Can't stay away from São Paulo!

In January I went back to São Paulo - for zouk, obviously! I wrote a more comprehensive report last year but below are some updates on where to find zouk in São Paulo. Some new clubs have surfaced and teachers have new schedules...

Burn the floor in São Paulo

First about the zouk nights. There's a massive zouk scene in São Paulo and you will find many big parties every week. People like to dress up, go dance & socialize and new-comers are always most welcome! on a usual week night there can be easily 200 people dancing zouk in one club - on special nights 1000.... You'll feel like going to a congress party! The zouk club's prices may vary depending on special visitors (artists such a Paulo Mac and Kaysha are no strangers to São Paulo clubs) or promotions (often free nights for ladies) but the entry is generally around R$20. The parties usually start around 9-10pm and go on to 2-4am with a free zouk class at the start of the night with local teachers such as Philip Miha, Dadinho, Renato Veronezi, Ricardo Ferrari etc.

One of those zouk-filled nights in Capital Bar

Zouk parties - the most popular ones:

Wednesdays: Capital Bar in Campo Belo; R. Henrique Fausto Lancelotti, 6183. My favourite zouk club in São Paulo. Open air terrace and great dancers of all zouk styles!

Thursdays: Carioca Club in Pinheiros; R. Cardeal Arcoverde, 2899. The famous, massive lambazouk club. Note that the floor is quite slippery, bring shoes accordingly.

Fridays: Hawai Interlagos in Interlagos; Av. Atlântica/Robert Kennedy, 4141.

Saturdays: Troppo in São Caetano do Sul; Av. Goiás, 1462. Outside São Paulo but worth the ride over if you want to dance zouk on Saturday night.

Sundays: Buena Vista Club in Vila Olímpia; Rua Prof. Atílio Innocenti, 780. The best way to end a week in São Paulo - I've always had a great time there.

Other zouk (and mixed latin) nights:

Carioca Interlagos in Interlagos; Av. Atlântica/Robert Kennedy, 3797.

Hotseria in Consolação; R. Augusta, 1283.
Icaraí in Santo André; Rua do Salto, 50 - Bairro, Vila Alzira, Cidade.

Xcaret in Moema; Al. dos Pamaris, 42.
Rey Castro in Vila Olímpia; Rua Ministro Jesuino Cardoso, 181.
Santa Cevada in Pinheiros; Av. Bernardino de Campos, 319.

The zouk dance schools, teachers and dance companies hold many other zouk nights and zouk outings throughout the year, it's best to find a local active zouker and ask for personal tips!

Zouk classes

Säo Paulo is home to lots and lots of dancers, and also lots of great teachers as well as many zouk champions. Some of these professional zouk teachers tour the world and you might have met them in congresses near you. Personally I can recommend these teachers:

Renato Veronezi and Babi Pacheco run the Escola de Dança Renato Veronezi and teach VeroZouk (also known as "hiphop zouk"). They have are zouk classes on Mondays at 8-9.30pm (intermediate) and 9.30-11pm (advanced), Tuesdays at 8pm (beginners) and Thursdays 8pm (beginners). Classes are R$ 98/month for one class per week or R$ 165 for two classes for one person; or R$ 170/month for one class per week or R$ 210 for two classes for a couple. A three month period is R$ 240 (one class per week) and R$ 360 (two classes per week). For a visitors it is R$ 40 per class.

Here's some scenes from Renato's school, you may recognise a certain Finnish zouk dancer.... a very weary, very tired - but very happy - zouk dancer!

Ricardo Ferrari and Graziella Pisano are part of the Movimento Lambazouk and they are great lambazouk teachers. Ricardo is also promoter of Capital Bar's Wednesday zouk nights. I am not aware of their current weekly zouk class schedule but recommend to look them up for regular and private classes when in São Paulo (or when they are visiting a congress/dance school near you). Together with Renato and Babi they also organise the Congresso Brasileiro de Zouk - Zouk Fusion in São Paulo, the next and the second one of its kind will be 17-21 April 2014.

There are tens of zouk teachers and dance schools that teach zouk in São Paulo so you'll surely find a place to fill your zouk cravings. Go to the zouk nights, meet local dancers & teachers and ask them for more information! The city is - in my opionion - THE best place to dance zouk in the world!

More about zouk in Sao Paulo

Read about my previous visit to São Paulo, in March 2012.

Week in the life of a zouk dancer in São Paulo (- and it isn’t a bad life!)