Exercise craze Zumba has taken over the world with its Latin beats, high-energy routines and devotion to merging fitness and fun.Illawarra adults have already flocked to Zumba classes and now kids are showing off their moves in Zumbatomic, the child-friendly equivalent of the global dance phenomenon.Like its adult counterpart, the concept for the children's classes came from Zumba creator Beto Perez.Wollongong's Simple Fitness owner Emma Perrow is launching Zumbatomic in Illawarra primary schools next term, demonstrating her commitment to fitness for youngsters."Having a child myself helps, but I learned that NSW primary schools don't have PE teachers so it really cemented for me that Zumbatomic is a great way to get fitness into schools," she says."It might not be in the curriculum but it's still important."Perrow believes the kids' program is ideal for fostering messages about the enjoyable aspects of exercise and the importance of a healthy lifestyle."This teaches kids that it's easy and they don't even have to have any rhythm; they just go there and move along to the beat," she says."Why not spread that Zumba love to the kids? The adults are having a great time so the kids' program has that same focus on having fun while dancing."Zumbatomic uses basic Zumba steps like merengue, salsa, reggaeton and cumbia but modifies them for children.Steps are slower, use simple actions like marching and side-to-side movements and are devoid of Zumba's traditional emphasis on booty-shaking, hip-thrusting and krumping.All the dance segments are designed for a lower intensity with structured breaks and shorter songs."Some of the songs for adults can be seven minutes long but the kids' songs are no longer than about 3? minutes and there's adequate time allotted to have water in between games and dances," Perrow says.While some of the Zumba music crosses over to Zumbatomic, many of the tracks are inappropriate for children."We have designated Zumbatomic music but we're allowed to use the other Zumba music only if it's been approved because a lot of the songs can be sexual in their nature," Perrow says.Zumbatomic offers fitness options for two age ranges - the Lil' Starz program for four to seven year olds and Big Starz for eight to 12 years.The half-hour Lil Starz' class includes a warm-up with skipping or hopping before the children review a basic Zumba step.Littlies usually learn one song per class that is broken down into three or four parts and teachers use animals or other devices to help children master the steps."I'm doing a class with a penguin theme so we learn where penguins come from, look at pictures of penguins and then everyone does penguin impressions," Perrow says."During the song, a penguin-style move will be incorporated into the actions."The class is then split in half for positive peer review where students get the chance to watch each other and offer praise, followed by games that teach skills like leadership and team work.The 45-minute Big Starz class uses a similar format but students learn two or three songs, depending on ability levels and class numbers.Courses run on a five-week cycle, giving students the chance to master a weekly step or dance.According to Perrow, Zumbatomic's health benefits go well beyond the physical as kids also gain confidence from the classes."It's more than the physicality of getting out there and moving, but mentally it's all about having fun so it takes that pressure off them to feel the need to perform."(Other dance classes) can be very structured where kids have to do certain things at certain times but there's none of that in Zumbatomic."If a kid doesn't get a step, it doesn't matter."In terms of education, teachers are given a broad spectrum for lesson planning and Perrow focuses her classes on espousing a healthy food message."I'm big on fruit and veggies and learning about what they are and where they come from," she says. "We might talk about where strawberries come from, what vitamins they have in them and how to eat them." But Perrow says the classes still reflect Zumba's party atmosphere."We'll have a disco ball and lots of music and rewards at the end like stickers and stamps and certificates. It's just like having fun at a birthday party without the cake."