After that, the class jumped into high gear. Perez was on the stage, smiling and flirting with the audience as he demonstrated moves. The crowd followed along, moving quickly to mirror his steps.

While a few first-timers appeared a little lost at first, they eventually seemed to find a way to follow along. People of all shapes and ages participated, and at least two women who looked obviously pregnant were dancing with the group.

Kymmy Amesquita, who attended the master class with Perez, said she loves Zumba because the workout is fun and high-energy. She began taking classes at her Layton gym about a year ago and said she is addicted to the program.

"Before Zumba, I felt like I needed exercise, but I hated it," she said. "I was just dragging myself to the gym and counting every minute on the treadmill."

Now, Amesquita said, it's easy to forget she's actually working out.

For Perez, that is the goal of his workout. He doesn't want people to feel as if they're stuck doing the same thing, with sets and reps and specific equipment. He wants his workouts to be fun, although still hard enough to make people sweat.

The motto of his program is, "Ditch the workout, join the party."

"I set up this program like a philosophy," Perez said. "People don't come to my class to lose weight. People come to Zumba class for happiness and for the experience and to feel like a family."

Along with regular Zumba classes, Perez has also created cardio-dance programs for children and senior citizens. This year, he plans to debut a Zumba class for people to do in the pool.

Along the Wasatch Front, at least 178 classes are offered within a 50-mile radius of Salt Lake City. Visit the Zumba Web site for specific classes at www.zumba.com. Click on the link that says, "Find a class."

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com