How to dance like a brazilian
10 Traditional Brazilian Dances You Should Know About
Samba |©Raphael David|Riotur/Flickr
Sarah Brown
31 May 2017
Brazil is truly the nation of music and dance. Spend a few days there and you will see how deeply rooted this is in the Brazilian culture. Some dances are well known, such as samba that has become a national symbol, while others remain under the radar. Here are 10 traditional Brazilian dances worth knowing about.
As the symbol of Brazil, any good list about traditional Brazilian dances has to start with samba. Samba is a Brazilian music genre and dance style notable for its fast footwork and flowing hip swings which, when coupled with the beats of a steel drum, seems to leave spectators in a trance. Its origins lie in the west coast of Africa, coming to Brazil through slavery. It is the music genre and dance most closely linked to Rio de Janeiro.
Jongo – sometimes known as caxambu – was brought over to Brazil through slavery and is thought to have originated from Angola. The dance is sometimes referred to as an ancient form of samba and a performance of jongo does prove that the step work is often very similar. Lively and spirited, the dance is performed to a harmonious group of people singing and playing simple instruments. It is sometimes associated with Umbanda, a religion with roots in Africa.
Often simply referred to as funk, Carioca funk has its own distinct style. Funk is a mix of Miami bass and African-style music, producing an underground, gritty sound – often accompanied with controversial lyrics about women, sex and drugs. The style of dance is popular among women in the baile funks – funk parties – and is similar to twerking, with emphasis on pronounced hip movement.
One of the most traditional dances out there, Bumba Meu Boi is a folklore tradition and is mostly celebrated in the north of the country around the same time as Festa Junina (June Festival). The event is based around a story of a bull that dies and is later resurrected, having influences of African, European, and indigenous cultures.
The theatrical dance is very lively and performed in a circle with plenty of ornate costumes.
Forro originates from the northeast of Brazil, yet its popularity has spread across the country over the last few years, especially in the southeast. The dance is performed in pairs and ranges from a slow, intimate side shuffle, to a much more complex rhythm of fast footwork, swings and jumps, bearing some similarities to the waltz.
Found in the northern state of Pará in Brazil, Carimbó is classified as an indigenous dance and reflects artistic expression of the Amazonian culture. Typically, the women wear long, colorful skirts with large floral stamps and men and women dance together in a circle to the beat of a few simple yet rhythmic instruments.
Although not fully classified as a dance, it is a unique combination of martial arts, dance and acrobatics. To spectators, the hypnotizing music and fluidity of the moves certainly appear dance-like.
Capoeira is another dance that has an African origin, coming over to Brazil through slavery. The moves include fast-paced sweeps, kicks and dodges with the lower body playing out most of the moves whilst the upper body balances the actions.
Lundu is an Afro-Brazilian dance and music, originating from Africa. Performed in a couple, the dance is relatively slow yet highly-charged and sensual. It has been identified as the root of choro (a Brazilian style of music) and samba.
Considered a fundamental part of forro, baião mixes various music and dance cultures from African, European and indigenous societies. Mostly found in the state of Pernambuco, it is often considered a rural dance. The music is kept simple yet lively with instruments such as the zabumba, the dance usually performed in pairs or in a group.
Xote is a typical type of forro dance that is incredibly versatile and has several variations across the country.
Blending both European and African influences, it also incorporates elements of salsa, mambo and rumba, depending on the region in Brazil.
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How to Forró Like a Brazilian
Dance in northeast Brazil | © Pixabay
Sarah Brown
22 May 2017
Forró is a genre of music that originated in northeast Brazil and has evolved to include many different musical beats and dance styles.
Like the waltz, it is an intimate dance conducted in pairs. Culture Trip takes a look at forró’s background and explains how to enjoy it like a Brazilian. There are two theories to the origin of the name, forró. The first is that it comes from the word forrobodó which roughly translates to ‘great party’ or ‘commotion’. It’s believed the word was shortened to forró to describe parties that featured the specific music and dance. The most popular theory, however, is the story that has been supported from artists like Gilberto Gil. When the English engineers were building the Great Western Railway near Recife in the 1900s, they would often throw parties on the weekends. These parties were either for railway staff or open to the public, the latter being advertised as ‘for all’. Eventually, a derivation of the English words ‘for all’ became forró, and so was born the name of the popular northeastern music and dance.
Forró is commonly linked to the Festa Junina (June Festival), which celebrates the harvest and several Christian saints.
Its popularity took over the northeast of Brazil, where it is still the number one music genre and dance there today. However, it is popular throughout the whole country thanks to the godfather of forró, Luiz Gonzaga, who spread the genre across Brazil. In the southeast, a modified version has settled in bars, dance halls, and parties known as college forró, includes influences of samba rock and salsa.
The differences between the forró in the northeast and forró in the southeast are in the dance style—in the northeast, the dance is much more intimate as pairs stay very close; in the southeast, the influences from salsa and other dances result in variations of step sequences, spinning, and complex moves.
The music of forró is a harmony of three instruments: the accordion, the zabumba, and the triangle. The different styles of dances are intrinsically linked to the three styles of forró rhythms: xote, a slow-paced form of forró; baião, the original forró and the one found most commonly in the northeast; and, arrasta-pe, the fastest form of forró.
From these rhythms come different dance forms.
Xote dance style is a classic left-left, right-right foot step whilst standing close to your partner. Another variation of xote is the universitario, which is similar to the classic xote yet with forward-backward moves and variations of sequences. The latter is commonly found outside of the northeast. Miudinho is another xote variation that has a lot of hip movement and intimacy between the pairs.
Baião is the original forró and has less movement than xote. Valsado is a form of baião which involves staying close to your partner so your bodies are touching while the legs are crossed over each other as they’re moving from side to side. Arrasta-pe is a fast version of xote and is breathtaking to watch.
The best way to experience forró like a Brazilian is to go to any nightclub or dance hall in the northeast of the country.
Locals are open to teaching and guiding those interested in learning, so don’t feel shy having a go on the dance floor. Alternatively, take some classes to learn the moves. Dance CCC in Rio de Janeiro has regular forró dance classes in a relaxed, group atmosphere. Baillar Dance School in Recife, the home of forró, also offers the opportunity to practice the moves before heading out to a local club.
Dance CCC, R. Sete de Setembro, 237 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro, +55 (21) 3176 1412
Baillar Dance School, Rua Dr. Carlos Chagas , 32 – Santo Amarto, Recife, +55 (81) 3423 9155
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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today.
We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Epic Trips, Mini Trips and Sailing Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travellers and friends who want to explore the world together.
Epic Trips are deeply immersive 8 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and enough down time to really relax and soak it all in. Our Mini Trips are small and mighty - they squeeze all the excitement and authenticity of our longer Epic Trips into a manageable 3-5 day window.
Our Sailing Trips invite you to spend a week experiencing the best of the sea and land in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm – and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
Brazilian Dance Styles - WORLDVED
Brazil is a country rich in culture and heritage. Their contribution to world music and dance is incomparable. Let's get acquainted with the most famous dance styles in Brazil
Samba
Samba is the most famous dance style in Brazil. This dance is a must in almost every cultural or dance festival. Samba was originally danced by African slaves. In translation, the word samba means "naval strike.
" Contemporary types of Samba are influenced by geography and music. Samba is known worldwide for its versatility and rhythm.
Xaxado
Xaxado is a popular dance form that originated in the northeastern badlands of Brazil. Xaxado was a peasant protest dance.
Frevo
Frevo is one of the most famous Brazilian dance styles. It is the most important dance performed during the Olinda street carnival in northeastern Brazil. The dance mainly focuses on rhythm and consists of walking steps. Frevo dancers wear colorful clothes and their main attribute is a small umbrella
Maculele
Maculele is a dance that originated in Brazil during the colonial period. It was originally performed by slaves who were celebrating a good harvest. It is also known that Maculele was a type of martial art among slaves who tried to somehow protect themselves.
Carmen Miranda
This style is named after the multi-talented Brazilian artist Carmen Miranda.
She was a great artist, full of creativity and innovation; her dance moves, shoes, songs, clothes and the famous hat, which has always been in the shape of a typical fruit basket, are the main inspiration for this dance.
Afoxe
Afoxe was brought to Brazil by slaves from Africa. Afoxe in the African tribal world means "Dance of Happiness". Afoxe symbolizes tribal celebrations throughout Brazil.
Carimbo
Carimbo, better known as Lambada. It is not only a Brazilian dance, but also the name of the big drums. This traditional folk dance comes from Africa but has European and Brazilian influences. Carimbo is considered a very sensual dance as the girls dance in short costumes.
Samba de Roda
This is one of the Samba types and is very popular in the North East of Brazil. This dance is very fun, usually people dance it in a circle.
Zouk
This type of dance comes from the Brazilian city of Port Seguro. It mixes African, French and English dance styles.
There are two varieties of this dance: Caribbean and Brazilian
Soltino
This style is relatively new and is a mixture of jive and oscillatory movements. People who want to learn Brazilian dances always start with Soltino, as the technique is easier than other dances.
Bolero
Bolero is also known as the "Dance of Love". There are two theories about the origin of this dance. Some say that it was invented by the Spanish people, while others believe that it comes from Cuba, where it was popular with the Mexicans. When the Bolero arrived in Brazil, it already looked like a Tango. In many parts of the country, the Bolero is considered the official ballroom dance.
Most of these dance styles were brought into the country by immigrants or slaves. The history of Brazilian dance is very interesting and plays an important role in its culture.
Staging a choreographic number using the features of the species diversity of Brazilian folk dance - Informio
Any country on different continents of the world has its own folk dance, its own characteristics.
N.V. Gogol in his “Petersburg Notes” gave a description of folk dances: “Look, folk dances appear in different parts of the world: a Spaniard dances differently from a Swiss, a Scot like a Tenier German, a Russian not like a Frenchman, like an Asian. Even in the provinces of the same state, the dance changes. The northern Russian does not dance like a Little Russian, like a southern Slav, like a Pole, like a Finn: one has a speaking dance, the other is insensitive; one is mad, wild, the other is calm; one is tense, heavy, the other is light, airy. Where did such a variety of dances come from? It was born from the character of the people, their life and way of doing things. The people, who have led a proud and abusive life, express the same pride in their dance; among a carefree and free people, the same boundless will and poetic self-forgetfulness are reflected in dances; the people of the fiery climate left the same passion and jealousy in their national dance” [5]. Folk dance in Brazil has its own characteristics, types of dance, manner of performance, nuances of the national costume.
The main Brazilian holiday is the carnival, which takes place annually in February or March, begins 40 days before Easter and symbolizes the approach of Lent. The Brazilian carnival officially lasts 5 days, and the 6th day is the main parade of champions. In addition to the parade, carnival festivities include competitions of samba dancers, street processions and festivities. In our country, we can get acquainted with samba dance only at ballroom dance competitions or at concert performances of fitness centers. When studying theoretical sources, it was revealed that there are much fewer works on Brazilian folk dance and various approaches to it in Russian. The manner of performing the national dance does not tolerate falsehood; it must have a characteristic penetrating, expressive and highly artistic performance. Departure from folk traditions and customs, features and national manner of dancing, interferes with the perception of the audience, depersonalizes folk art. At present, this issue is relevant, since in recent decades it has become obvious that a significant number of choreographers working in amateur groups in their productions repeatedly vary the compositional schemes and techniques borrowed from leading masters, replacing the lack of an original staging concept with common clichés, create numbers - Twins.
The best traditions turn into stamps. The template "struck" the dances of many peoples - Russian, Moldovan, Spanish, Brazilian and other nationalities. Often this happens because the choreographers take as the basis of their production not an authentic folk sample, but one of its more or less successful stage versions. Spectacular techniques and finds are replicated in the production of any folk dance. As a result, the very essence of the national dance is emasculated.
The current state of choreographic art is characterized, on the one hand, by an increase in attention to the historical roots of national dance in the activities of leading state art groups, in the work of professional folklore ensembles, and on the other hand, by a well-known stagnation in the repertoire practice of amateur performances.
Because of this, the task of identifying the vocabulary of national folklore and folk dance, movements, steps, gestures and postures of dance performers, the relationship of vocabulary with other components of the dance, and determining its national characteristics for staging a choreographic number is an urgent task.
The Republic of Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world. The culture of the countries of South America links the heritage of Europeans, Indians and Africans. South America is called Latin because most of its countries speak one of the three Romance languages - Spanish, Portuguese, French. These languages arose directly from the Latin language of ancient Rome. [one]. Brazil was "discovered" by the Portuguese on April 22, 1500, but the colonization of the country and its "conquest" from the Indians who lived in these territories initially began around 1531. The Portuguese conquerors of Brazil brought with them many slaves from the Congo and Angola, who had to either defend themselves or go inland. With the beginning of the importation of slaves from Africa, great changes took place in the ethnic composition of the Brazilian population. From that moment on, Africans not only became an integral part of the country's population, but, having their own culture, their customs, along with the Portuguese and Indians, they had a great influence on the history of the development of Brazilian folk dance.
There are many types of Brazilian folk dances. Brazilian folklore dances are magnificent forms of expression of the artistic creativity of the people. They intertwined text, rhythm, costumes and choreography, which reflect the main components of Brazilian culture in their complex relationship. These are tense performances on the theme of the war of the Portuguese with the Indians, as well as theatrical performances. Among the Brazilians, elements of Indian ethnochoreography received large-scale distribution. In such a special dance as zapateado (the name of the dance comes from the Portuguese word "zapatu" - shoe), Portuguese and Indian traditions are closely intertwined. The dancer puts on shoes with a special wooden sole, with which he beats the rhythm with his heels to the sounds of a tambourine. Slow and smooth at the beginning, the dance then becomes fast, rhythmic and is performed until the dancers are completely exhausted.
A special group is represented by the ritual and "magical" dances of black Brazilians.
Magical actions are used in various cases: in the manufacture of medicines, in the "treatment" of the evil eye, in case of love failures, financial difficulties. For example, the holiday of Mother Water, originated in the colonial period among blacks - slaves, and was performed in the first weeks of January, with a special bathing in the sea - in case of money problems, they performed the cult of tereiros, in its ceremonies the religious rites of the peoples of Africa and Indians are combined in the most amazing way with popular Catholicism. Previously, tereiro was called the courtyard in front of the hacienda, where slaves were supposed to dance; subsequently, tereiro began to be called any room where religious folk holidays of Negro origin were held. [3].
Mass dances performed to the musical accompaniment of viols, viola da gamba (bowed musical instrument of the viol family) are very common, and this is complemented by clapping hands. Many dances of the Brazilian Negroes have appropriated the name of those instruments, to the accompaniment of which one or another of them is performed.
The names of these dances are most often purely African in origin. Some Brazilian dances are short impromptu scenes from the life of the people. For example, "Shepherd's Dances", of which one can name "Hunter", "Four Directions of the World". In Brazilian dance performances, dancers perform scenes from the life of sailors. [four].
The dances of Brazil are many different styles. When highlighting the characteristic features of the Brazilian folk dance types, it was revealed that each type of Brazilian folk dance has its own characteristics.
The Brazilian religion is based on African traditions. The church was the place for the slaves, where they could get at least some opportunity for a short, but still escape from a real, full of hardship, terrible life. Ritual and magical dances include: Marakatu, Kandomle, Makulele.
Maracato is a ceremonial Brazilian dance performed during Carnival and Christmas and has many theatrical elements. The cortege, which consisted of historical characters, is accompanied by a group that plays drums.
The very name "maracatu" means "percussion instrument", which only confirms its frantic rhythm with jumps and whirls.
Candomle - an old Afro-Brazilian folk dance, musical accompaniment in double meter, sharply syncopated, moving pace. The main thing during the dance is the worship of the Orishas or deities who seem to control the forces of nature. Candomle dancers, mostly women, endlessly repeat monotonous movements during the ritual, as a result of which they fall into a state of trance.
Makulele - pair dance with a machete (wide knife). As a rule, it is performed to the accompaniment of the atabake drum of African origin. The dance is performed barefoot, the movements of the dance are performed for four measures, where for each first or last measure, the dancers hit the machete they hold in their right hands. During the remaining 3 cycles, the machete strikes each other in various ways and can be supplemented by acrobatic elements of varying complexity [6].
Folklore dance is a dance born from the traditions of a part of a country or region.
It includes: Carimbo, Lambada, Zouk, Fojo, Lundu, Soltino, Matchish, Capoeira.
Carimbo is a sensual dance, performed in pairs, to the drums, which were made from tree trunks. Carimbo is considered a very sensual dance in which a woman tries to envelop her dance partner with her skirt. Sometimes the woman drops the handkerchief on the floor, which must be picked up by her partner's mouth. The dance is characterized by the imitation of dancing animals such as a monkey or a crocodile. When the music begins to play, the men move towards the women and start clapping their hands as a signal for an invitation to dance, after which couples are immediately formed, circling around their axis and at the same time forming a large circle of dancers moving counterclockwise. In the manner of execution, Indian influence can be traced. Carimbo made a significant contribution to the development of another dance form - Lambada.
Lambada is a pair dance. The idea of dance is a triumph of youth, beauty and sensuality.
Lambada is danced both on the spot and while moving around the dance floor. Lambada movements have much in common with carimbo, sambo, forro.
Matchish, a Brazilian urban couple dance (also referred to by many as "mashiche") is essentially an Afrikonized polka, that is, an Afro-Brazilian style of polka that was brought to Brazil by European immigrants. This is a fun, frivolous dance like the French cancan, which is performed in pairs, cheerfully and naturally, moving around in a circle.
Capoeira is half dance and half martial art, so it is considered very difficult. It was originally performed by African slaves from Angola. The name of the dance comes from the word "sarao", which means painful meaning "castrated rooster". This name describes the dance well, because it is more like a fight between two roosters. Indeed, modern Brazilian capoeira is very close to martial art: in the center of the circle, dancing couples alternately arrange a dance-competition. Capoeira combines elements of acrobatics, games and real fighting techniques.
Kicks, sweeps, acrobatics - all this is used during the fight. [2].
Mass dance is part of the collective life of people, it makes a person's life cheerful and joyful, they have retained their Indian features. Some of the mass dances are performed to the accompaniment of traditional Negro instruments such as the atabake (large drum) and the aje (an instrument made of clay and shaped like a large vessel). Also important is the reco-reco - a Brazilian musical instrument in the form of a hollow cylinder. Mass dances include: Samba, Forro, Frevo, Siranda, Batuk, Embolada.
Samba is a colorful mixture of Negro and European rhythms, an incendiary, temperamental, and at the same time sensual dance, a hymn to love, youth and beauty. A large role in samba is given to rhythm, and this rhythm is “generated” by the hips of the dancers. After all, samba is characterized by springy movements of the hips, which are called “Samba Bounce”. This impulsive dance exactly conveys the character of the expressive southern people: sometimes soft and dreamy, sometimes bold and temperamental [4].
Forro is a pair dance. Partners during the dance are close to each other. The man holds the girl by the waist with his right hand, and with her left by her hand. The woman with her left hand holds the man by the neck, maintaining contact with him. The legs in the dance are located at some distance.
There are three main rhythms in forro dance: slow xote (shochi), original baião (baiao) and fast arrasta-pé (arrasta-pe).
There are also many dance styles that vary by area and may be known by different names in different places.
Quadrilha - the leader shouts out certain commands that the participants in the dance must perform, and also shows by example what is required of the participants.
Frevo was inspired by the movements of capoeira (Brazilian martial art) and has over 120 different movements. Examples of common movements in this dance include jumping, coordinated quick leg movements, leg curls, and somersaults. Those who perform the frevo wear bright clothes and when they dance they use small umbrellas [3].
Siranda is a group dance in which there are no prejudices regarding gender, skin color, age, social status and financial status, just as there are no restrictions on the number of participants. It begins with a small round dance that grows larger as new members begin to dance, breaking the round dance and joining hands with those who are already dancing.
Embolada, a dance depicting a cow with balloons on its horns for safety. It is a circle dance with Charleston-like steps. A complex dance formed by combining the movements of these dances with additional swings of the body and hips was called Lundu in the 1830s. Later, steps taken by participants in the carnival in Rio were introduced into the dance, which were called Copacabana (the name of the beach near Rio de Janeiro). Gradually, the high society of Rio de Janeiro also began to dance this dance, although it was modified to allow dancing in a closed dance position [5].
When starting to work on a choreographic work based on folk dances, the director must get acquainted with the history of the people, the geographical location, the musical material and the national characteristics of the country.
When working with theoretical material on identifying the features of the species diversity of Brazilian folk dance, the choreographer gets acquainted with the types (ritual, folklore and mass) of Brazilian dances and their characteristics. In all types of Brazilian dance, common movements are used: rotational movements of the hips; men dance on the whole foot, and women on their toes; the partner starts the movement with the right foot, and the girl with the left, and ends, on the contrary, the girl with the right foot, and the partner with the left. The dancers make movements, leaning slightly forward and following the moving feet, clearly setting a bright and seductive rhythm. Also, the basis of these dances is: the basic step - the movement of a couple along one line; simple turn - turn of the partner when leading the partner; bonus - disclosure of the pair with the subsequent turn of the partner; lateral - the steps of the pair along the trajectory of the oval opposite each other; viradinha - going into a semicircle with a subsequent return to the basic step; lunge - exit from the lateral movement to the side with the subsequent turn of the partner.
These movements need to be used depending on the stage option that you want to take.
When staging a choreographic number using the features of Brazilian folklore dances, the choreographer must pay attention to the choice of theme and the preservation of the folklore source. A feature is the image of animals. The musical accompaniment of these dances is a drum, an accordion, as well as playing the guitar, piano and percussion, sometimes playing along with castanets. Compositional construction in folklore dances: in cases of pair dance, the performance begins with the formation of two chains of men and women, facing towards the center of the circle. When the music begins to play, the men move towards the women and start clapping their hands as a signal for an invitation to dance, after which couples are immediately formed, circling around their axis and at the same time forming a large circle of dancers moving counterclockwise. The figures can be danced in any order.
To stage a choreographic number using the features of ritual dances in Brazil, the choreographer must know that these dances are performed in carnival costumes, which depict the king, queen, princess and ambassadors.
The vocabulary of ritual dances includes: jumping and whirling, there are acrobatic elements. Ritual dances are performed to the accompaniment of a drum.
To stage a choreographic number using the features of mass dances in Brazil, the choreographer must pay attention to the content of the song to which the performance will be performed. Dances are performed to the accompaniment of a drum, pandeiro, tantana. The vocabulary of mass dances includes movements: springy movements of the hips; soft plastic elements are combined with sharp and intermittent ones; many linings; in pair dances, men hold the girl with their right hand by the waist, and with their left hand by her hand. The girl holds her partner by the neck with her left hand; there is improvisation. Compositional construction: choreography depicts what is sung in music; the dance begins with a small round dance, which increases as new participants begin to dance; a line formation of dancers who make small advances, dance styles change under different names in different places.
Any Brazilian dance movements can be developed into more complex combinations. All other, more complex combinations are built on their basis and with their help, as they are used as connecting links. The unique style of each Brazilian dancer can be created on the basis of special and careful study.
When performing a production using the characteristics of the species diversity of Brazilian folk dance, it is important to remember that the manner of performing Brazilian dances is divided into male and female styles. Male style is how the partner treats the partner, what movements he uses. Through a partner, he embodies both himself (building the architecture of the dance) and her (allowing the partner to reveal her femininity). Women's style implies a lot of solo directions, plastic is very important. Women's style is worked out separately to develop the technique. Without this, the chances of success are almost zero. The same movement performed by different girls will look completely different.
