Zumba combines dance moves with body-sculpting exercises

He was trying to stay hidden until the class started, but a trio of women managed to spot him as he sneaked back inside after a quick interview.

"Beto!" the women screamed. "Beto!"

He turned and acknowledged the women with a boyish smile. They snapped a picture, and then Alberto "Beto" Perez left to finish preparing for his class.

A few minutes later, he was ready for his big entrance. It was time to Zumba.

For the uninitiated, now might be a good time to offer some explanation. First, Zumba is, indeed, a word. It means to move fast, or have fun.

Zumba is also the name of one of the top fitness trends in the United States, and Perez is the creator. It's a cardio workout that combines dance moves such as merengue, salsa and samba with various body-sculpting exercises.

Perez came up with the idea for Zumba in the mid-'90s after forgetting to bring his regular workout music to an aerobics class he was teaching in his native Colombia. He improvised by using a few Latin music tapes he kept in his car.

Class members loved it, and from there, the idea of Zumba began to spread. It is now being taught in at least 75 countries and appears to be benefiting in the states from public interest in shows such as "Dancing With the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

Perez jokes the rapid growth of his fitness routine makes him feel like Forrest Gump, who was a character played by Tom Hanks in the award-winning movie from 1994. Gump was a man who accomplished a lot in his life, including starting a running trend.

"When Forrest Gump started running, everyone followed him," Perez said. "I feel like one day I started to dance and people followed me and changed their lives."

Just two weeks ago, he was in Utah to teach a master Zumba class at Studio 600 in Salt Lake City. It was his first time in the state, and people traveled from as far away as St. George to see him in person and attend the class.

Most in attendance were women, but a few men also joined the crowd.

"This is just our favorite thing to do," said Linda Blosch, from Bountiful, who attended the class with friends. "We just love it. I hope everyone will do it and start moving."

From the outset, it was easy to see why Blosch and others enjoyed Zumba, particularly the class with Perez. The minute he appeared on stage, wearing baggy pants, a hat and a bicep-revealing shirt, the crowd began screaming. They continued letting loose with occasional screams of excitement throughout the 90-minute class.

Perez started by giving a brief demonstration of a few Latin dance moves. Then, he led the crowd through a 12-minute warmup with stretches, squats and other moves designed to raise the heart rate.