Latin exercise craze arrives in central Wisconsin

By Megan Loiselle
Wausau Daily Herald

Six women twirling their hips and pushing their arms into the air to Latin rhythms looked like they could have been on a dance floor.

But they were participating in the latest exercise craze. Zumba has made its way to Wausau after starting in a more tropical locale.

Celebrity fitness trainer Alberto "Beto" Perez accidentally started the exercise when he walked into his aerobics class one day in his native Colombia in the 1990s. He realized he forgot his regular music, so he popped in some tapes with traditional Latin music and the new exercise quickly caught on. The Zumba Fitness program now has thousands of specially trained instructors and several DVD collections.

Dana Macalalad of Wausau started teaching a group in January at Franklin Elementary School before moving the class to St. Paul's United Church of Christ this summer. About 10 to 15 people attend the class every week.

Macalalad on a recent Thursday set up her iPod in a lower room of the church and played all kinds of music in fast and slow rhythms, using simple steps to make working out seem more like dancing. She said Zumba borrows moves from all types of traditional Latin music, including salsa, merengue and the samba.

She started off with a warm-up, then quickly played heart-pounding beats and ended the night on a slower note.

"It's really fun music that really gets you going," Macalalad said. "There's no right or wrong, it's all just about having fun."

Music played during the classes represents places across the globe, including Mexico, Chile and Africa. Macalalad throws in some of her favorites, too, including "I'm a Believer" and "Jai Ho" from the "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack.

"It's a great beat," participant Laura Place of Wausau said. "It's real upbeat and fun."

Megan Pothen, 34, of Wausau learned about the class in January.

"I'm not much of a gym person," Pothen said. "I like to go to the class where they're all normal people here."

Four instructors have been trained locally to teach Zumba. Classes are offered at the two Woodson YMCA locations -- Wausau and Weston, the Wausau Wellness Center, Mosinee Elementary School and St. Paul United Church of Christ.

Macalalad teaches the Zumba class at the church at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. The class is open to anyone for $3 per class. Macalalad also teaches a Zumba Gold program for older adults at the Wausau Woodson YMCA on Tuesday mornings.