Brazilians love to dance and - as it seems to the viewer - they are also extremely good at it. Some of the most famous exports of Brazil, you might say, are in fact a number of dance styles, musicians and dancers. Perhaps the most well known dance and music of Brazil is samba. There are many styles of samba danced both in Brazil and around the world but what a person typically goes to see in Brazil is samba no pé, a type of samba you'll see in the carnival parades. And just a few days ago millions (I'd be safe to guess) travel to Brazil, and in particular to Rio de Janeiro, to see just that.
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| Dance dance dance! A passista at carnaval, guy dancing on the street in Floripa and Berg & Bella at Berg's Congress 2013. |
But....... 'Brazilian dance' cannot be summed up in just samba no pé and samba carnivals. While Rio de Janeiro is the place to be for a sambista, you'll be sure to find a great number of dance schools of all sorts, dance events for all tastes and - one my favourite things - exceptional & deliciously colorful dance clothes. Whether you're a Carioca dancer or a dance tourist like myself, you'll be like a kid in a candy store in Rio.
And yes: you'll most certainly find Brazilian zouk in Rio! Though São Paulo may hold the crown in the sheer volume of zouk dancers, dance schools and clubs (and as with anything, in the true spirit of the everlasting Rio de Janeiro vs. São Paulo rivalry, a Carioca may try to question that statement), Rio de Janeiro is the #1 destination for any self respecting Rio style / zouk tradicional dancer, to say the least. It's also the home of many great zouk teachers that are known around the world, such as Renata Peçanha and Jorge Peres, Lidio Freitas and Monique Marculano, Mafie Zouker, China, Val Clemente and Thayná Trovick, Paloma Alves,..... The list goes on and spans a few 'zouk generations' already, not to even mention all the top artists that have spread their wings and are spreading their zouk knowledge now elsewhere in the world.
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| Renata and Jorge, the icons of zouk in Rio de Janeiro! Captured at 2014 Helsinki Zouk Festival. |
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Read the updated version of this story:
http://zouktheworld.com/blog/2015/zouk-in-rio
A night out zoukin' in Rio
On my recent trip to Rio I was really looking forward to dancing zouk! And the odds were in our favour as there indeed was a zouk party --- right on our first night in Brazil! Lucky us :) Not yet feeling the jet lag I was all pumped up to get on the dance floor.
That night the party was at Renata Peçanha's dance school. I remembered the school well from my 2012 trip - and the place looked pretty much exactly the same as it did already 3 years before. It's located close to Centro and Lapa on a run-down street, in a slightly dilapidated building... pretty much a place you wouldn't think about walking into unless you knew the place. The studio basically has just one big room but it works well in parties. Well, except for the fact that the floor is slightly tilted to one side, feeling a bit wobbly as if whole place is ready to cave in (please guys fix the floor!!). But the studio has all you need: zouk music, dancers and a bar that serves cold caipirinhas! :D
The party wasn't packed that night so we had enough space to dance. You could notice there were a few other gringos there, also enjoying their zouk holidays. The local dancers mostly seemed to mingle in their own groups and you had to be quite active to get a dance there. But the guys I danced with surely seemed exited to have met us and the zouk was flowing nicely. It was a good start to our dance holiday!
If you find yourself in Rio you certainly should not miss a chance to get on the dance floor! See below for all the info you need.
Where to find zouk in Rio de Janeiro?
Dance schools
Academia de Dança de Salão Ramalho’s
Academia de Dança Jimmy de Oliveira
Centro de Dança Alex de Carvalho
Centro de Dança Giro Livre
Centro de Dança Jaime Arôxa
Entre Passos
Nucleo De Dança Renata Peçanha
Studio de Dança Flávio Marques
Parties and party organisers
Nucleo De Dança Renata Peçanha
Zouk Explosion - monthly zouk party by Lidio Freitas
Zouk Point
Zouk 'n Casa
Zouk no Rio
Zouk Wave
Also check the other links in this Brazilian Zouk in Rio section - most schools and teachers organize zouk parties regularly!
Main zouk events
Nucleo De Dança Renata Peçanha organises two international zouk events every year. The main event is held typically on the second weekend of January: on even numbered years it's the slightly bigger 'International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro'. On odd numbered years it's slightly smaller version, called 'Summer Zouk in Rio'. Typically there's also another zouk event held each year in mid July. Check Renata's site for the latest info and read my thoughts on the main event - International Zouk and Lambada Congress - which I had the pleasure to attend in 2012!
Other useful links
Hashtag Zouk
Soul Zouk
Zouk needs you (Val Clemente)
ZNL (Zouk Night Love)
Related
International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro (2012)
Zouk congress calendar 2015
50 signs of zouk addiction
About dance technique:
Practice makes perfect - myths & theories about becoming an advanced dancer
Getting a grip with musicality | 6 exercises for dancers
The magic of dance flow: how to reach it and why? | Flow videos and tips
More about Rio de Janeiro: Cidade Maravilhosa - Rio vol.3 | Rio in 24 hours | Carioca life - sol, sucos, zouk and samba
More on Brazil: Florianópolis | Iguazú Falls | Ilha do Mel | Paraty | Porto Seguro | São Paulo | All Brazil posts
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