Alberto "Beto" Perez is the creator of Zumba. Don't know Zumba? Try a quick Youtube search. It's like Jazzercise, only with more ass-shaking involved (arguably).
It's been around since the mid 90s, when, as "legend" has it, Beto forgot his music for an aerobics class one day, and swapped in his own stuff -- Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton.
Flash forward ten years, and I'm in a gym in Lawrence, KS, trying Zumba, after one of my college classmates has written a story on it for KU's magazine. This cute little blond thing who shouldn't be able to shake her culo like she can by all normal laws of nature is leading a class, and I'm panting and sweating and loving it.
It's like I'm out somewhere dancing, except without fear of the crotch-first "nice to meet you" sneaking up on me from behind.
Flash forward another year, to last night. I've gone to Nebraska to get certified, I've paid $200 to have this little latina tell me I've got to add "flavor" to my moves about 30 times in 6 hours, I've auditioned for the aerobics class coordinator at the same gym I've been going to since I first tried the class, and I'm in. Zumba is the only excercise I have ever. wanted. to. do. regularly. (which, basically, is its entire appeal.)
It's my first night teaching, and my class is hanging with me. The blonde has left for grad school and the east coast, and I'm here, doing my best to remember her routines until I can add some of my own. I'm shaking my own pompa (so many Spanish words for booty, so little time...), I'm screwing up on the choreography once and while, but mostly, I'm smiling. Because this is fun. And instead of paying to work out, I'm now getting paid.
Gracias, Beto.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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