San Francisco Zumba® Fitness Classes with Jessa

It’s pretty amazing! I am very excited for the fact that Zumba Fitness is named company of the Year by Inc. Magazine. Check out the link below to read the story online.

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INC.

Mentioned in the article highlights are these few paragraphs I wanted to share.
“Another thing outsiders don’t realize about Zumba is its breadth. Yes, this is a fitness company. But it is also becoming an influential player in the music world, striking deals with such artists as Wyclef Jean and Pitbull to promote their songs in its classes and feature them on its CD compilations. In June, Billboard hailed Zumba as the next major music platform. A creator as well as a distributor, the company has commissioned and produced close to 400 songs; the 60 tracks available on iTunes have been downloaded a million times. “It’s hotter than MTV in any of the hot years I saw MTV,” says William Roedy, the former chairman and CEO of MTV Networks International, who is an informal adviser to Zumba. “They have this perfect synergy with music that is great for the whole industry.”

And watch out, Lululemon: Zumba has a thriving workout apparel line as well and expects to sell 3.5 million units in 2012. The Zumba store at this convention occupies 30,000 square feet. Half an hour before it opens on the first day, more than 600 instructors are already in line, including a couple of white-haired seniors camped out on folding chairs. In the women’s restrooms, I see attendees slicing the shoulders off their new shirts (fans have plastered YouTube with videos demonstrating how to customize Zumba apparel). The stalls are littered with tags left by people who couldn’t wait to get back to their rooms to don their new togs.”

Perlman is especially chuffed at the rising profile of Zumba’s music business. Its new CD, Zumba Fitness Dance Party, recently went platinum in France. “Universal, EMI, Sony–they’re calling us and saying, ‘Can we put this song we’re launching out on the ZIN network?’ ” says Perlman. “Because they know 14 million people are going to hear it. We have artists saying, ‘I don’t need a record label. I’ll just put my song up on iTunes, and Zumba can be my promotional vehicle.’ ”  (Check out Daddy Yankee – Limbo video who promoted the song on the ZIN 42 DVD. You can spot Gina Grant in her Zumba Pants towards the end of the video.)

But the industry most influenced by Zumba is still fitness. Its classes are a staple in the major chains: Curves, 24 Hour Fitness, LA Fitness, and others. When negotiating those contracts, Perlman turned down offers of licensing fees, stipulating only that the gyms hire licensed Zumba instructors and participate in joint marketing. David Giampaolo, a Zumba director who is a founder of several health-club chains, predicts that 50 to 60 percent of exercise classes in gyms globally will eventually go Zumba. “Health clubs have been very good at speaking to the same type of person over and over again,” says Giampaolo. “Zumba has opened the dialogue to a much wider audience. Their first motivation is enjoyment, so they do it. It’s kind of like a miracle.”

Zumba is where you get to be yourself,” says Thorington. “It opens your spirit.”

-written by Leigh Buchanan

That last sentence is really where the magic of Zumba all about. They mention the term FEJ (pronounced Fedge) standing for Freeing, Electrifying, Joy! Zumba has made fitness accessible to EVERYONE. Kids, the aging adult, etc. Working out is FUN. Who doesn’t want to dance to great music and learn some easy steps while burning calories?

So now all of you who have felt silly or maybe not as proud to be a Zumba Fanatic, you can stand tall!

Speaking of fun songs with dance moves, I heard this song a few times on the radio and was like, “Are they saying Zumba?” Sure enough, a few days ago I tried looking for the song by Don Omar and up popped this video. The name is literally “Zumba”.  All the people in the video are Zumba Fitness Instructors and of course the creator Beto himself.

Check it out and look for it in class!

Don Omar – Zumba Campaign!