A group of women do the Zumba at CC&FC. (Rashbehari Das)

The science of fighting fat has gone from A for Aerobics to Z for Zumba, giving Calcuttans from six to 60 three easy dance steps to fitness.

Zumba uses a mix of Latin dance forms Salsa, Merengue and Cumbia along with steps set to Reggaeton, but those who follow it say the fitness regime is neither pure dance nor aerobics.

Shabana Ahmed, 38, got hooked after seeing Zumba on TV and YouTube. Her friend suggested that she contact dance teachers Dorothy and Amit Shaw to teach them Zumba at CC&FC. In three months, she was joined by 14 other club members.

“Zumba involves just three steps. In the first, we break down the footwork. Then we teach you how to move your hands and body. Third, we combine the first two steps and bring in the music,” says Amit.

So how different is it from dance and aerobics?

“Aerobics is about moving, Zumba is about feeling the move. In an aerobics class, the music doesn’t vary but in Zumba you have variety. In a dance class, the focus is on learning the technique, steps, moves and, eventually, choreography. In Zumba there are no rules. After learning the three easy steps, you concentrate on the muscle that you want to work on,” explains Dorothy.

The story goes that dancer-choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez devised the Zumba routine in Colombia two decades ago quite by accident. Perez had forgotten to carry his choice of music to an aerobics class and was forced to play traditional Latino beats that day, giving birth to the new dance workout. Today, Zumba has more than 90 million followers across the world.

Dorothy and Amit learnt Zumba while hosting a Latin dance workshop by Knzo Mendy from France. Requests to teach soon started pouring in and by March they were taking classes at Dew Drop Dance Studio.

CC&FC called the duo for a demo, which led to a workshop and then regular classes. Around 50 people have registered for classes at Tollygunge Club and talks are on with The Saturday Club.

“The response has been awesome. We had a gut feeling that Zumba would be big here,” says Amit.

While most of those attending classes are women in their thirties, the choreographers insist that Zumba is for everyone — man, woman and child.

At Tollygunge Club, the duo have already got a few men to enrol for their classes.

“It’s peppy, has a lot of energy and keeps you fit,” gushes 36-year-old Sejal Arora, a teacher at South City International School.

“I have recommended it to my colleagues and three of them are now in the class with me. Some had a weight problem and have lost 3kg in two months. It is 100 times better than gymming and there are no dietary restrictions,” adds Sejal.

Shabana, who had earlier tried gymming, yoga and aerobics, feels Zumba could be the fitness-conscious woman’s best friend. “It works very well on what most women perceive as problem areas — the abdomen and love handles. Also, it makes the body more flexible and improves your social dancing skills,” she says.

The pace and rhythm of the workout can be modified, depending on a person’s age and medical history. “If we are doing jumps or hops and there is an elderly person in the group, we will just ask him or her to march,” explains Dorothy.

Siddique Cowper, 60, is a Zumba convert. “I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and was on medication. When I saw the notice for the Zumba class, I really wanted to do it but feared that it would worsen my condition. However, six days into the programme, I felt better, less stiff. When I think the pace is too much for me, I just slow down,” she smiles.