Did you know it only takes one muscle to zumba? . . . The heart. With that thought in mind a “Zumba Challenge” to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association will take place Sat., Aug. 27 at the Bilou Roller Skating Rink in Fulton. Roxanne and Tracy Seeber are currently organizing the event, collecting door prizes and soliciting sponsors for the event. Door prizes will include gift certificates for free zumba classes from local instructors and classes at YMCA, and donations from local business.
“Muscular Dystrophy is one of the organizations my family has personally supported and now I want to be able to expand that and have the community help us help them,” said Seeber. There are so many individuals that don’t have the advantages and simple pleasures we do and currently there are over 650 registered with the MDA in CNY (9 counties)
Zumba seems to be the next fitness craze, in Fulton alone there are at least 4 places where you can join the zumba fun. Hannibal, Phoenix and Oswego also have many locations where it is available. It has expanded to include Zumba toning, aqua zumba, zumba gold, zumbatomics.
Lucy Ludwig is volunteering as instructor for the day. She is one of the best instructors in the area and has agreed to donate her time to this event.
The fee to participate is only $10 and those bringing in additional pledges/sponsor funds will receive extra chances for the door prizes. The first twelve participants bringing in $100 or more will receive a free t-shirt. There will also be a limited number of t-shirts for sale. “It is my goal to pack the Bilou, not only will it bring in funds for the MDA but those participating will rock the house. Having that many zumba fans in one place will be awesome, and Lucy will rock the house.” Sponsor forms and more information is available by calling Roxanne at 593-6233.
Zumba started with a dance fitness program, created by dancer and choreographer Alberto (“Beto”) Perez in Colombia during the 1990s. Zumba was marketed by entrepreneur Alberto Perlman, who made the concept popular through dance classes.
“One day, Beto forgot his aerobics tapes, so he played his salsa and meringue songs during class in their original form,” Perlman said. “People went crazy. They didn’t feel like they were in a class with a drill sergeant.” Perlman said Perez decided to call the exercise Zumba, after the Colombian slang word meaning to buzz like a bee or move fast.
The program combines Latin and international music with dance in an effort to make exercise fun. Zumba classes are offered through licensed instructors in more than 90,000 fitness center locations in 110 countries with ten million participants.
We used music in the original form instead of using step counts.” Perlman, whose background is in marketing, teamed up with Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez in Miami in 2001.
Zumba is now a brand name. Since 2003, Perlman’s group has trained 20,000 instructors around the world, he said.
The Zumba program is recognized by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, IDEA Health and Fitness Association, and the American Council on Exercise. Zumba Fitness LLC is based in Hollywood, Florida.
*Actually zumba is part dance, part aerobics, Zumba is an hour long routine that works almost every muscle in the body
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