The word zumba comes from the Columbian verb, zumbear. Its meaning is: moving fast, have fun. In other Latin languages it means party. The story of Zumba started in Cali, Columbia, in the middle of the ‘90s, with a person called Beto Perez, an aerobics and Latin dance instructor who revolutionized fitness build upon salsa, merengue and cumbia hits. One day, Beto, when he darted off to teach an aerobics class and forgot his traditional aerobics music. He improvised using his own mix of music from tapes he had in his backpack (salsa and merengue music he grew up with). Spontaneously he created a new kind of dance-fitness, one that focused on letting the music move you (instead of counting reps over the music). Energy electrified the room; people couldn't stop smiling. His class loved it! And on that day a revolutionary new fitness concept was born – the Zumba^® Fitness-Party.

After the initial success Beto moved to the United States, the cradle of fitness. Fitness industry didn’t accept the idea of Zumba® Fitness because of refusing the fundamental characteristics of collective aerobic training. Zumba proceeds authentic music and styles and not depends on rhythm, connects such movements which are very effective to reach the aim of fitness. (eg. fat burning, maximalise calorie using, repairing condition). Keeping the structure of music is indispensably important in Zumba. In 2002 the father of Zumba^® looked for investor associates to register the brand name Zumba^®.

These investors become Alberto Perlmann and Alberto Aghion and they established Zumba Fitness LLC together. They issued a four-part Zumba^® cassette which got sold more one hundred thousand copies still in the year of publishing. People were looking for the possibility of Zumba classes in the fitness clubs but they did not succeed. There came a high demand on Zumba classes and instructors therefore Zumba^® subject matter of instruction and training had started. In favour of the high level of instruction, Zumba Fitness LLC joint partnership with the largest American trade organisations and in 2007, the international opening of Zumba^® ad started.
Presently people on all continents do Zumba, about 7,5 million people have the Zumba passion.