Zumba began in 2001 when Colombian dancer and aerobics instructor Alberto “Beto” Perez accidentally improvised a class using salsa and merengue music he had on hand. What started as a happy mistake quickly grew into a global fitness movement, blending Latin rhythms, dance, and cardio into an experience that feels more like a party than a workout. For Toronto instructor Shantel Ropero, that description couldn’t be more accurate. “Imagine going to a dance party where nobody cares you’re going left while everyone is going right,” she says. “Everyone’s cheering you on, you’re singing gibberish because you don’t know the lyrics, and somehow it still counts as exercise. THAT’S Zumba.” In a world where treadmills rarely spark joy, Shantel believes people love Zumba because it’s a judgment free zone where fun comes first and fitness follows naturally.
Shantel’s own Zumba story began in 2016, during a difficult chapter in her life. Her parents encouraged her to use fitness as a way to rebuild, and while she preferred machines and weights, her mom loved group classes. One day, her mom tried a new class called Zumba and came home buzzing with excitement — so much so that Shantel joked she must have had “three shots of espresso or something stronger.” After persistent nudging, Shantel agreed to try it, planning to stand at the back and sneak out if she hated it. But 45 minutes later, she was still there — smiling, sweating, laughing, and unexpectedly hooked. What started as a reluctant experiment became a turning point that helped her reconnect with herself.
Becoming an instructor was a natural next step, though not an easy one. “The easy answer is my mom. The real answer is my parents,” Shantel shares. They had invested years into her dance training, long before any of them knew where it would lead. Her mom, a former aerobics instructor, showed up to every class Shantel taught — even when no one else did. “She’d say, ‘It doesn’t matter if it’s just me. Teach the class.’ So I did.” Shantel got licensed in 2017, and today she teaches daily, with 30 to 50 people in each class, has led sessions at international events, and even taught on Zumba theme cruises. But despite the growth, she never forgets the early days or the unwavering support that shaped her path. “This started as something small between a mother and daughter,” she says, “and grew into something much bigger than either of us expected.”
For Shantel, the heart of Zumba isn’t the choreography — it’s the people. Her classes have become a safe space where students celebrate birthdays, encourage one another, laugh, and sometimes cry together. She loves watching newcomers evolve from shy back row participants to confident front row dancers. “Fitness can change your body, but community can change your life,” she says. Her advice for beginners is simple: don’t aim for perfection. “The only wrong move in Zumba is not showing up. Everything else just looks like freestyle.” And if you get lost? That’s normal — even she does. What matters is leaving your ego at the door and enjoying the moment.
Ultimately, Shantel hopes her students leave class feeling lighter — not just physically, but emotionally. “I never know why someone walks through those doors,” she says. “Maybe they’ve had a stressful day, maybe they need an hour to themselves, maybe life has been heavy lately.” For sixty minutes, she wants them to forget everything waiting outside the studio and simply dance, sweat, laugh, and breathe. The greatest compliment she receives isn’t about perfect routines — it’s when someone tells her they needed that class. Because for Shantel, Zumba is more than fitness. It’s community, healing, and joy — all wrapped into one unforgettable dance party.
You can catch Shantel teaching at Pan Am in Scarborough, where her classes have quickly become a favorite for anyone looking to dance their stress away.
