Alberto Beto Perez is the creator of Zumba. A native of Colombia (South America), Beto is the founder of Zumba and the head coach of the national team of head coaches. Beto Perez is also a famous choreographer and professional dancer. Having choreographed for Shakira and other celebrities, if you’ve ever wondered what Zumba means, it means moving fast and having a lot of fun. His aerobics style of dance uses Latin-inspired dance moves such as salsa, merengue, flamenco, and samba. Hip-hop and other erotic dances have recently been added to the dance mix.
Beto Perez created this Latin dance workout by accident, as the story goes that one day when he rushed out of that house to teach his aerobics class, he forgot his regular music tapes. Once he realized this, he grabbed some tapes of Latin music that were in his car and began teaching the class this music. The class exploded and became the most popular class in Columbia. He called this class “Rumbacize”.
Beto Perez arrived in Miami, Florida in 1999. There he met two young Colombian entrepreneurs who convinced him to change the name and start marketing his fitness philosophy around the world. By 2008, the small fitness company had over 20,000 certified instructors and DVD sales of over 3 million.
(Beto has recently added different music to his fitness workouts, introducing a bit of country music, rock ‘n’ roll funk, and many other exciting tunes.) However, he’s also added additional products to the company’s fitness line. He recently launched a dance workout for individuals who are completely beginners and have never practiced much before; Active seniors and individuals with physical disabilities. I call this product Zumba Gold. In addition, another recent version is the design of a children’s product. Since most young children do not get enough physical exercise, this new product received an overwhelming response. The new Zumba kids program offers kids the ability to exercise and have fun at the same time.
Not neglecting the international market, the company recently opened up to China and has representatives in more than 40 different countries around the world. This Latin dance workout has taken the world by storm.
The company joined forces with Mark Burnett Productions (of “Survivor” fame) and Emilio Estefan (Gloria Estefan’s husband) to begin marketing dance fitness products to the Hispanic market through television. But Mr. Burnett isn’t the only one in Hollywood who has noticed the incredible popularity of the Latin-inspired dance workout. Many well-known Hollywood celebrities such as Ricky Martin, Eva LaRue (“CSI Miami”), Vivica A. Fox (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Stacy Kiebler (“Dancing with the Stars”), Hunter Tylo (“The Bold & the Beautiful”) and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres joined the rehearsal party. From a South American toddler to an American success story again, Alberto Beto Pérez has proven that the American Dream is real. It’s a true “rags to riches” success story!