Aqua Zumba® Express with Maria Teresa Stone is a 23-minute pool workout that showcases international dance and rhythms. A special collaboration between Poolfit and Zumba®, this video allows subscribers to experience the fun dance energy of Aqua Zumba®. This is the third special collab video between Poolfit and Zumba®. Well-known Zumba Education Specialist (ZES), Richard Gormley, showcased two special Aqua Zumba® videos in 2025, Aqua Zumba® Explore and Aqua Zumba® Pool Party. Poolfit subscribers have occasionally made content requests for Aqua Zumba®, however the fitness content is copyrighted and only available through the Zumba website, their app and their various platforms. Therefore, we are grateful for these three special collab videos.
Poolfit is equally grateful to have another Zumba® superstar represented on the platform. In addition to Richard, Kelly Bullard, ZES, filmed videos in 2024. And now we are excited to feature Maria Teresa Stone, along with her passion, knowledge and amazing teaching skills. A recognized fitness educator and presenter originally from Mexico and now based in New Zealand, Maria Teresa started teaching group fitness classes as a teenager in 1996, later specializing in aqua fitness.
In 2009, she played a key role in launching Zumba® in New Zealand and Australia and has since trained thousands of instructors throughout the Australasia-Pacific region. In recognition of her contribution to the fitness industry, she was inducted into the Fitness Australia (now AusActive) Roll of Honor in 2016.
Now the lead trainer for the Aqua Zumba® program, Maria Teresa helps grow the program worldwide, training new Aqua Zumba® Education Specialists, while supporting Aqua Zumba® instructors with continuing education.
Below, Maria introduces herself and talks more about her fitness background. Then read on for more information on Aqua Zumba® Express.
Zumba® became a phenomenon in fitness studios in the mid-2000’s. Aqua Zumba® officially made its worldwide at the Aquatic Exercise Association’s (AEA) International Aquatic fitness Conference (IAFC) in 2009. At the time, I served as AEA’s marketing coordinator and was also a staff member and presenter at that conference. Additionally, I was an author for AEA’s AKWA magazine and had the honor of interviewing Zumba® creator, Beto Perez.
The debut at IAFC 2009 was a bit bumpy. Most of the aquatic fitness instructors attending the conference were unfamiliar with Zumba® and equally unfamiliar with Latin dance steps. The takeaway was that the program had lots of promise, but that the dance steps needed to be modified to accommodate and take advantage of the properties of water. And that is exactly what they did, transforming it into the popular format that is now offered in pools around the world.
In Aqua Zumba® Express, I requested Maria Teresa to deviate from the strict protocols of teaching Zumba with non-verbal cueing. The problem with non-verbal cueing for Poolfit subscribers is that many cannot easily view the exercise action on their screen due to sun glare and smaller mobile screens. Many subscribers rely on the audio cues. Therefore, I asked Maria Teresa to include more verbal cueing than what would normally be offered in Zumba programming.
Aqua Zumba® Express: Video-at-a-Glance
This 23-minute dance fitness format includes three segments, each featuring two songs. In Zumba programming, the movement is taught to the structure of the music (verse, bridge, chorus, etc.) All music used in this video has been provided by and used with permission from Zumba Fitness, LLC. It can be sourced from All Approved Music/PPC/PPLA Free and is available to members of the Zumba Instructor Network.
Below are the songs used, the styles and the author.
Song #1: Puesta Pa Mi | Style - Pop (song by Michi Sanz)
Song #2: Tu Boca | Style - Soca (song by Zeta)
Song #3: Bailalo | Style - Salsa (song by Pipo Daniel)
Song #4: Diva | Style - Brazilian Funk (song by Yoon Da Hye)
Song #5: Ella me Copia | Style - Techno Bachata/Rumba Flamenca (song by Zumba® Fitness)
Song #6: Tequila Talk | Style - Afrobeats (song by Tony Range)
Poolfit extends a big thank you to Maria Teresa and to Zumba Fitness, LLC for sharing the fun, flavor and fitness of Aqua Zumba®. If you want to know more about Zumba® and exercise opportunities using their app, check out the Zumba website.
Stay tuned, Maria Teresa will be back this summer with three more videos, Water Combat, Deep Wall Intervals and Aqua Balance & Brain Flow.
