Motsi Mabuse swaps the judging panel for a Zumba class in Manchester

The television judge and professional dancer surprised 500 Zumba instructors as the fitness programme marked its 25th anniversary.

Motsi Mabuse is accustomed to watching other people dance. In Manchester this weekend, the roles were reversed.

The television judge and professional dancer made a surprise appearance in front of 500 Zumba instructors at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, joining the programme’s creator Beto Perez on stage as part of ZIN Academy.

Those attending had arrived for a day of professional training with international Zumba instructors. Mabuse’s involvement had been kept from them until she appeared on stage.

For someone who has spent decades within professional dance, teaching a room filled entirely with instructors presented a rather different challenge.

“Teaching a Zumba class to 500 professional instructors was such an incredible experience,” Mabuse said afterwards. “I’m normally on the other side, watching, judging and giving feedback, so suddenly having 500 Zumba instructors in front of me was something completely different.”

She admitted that the experience came with its own pressure. These were, after all, people who teach the programme themselves.

“They know what they’re doing,” she said. “So you have to bring the energy, give everything and just go for it.”

Twenty five years of Zumba

The Manchester appearance came as Zumba celebrates 25 years since its creation.

Perez founded the programme in 2001, combining choreographed movement with Latin and international music. It has subsequently expanded far beyond the conventional fitness class, with the company saying more than 15 million people now participate each week across 200,000 locations in 189 countries.

ZIN Academy is aimed specifically at the instructors responsible for delivering those classes. Alongside group sessions, the event provides professional training, new choreography and opportunities for instructors to learn from international presenters.

For Perez, putting instructors at the centre of the anniversary was appropriate.

“Being here in Manchester and dancing alongside so many incredible Zumba instructors is the perfect way to celebrate 25 years of Zumba,” he said. “When we created Zumba, we never imagined it would grow into such a global community.”

Mabuse’s appearance was not her first involvement with the company. She has previously worked with Zumba on social campaigns promoting dance and movement, making the Manchester performance a continuation of an existing relationship rather than a one off celebrity appearance.

Still, there is a considerable difference between promoting a dance workout and standing in front of 500 people professionally trained to teach it.

For one afternoon in Manchester, the judge became the instructor.