Odessa College Sports Center

Men and women, some young, others of a certain age, some already fit, others just getting started, work up a joyful sweat to the infectious beat of cha-cha, merengue, cumbia and other Latin dance rhythms.

 "Zumba is a blast," says Betty Fredrickson, director of community relations at Odessa College. "It's the hottest thing to hit West Texas in a long time."

 The word Zumba - pronounced "zoom-bah" - is derived from a Colombian word meaning "to move fast and have fun." The dance-fitness program was founded by Miami-based dancer and choreographer Alberto Perez in 1999.

 The hour-long workout starts with an easy warm-up and works up to intense activity that can burn from 500 to 750 calories per workout. A cool-down ends the session. Dance moves are designed to work the upper and the lower body, rather than just the legs.
 "Like most things, you get out of it what you put into it," Fredrickson says, adding that it doesn't take any special skills to learn the dance moves. "If you can walk, you can do this. We've had people ranging in age from 14 to 80 - I kid you not."

 Class size runs at about 60. Instructors are Marsha Barreraz, Esther Avila, Gabi Aloulou and Larraine Marelich, along Luis Cervantez and Luce Villa, who were recently certified to accommodate the growing number of students.

 Zumba was introduced to Odessa on January 12 at the PAL center by Odessa College in partnership with the city of Odessa. "We had 55 to 60 people on that first day with the city, and a total of 200 for all the events," Fredrickson says. "Since then, it's just spread by word of mouth."

 The usual stymie of "what to wear" doesn't apply to the Zumba class, where T-shirts and shorts or jogging pants along with tennis shoes are the norm. "The music's so much fun that you don't really care what you look like," Fredrickson says. "The instructors make everything very visual and easy to follow. Everyone's laughing and having a good time."

 In addition, Zumba offers a cool way to learn Latin dance moves without any need for a partner. "It's a great way to get out and get some exercise without needing to have anyone else with you," Fredrickson says.

 The Zumba class meets from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Odessa College Sports Center. Classes are open to the community for $5 per session or $30 per month. The monthly fee includes all aerobic classes offered by the college.

 Please remember to consult your healthcare provider before you begin any fitness program.

 For more information, call (432) 335-6348.