Beto Pérez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beto Pérez
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Pérez in 2014
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| Born | March 15, 1970 |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
Alberto "Beto" Pérez was born on March 15, 1970, in Colombia. He is a famous dancer, choreographer, and businessman. Beto is best known for creating Zumba, a popular fitness program. Zumba combines dance moves with aerobic exercise, using fun music, especially Latin music. It also includes moves like squats and lunges to help people stay fit.
Contents
Beto Pérez: The Creator of Zumba
Early Life and Passion for Dance
Beto Pérez grew up in Cali, Colombia. He was raised by his single mother. By the time he was 14, he worked three jobs to help his family. Even with all his work, Beto loved dancing more than anything. He really wanted to take dance lessons, but his family could not afford them.
One day, Beto won a national lambada dance contest in Colombia. This win helped him get into one of Cali's best dance schools. He studied dance there and, in return, he taught step aerobics classes.
How Zumba Began
In 1999, Beto Pérez moved to Miami, Florida, in the United States. He hoped to achieve his "American Dream" there. He taught aerobics classes and tried to share his new fitness and dance routines. He used his own mix of music for these routines.
In 2001, Beto asked Brenda Anderson, a fitness director, to let him teach his dance routines in a class. She gave him a chance. By 2003, Beto had made his first TV advertisement. With help from Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, he started workshops based on his Zumba routines. At first, his routines were sold on DVDs. Soon, people all over the world started to follow his fun workouts.
Zumba's Big Success
In 2006, Beto Pérez started a company called Zumba Fitness LLC. This company sells Zumba videos and other products. It also charges a fee to instructors who want to teach Zumba classes. These instructors are part of the Zumba Instructors' Network (ZIN™).
Today, Zumba Fitness LLC has more than 200 employees. It is a huge success! About 14 million people in over 185 countries enjoy Zumba. They dance and sing to the fun music, which is mostly provided by the company.
Zumba Fitness also created its own clothing line called Zumbawear. They make clothes for all ages, including seniors, mothers, and children. Besides the main Zumba Fitness brand, there are special clothing lines for different Zumba styles. These include Zumba Toning, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Gold, and Zumba Kids. Zumba classes are popular in many places. You can find them in community centers, schools, and even retirement homes.
Beto's Personal Life
On March 14, 2020, just before his 50th birthday, Beto Pérez shared some exciting news. He announced on his Facebook page that his daughter, Antonella, was born on January 11, 2020.
Music and Zumba
Through his Zumba Fitness program, Beto Pérez helps promote music and artists. This has been great for many Latin music artists. An article from the Associated Press said that Zumba has created a huge fan base for Latin music around the world. Famous artists like Pitbull, Don Omar, and Daddy Yankee have become more popular because of Zumba. For example, Daddy Yankee's song "Limbo" mentions Zumba many times. Pitbull, Wyclef Jean, and other stars have even joined Zumba Fitness events. Other famous fans of Zumba include Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Zumba Fitness has also released several music albums. One of them is Zumba Fitness Dance Party, which has music for Zumba classes everywhere. Beto Pérez has worked with Colombian singer Mara (Mara Prada). They had a hit song together called "Crazy Love." Mara Prada, Haitian singer J. Perry, and American singer Dahrio Wonder were even named "Zumba Fitness Emerging Artists."
Beto also worked with the famous Brazilian star Claudia Leitte. They adapted her song "Largadinho" for Zumba moves. Claudia Leitte is now an international ambassador for Zumba Fitness. Beto Pérez was also a special guest in the song "Fiesta Buena" by DJ Mam's. This song also featured Luis Guisao and Soldat Jahman. "Fiesta Buena" was a hit in France and Belgium.
See also
In Spanish: Beto Pérez para niños
