In February I was invited by London Mums Magazine to interview Beto Perez & Gina Grant at the ZIN (Zumba Instructors Network) Convention in London – what a treat, and an honour!

London Mums magazine is a fabulous on-line and hard-copy magazine catering specifically for ‘mums on the go’, whether they’re working full-time, part-time or not, with it’s finger firmly on the pulse. Monica, it’s editor, is hungry for information and news which is pertinent to London Mums readers and doesn’t fail to consistently provide.

An exert of our interview with Beto….

London Mums at the UK's first Zumba Instructor Conference with Zumba programme creator Beto Perez (1)

Rebecca: Hi Beto, our readers would love to know what’s next for Zumba®?

Beto: Next, we have many many plans! We have just launched Zumba Sentao™ (dancing using a chair as a prop). London is holding the first training of this, but this is a process, it takes one or two years for the program to take form. We have plans to support more of the speciality programs and also our other new project in Zumba® is to launch new (musical) artists. We already work with established artists but feel we can use the Zumba platform to promote new artists such as Mara from Colombia who’s music we already use in Zumba®.

This project is very personal to me because I love music.

Rebecca: Do you still give classes yourself?

Beto: Yes! I teach my classes when I’m in Miami, 2 or 3 regular classes. For me, it’s important to teach classes, to retain contact with the people. I love this.

6Rebecca: How about Zumba® for kids?

Beto: Yes, we have a program Zumbatomic® for kids. We try to provide exercise in a fun way. We are also working on a new program providing Zumba® for mums and babies using drums This is new, we’re working on this project. We don’t have a name yet.

Rebecca: What other sports do you enjoy? Tennis? Golf?

Beto: I love sports. I love soccer but I don’t play because I work with my legs. I need to be careful. But I have my personal training and I run on South Beach. But I do all my Zumba® programs, I dance about 4 hours per day. But I’m 41 and I think I’m doing ok!

Rebecca: Do you do yoga or anything else to balance out the cardio?

Beto: I need to do more yoga, or stretching, because my body really needs it right now.

Yoga and Zumba® have a special connection. Before, exercise classes consisted of ‘step’ classes, weights, kick boxing – now I think there’s a new way of aerobics: Zumba®, yoga, Pilates – it���s a new age.

More fun, more spirituality, more feeling.

Before, the message was ‘no pain, no gain’ – no, for me it’s “ have fun, you see results”. The most important thing for us in Zumba® is to have fun. Smile. If you smile in a positive way, you body answers in a positive way – cosmic equation. People don’t come to a Zumba® class just to lose weight, they come to have fun! After the class, I often have people telling me “Beto, I don’t need to have a coffee, after (the class) I have energy for the whole day”.

Rebecca: Beto, I know you’re busy and have a tight schedule London Mums interviews Zumba programme creator Beto Perez at the UK's first Zumba Instructor Conference at ExCel London (3)today, but before you go, can I ask you a few quick one word questions?

Beto: (big smile) sure!

Rebecca: Baseball or American Football?

Beto: (long thoughtful pause) American Football

Rebecca: Ok, American Football or British soccer?

Beto: (no pause at all!) British soccer of course! No really, I love that!

Rebecca: finally.. blondes or brunettes

Beto: (stunned silence, than laughs) I love them all!

Perfect!

For the full article and video of our chat with Beto and Gina’s demonstration of Zumbatomic, please click on this link London Mums Magazine, interview & video with Beto Perez