Zumba® Fitness Transforms At-Home Workouts With Cutting-Edge Exhilarate™ DVD Collection

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Zumba Fitness, LLC, creator of the acclaimed Zumba^® fitness-party workout with a global following of tens of millions, is changing the world of fitness with the announcement of Exhilarate, the seven-disc DVD collection packed with contagious routines set to a blend of international rhythms. This is the fourth consumer DVD collection Zumba Fitness has released since the company's inception in 2001, with the other volumes selling more than seven million copies worldwide.

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"The Zumba Exhilarate DVDs are truly amazing – no one has ever done home fitness like this," says Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba Fitness. "We are excited to bring a whole new generation of people into the Zumba community with this product."

This DVD collection stays true to its name incorporating fast-paced and exhilarating workouts that entertain and encourage viewers to lose themselves in the music. The collection features Beto, the creator of the Zumba program and Colombian dance icon, along with fan-favorite instructors Gina Grant and Tanya Beardsley. Shot in music video format by some of the best music video producers in the industry, each workout in the new DVD collection allows users to either Learn It, with verbal move cueing from the hosts, or to Feel It, by turning off the verbal instructions to sense the full beat of the music, much like the experience of a live Zumba class.

"Zumba Fitness is about the experience and Exhilarate communicates that experience," says Jeffrey Perlman, chief marketing officer of Zumba Fitness and executive producer of the DVD collection. "It's about blurring the lines between fitness, entertainment and culture."

The DVD set also introduces Mix, a compilation of workouts based on cultures and rhythms inspired by the global explosion of the Zumba brand in recent years. "From the exotic sounds of Bollywood to the spicy guitars of Mexico, to cutting-edge Latin hip-hop, viewers will feel like they are partying around the world with me," says Beto, creator of the Zumba program.

To cement this effort, Zumba Fitness enlisted the help of world-renowned percussionist Bashiri "the Bash Man" Johnson to provide live musical accompaniment on the collection.  The Bash Man has performed and recorded with artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Sting and Miles Davis.

The following seven action-packed workouts are set to the tune of Zumba Fitness' signature rhythms and beats:

• Step by Step: Breaks down the basics of the 24 different steps viewers will use throughout the series including merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso, cumbia and belly dance
• Activate: In this full workout for beginners, viewers will begin to harness the organic energy of the Zumba program
• Ripped: Features Zumba Sentao™ and Zumba^® Toning programs. Begins with a toning workout featuring the exclusive Zumba weighted toning sticks that double as maracas and ends with a breakthrough Zumba Sentao chair routine designed to build lean muscle and define the entire body
• Exhilarate:  A 60-minute Zumba fitness-party in a music video setting
• Rush: A 20-minute express workout for those on the go
• Mix: The international fitness-party experience featuring percussionist The Bash Man, new dance styles and traditionally adorned representatives from cultures all over the world
• Fitness-Concert: Viewers can follow along to the fitness-concert held at the annual 2010 Zumba Instructor Convention where more than 3,500 instructors came together to party.

Each DVD features bonus material including behind-the-scenes interviews with Beto and instructors, an inside look into the infectious lifestyle of the Zumba brand with clothing and style tips, and details on how to experience a live Zumba fitness class. A total-body fitness and nutrition guide accompanies the DVD collection, with New York Times bestselling author Marci Shimoff as a contributing expert.

The Zumba Fitness Exhilarate DVD Collection will be available for $89.95 in spring 2011; for a limited time only, a presale price is currently offered in the U.S. for $79.95. To pre-order the collection and view the Exhilarate trailer, visit http://exhilarate.zumba.com/static.

About Zumba Fitness, LLC

The Zumba^® program is a fitness-party with a contagious blend of Latin and international rhythms that provides a fun and effective workout to a global community, either at home or in the gym. Through exhilarating, high calorie-burning fitness classes, Zumba Fitness has helped melt the pounds and inches off more than 10 million Zumba program-enthusiasts in more than 110 countries. Using easy-to-follow moves and exotic, high-energy music, Zumba routines successfully tone and sculpt the body while burning fat. Zumba classes are available at more than 90,000 locations worldwide and feature specialty options, including Zumba Gold^® classes for active older adults and those just starting their journey to a fit and healthy lifestyle, the Zumba^® Toning program, Zumbatomic^® classes for kids and Aqua Zumba^® classes, the "pool party" workout.  For a home-based workout, The Zumba^® Fitness Total Body Transformation System is available in a four-disc DVD collection featuring Beto, the creator of the Zumba program. Other offerings include Zumbawear™ apparel and accessories, the Zumba^® Fitness Video Game as well as music soundtracks. For more information, to find a class, or to purchase Zumba Fitness merchandise, please visit www.zumba.com and find us on Facebook and Twitter.  For approved art, (credit Zumba Fitness, LLC) visit http://international.zumba.com/media/.

A quick note about the Zumba® trademark

The word ZUMBA® was coined by our company and is the brand name for our fun and effective fitness program that combines easy-to-follow moves with invigorating Latin and international rhythms. When referring to ZUMBA® we ask that you please keep in mind the following to protect the thousands of instructors worldwide who make their careers teaching Zumba Fitness classes:

Please do not:

• Use Zumba as a verb -- for example, "once you zumba, you'll be hooked."
• Use Zumba as a noun -- for example, "zumba is my favorite exercise."
• Use Zumba as a generic term -- for example, as a name for a fitness program "My gym offers zumba."

Instead, please do:

• Capitalize the letter "Z" or the whole word "ZUMBA"
• Refer to "the Zumba Fitness program," "Zumba class," "Zumba instructor" etc. – for example "The Zumba Fitness program is the most fun you'll ever have while working out" or "I love my Zumba instructor, she's the best."
• Use the ® symbol on the right hand shoulder of the word Zumba® - especially in headers and title

SOURCE Zumba Fitness, LLC