a safe, challenging, water-based workout
that's cardio-conditioning and body toning

Zumba in the Circuit-30 minutes of high-octane, Latin-inspired dance-fitness moves


combined with circuit training, a series of strength exercises at timed intervals. The Circuit
moves students from one exercise station to the next to the thumping beats of reggaeton,
salsa, merengue, and hip-hop

Merengue: The Dominican Republic is usually credited as the origin of Merengue although
Haiti and Santo Domingo fall in that category as well. It is a faster pace rhythm. Common
instruments are Congo drums, accordion, and guiro. The most common move for the
merengue is the “basic march”

Salsa: Salsa is a blend of many Caribbean cultures and strongly influenced by Cuba, but
made popular in New York and Florida, as it is known today. Salsa has a very distinct beat
and is usually a faster tempo.

Cumbia: The Cumbia is known as a rhythm from Columbia, South America, but holds
influences from Africa and Europe. Cumbia is often Associated with a tropical or Creole
flavor to the music.

Reggaeton: Reggaeton has Jamaican influences and was made popular in Puerto Rico and
Panama. The music contains a heavy bass drum beat, with a primary instrument being a
Reggae style drum. The most common move is the “Zumba hit” otherwise known as
“crumping”.

History of line dancing

Despite its associations with cowboy hats and cowboy boots, line dancing originally had
little to do with the 'Country and Western' scene. It certainly doesn't date back to the days
of the cowboys. Line dancing first started in the USA, some time in the late 1970s to early
1980s. Early line dances were performed to disco music, as much as to country and
western, and line dancers would dance to whatever was played. Few of the dances even
had their origins in country dancing. The 'Cowboy Charleston', as its name suggests, was
based on the Charleston, and 'The Barn Dance Mixer' had its origins in Paso Doble. The
'Tush Push', one of the most popular and best known line dances, was originally written to
be performed to 'big band' sounds.

The links with country and western were forged with Billy Ray Cyrus's 'Achy Breaky Heart'.
The dance to this song was written as a marketing ploy to sell the single, but line dancing to
country music soon became a big dance craze.

Line dancing was introduced to Continental Europe by US servicemen who shared line
dancing, country dancing and partner dancing with the locals around their bases. A love of
country and western music helped the craze to spread, particularly in the UK, where line
dancing is more popular than either country dancing or partner dancing. People like Coral
and Ivan Burton and Robert Fowler were also instrumental in making line dancing popular
in the UK.

Today, 'purists' will only line dance to country music, ignoring the previous history of line
dancing. Others will dance to any tune, as long as someone will tell them the steps. It
doesn't matter whether it's reggae, jazz or the latest chart sounds. You name it, if there's a
dance that will fit they'll do it. Even if it's only the good old 'Tush Push' - and there's a
Status Quo track that that'll fit to!

Line dancing continues to be popular, particularly because it's one of the few dance forms
where you don't need a partner, and because it's easy to learn. Hardly a week goes by
without a new dance being added to the list.

What Is Line Dancing?


Line dancing is performed by a number of people all facing in the same direction and
moving in lines. Everybody in the line does the same steps. A line dance consists of a
sequence of steps repeated several times to a particular piece of music. Line dances are
defined by three things: level of difficulty, walls and count.

Level of difficulty is divided into beginner (simple dance, easy to learn), intermediate
(getting harder, but without many tricky steps, even though the music may be fast) or
advanced (tricky steps and/or fast music).

Walls are a requirement. You always turn or do part of a turn during a line dance sequence.
The number of 'walls' tells you how many sequences you do before you end up facing in the
original direction. It may give you an indication of how far you turn during each sequence,
but this is by no means a hard-and-fast rule. 'Walls' will always be one, two or four.

Count is the number of beats one sequence of the dance runs over. The count will usually
be a multiple of eight or 16. Common counts are 16, 32, 40 and 48. Occasionally you will
find a line dance with a count that's a multiple of four or two, but these are less common.
Generally speaking, the higher the count the more difficult the dance is likely to be, as there
will be more steps to remember.
Basic Steps
The best way to learn how to line dance is to find a class. Some venues have callers, so you
may be able to pick it up as you go along. Here are some of the basic steps, so that you'll
know what they're talking about.

Cross - Step one foot in front of the other. Your legs will end up crossed, typically at about
knee level.

Rock - Step with one foot, moving your weight onto it without completely taking it off the
other foot. You can rock forward, back or to the side.

Scuff - Step forward, scuffing the ground with your foot as you move it forward.

Stomp - Stamp your foot fairly hard.

Grapevine ('Vine) - A sideways movement to right or left. A right 'vine is: step to the right,
step your left foot behind your right foot, step to the right again. What comes next depends
on the dance.

Weave (Extended 'Vine) - Another sideways movement to the right or left, but going
further than a 'vine. A right weave is: step to the right, step left behind right, step to the
right, step left in front of right, step to the right... for as long as is needed. Usually no more
than eight beats.

Pivot turn - For example, a left pivot turn is done by stepping forward with your right foot,
then swivelling to the left on your toes. Pivot turns are typically half or quarter-turns.

Unwind - Before an unwind, your legs are always crossed. The 'unwind' is a turn that
undoes the cross. So if you've stepped your right foot over your left and then 'unwind',
you'll do a half-turn to the left, unwinding the cross-over. It's that simple.

The First Step


There are many types of aerobic dance classes to choose from. If you’re not sure where to
start, think about your taste in music. A dance class that involves your favorite genres and
songs will be more fun to attend. It’s also important to start with a class that's designed for
novice dancers. This will keep your expectations realistic and practical, especially if you
haven’t worked out in a long time. Plus, according to noted exercise physiologist Richard
Weil, you’ll be more likely to keep doing aerobic activity if it’s simple and practical.

On-the-Spot Steps
Aerobic dance classes are typically progressive: they start with the most basic steps and
conclude with the most advanced before you cool down. Steps that you perform in place
usually begin a class and are often referred to as on-the-spot steps. These include steps
such as marches, high knee jogs, front kicks, squat taps and jumps.

Forward and Backward Steps


When your instructor sees that the majority of the class is performing the basic on-the-spot
steps proficiently, she will cue you to bring it forward or take it back. Forward and
backward moving marches, jumps, kicks and gallops are among some of the most
commonly cued aerobic dance steps that allow you to move closer to the front and back of
the room.

Side-to-Side Steps
Much of the aerobic dance terminology you hear in class will direct you to move side to
side. Step touches, side gallops, grapevines and glides are all aerobic dance steps that allow
you to move from right to left during class. To make side-to-side steps easier to follow,
aerobic dance instructors will often face you, providing a mirror image of how the steps
should look.

Turning Steps
Turning steps allow you to make quarter, half, full or multiple rotations so you change your
orientation. You can perform pivots, two-foot spins and soutenu turns by keeping your
weight on both of your feet. You perform other turns, such as pirouettes and one-foot spins,
with your weight on only one foot. As you progress into more advanced dance aerobic
classes, you can try turns that use different body parts, such as knee spins.

Jumping Steps
In advanced dance aerobics, jumps and hops are more complex. They allow you to do a
pose or movement as you push yourself off the floor. For example, a double stag allows you
to jump with two bent legs. You can also do a stag leap by jumping with one bent leg and
one straight leg. A more challenging move is a fouette, which allows you to hop, turn and
lift one leg at the same time. Compared to basic dance aerobic steps, jumping steps involve
more coordination, focus and strength.
Andres Bonifacio
Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897), a Filipino revolutionary hero, founded the
Katipunan, a secret society which spearheaded the uprising against the
Spanish and laid the groundwork for the first Philippine Republic.
Andres Bonifacio was born in Tondo, Manila, on Nov. 30, 1863. He grew up in
the
slums and knew from practical experience the actual conditions of the class
struggle in his society. Orphaned early, he interrupted his primary schooling in order to earn a living
as a craftsman and then as clerk-messenger and agent of foreign commercial firms in Manila.
Absorbing the teachings of classic rationalism from the works of José Rizal, Victor Hugo's Les
Miserables, Eugène Sue's The Wandering Jew, books on the French Revolution, and the lives of the
presidents of the United States, Bonifacio acquired an understanding of the dynamics of the
sociohistorical process. This led him to join the Liga Filipina, which Rizal organized in 1892 for the
purpose of uniting and intensifying the nationalist movement for reforms.
When the Liga was dissolved upon the arrest and banishment of Rizal, Bonifacio formed the
Katipunan in 1892 and thus provided the rallying point for the people's agitation for freedom,
independence, and equality. The Katipunan patterned its initiation rites after the Masonry, but its
ideological principles derived from the French Revolution and can be judged radical in its
materialistic-historical orientation. The Katipunan exalted work as the source of all value. It directed
attention to the unjust class structure of the colonial system, the increased exploitation of the
indigenous population, and consequently the need to affirm the collective strength of the working
masses in order to destroy the iniquitous system.
When the society was discovered on Aug. 19, 1896, it had about 10,000 members. On August 23
Bonifacio and his followers assembled at Balintawak and agreed to begin the armed struggle. Two
days later the first skirmish took place and a reign of terror by the Spaniards soon followed.
Conflict split the rebels into the two groups of Magdiwang and Magdalo in Cavite, on Luzon.
Bonifacio was invited to mediate, only to be rebuffed by the clannish middle class of Cavite. Judging
Bonifacio's plans as divisive and harmful to unity, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the elected president of
the provisional revolutionary government, ordered the arrest, trial, and execution for "treason and
sedition" of Bonifacio and his brothers. On May 10, 1897, Bonifacio was executed.
Contrary to the popular view, the cause of Bonifacio's tragic death at the hands of other Filipino
rebels cannot be solely attributed to his own personal pride. Rather, the correlation of class forces
and the adventurist tendency of Bonifacio's group led to his isolation and subsequently to
Aguinaldo's compromises with the American military invaders.

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