Weekender

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Posted on May 28, 2015 06:47:00 PM

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

Beto’s beat

IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY one Zumba session only. But it extended to two more -- and probably would have gone on forever if the people were to ask. Who wouldn’t want more, more, more Zumba sessions when its pioneer, Alberto “Beto” Perez, was right there in the flesh leading the pack and dancing to a hip-grinding playlist?

  

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Mr. Perez had an intimate Zumba session with the media when he visited the country on May 8 before his big “concert” on May 10. He came in with shades, ankle-cut sneakers, baggy jogging pants, and a jacket. But he had to take off his jacket after just one song. It was getting hot. “It starts slow, then fast, slow, fast,” Mr. Perez said of the tempo which makes it more effective in melting the fat away.

When he demanded the volume be turned up, the participants went wild. Mr. Perez moved with a swagger. Hips were thrown. The dancers moved in unison as Mr. Perez thrust, swayed, and ground his fit body. Everybody was sweating buckets after the “party,” (Mr. Perez likes to call it a party and not exercise.) An upbeat “party” can burn 800 calories or one chocolate bar, he said.

“The fitness industry created ‘no pain, no gain.’ I think that philosophy doesn’t work for me. If you don’t smile, you don’t gain. When people have a good time, they smile and have fun, that’s my philosophy,” said Mr. Perez.

It all boils down to happy music. Zumba incorporates danceable tunes and styles like salsa, samba, belly dance, hip-hop, merengue, and other world rhythms. “Music is very important. Other programs (like Pilates and aerobics) don’t pay attention to music. You see, music is 70% of my class. Zumba is a platform for music. We’re like a radio station,” he said.

While everyone is happy with the music and the party, the psychologists are sad and lonely. Mr. Perez joked that the psychologists hate him because “depressed people don’t pay $100 to go to them, they pay $10 for Zumba. It’s a therapy!”

But how did Zumba start? Mr. Perez likes to call it a “happy accident.”

He was 16 years old and a high-impact aerobics teacher in Colombia. On his way to a class, he realized he forgot to bring his music. “I cannot say ‘Oh I forgot my music’ because my boss will kill me. I needed the money. There was a cassette tape in my pocket and I recorded music,” he said. He improvised. “I said to my students, ‘Today, the class is different. I prepared this class for a long time.’ They said ‘wow!’ But of course it wasn’t true,” he said while laughing.

His class was successful and became the most popular session in the gym.

After becoming a success in his hometown, Cali, Colombia, Mr. Perez decided to leave everything behind and pursue his American dream. But it wasn’t a breeze. He barely spoke English and had to apply for his documents.

But then again, he was quick to add he didn’t need to speak in his class. His moves are his own language.

“I don’t speak in my class. I don’t need to speak in my class. I never speak even when I was in Colombia. I use my body language and people understand,” he said.

Finally, an American health club took a chance on him and accepted him as an instructor.

“I want people to know that everything is possible. It’s important to have a dream and do something about it. Always think positive. I know this because I lived alone when I was 15. If you want something, work hard and remember where you come from,” said Mr. Perez who is now based in Miami, Florida.

But Zumba wasn’t called “Zumba” yet. It’s first name was “rumba,” which, in Colombia, connotes “to party.” There’s a tongue-twisting story behind the name Zumba. He said the Americans couldn’t pronounce the “rrru” in rumba. His business partners, who saw the popularity of rumba back when it was starting in America, asked him to change it. “Tunga, chumba, hakuna matata... ah, zumba! But instead of ‘s’ I put in ‘z’ because I love Zorro when I was a kid,” he said.

Now, Zumba is the largest dance fitness program in the world, with 15 million weekend class participants in 200,000 locations across more than 180 countries. Zumba has also given birth to its babies: aquatic Zumba (partying in a swimming pool), Zumba for kids, Zumba for oldies, and Zumba Sentao (seated).

Mr. Perez has conducted classes all over the world, from Japan and China to Brazil and Portugal, which is his most memorable experience because it was a huge party, with 8,000 Portuguese participants. His celebrity students include Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham, and Naomi Campbell, “but sometimes I don’t know who they are. I just dance and party,” he said.

At 45, Mr. Perez is having the time of his life. But he admitted he still wants to do more. He said he wanted to make a Zumba movie or musical. “I dance and they pay me for that. I have women around me. It’s the best job. I want to do it for the rest of my life -- and I did it!” he said.