Hi friends!  I have a really fun post planned for you today that I’ve been working on for awhile.  It’s all about Brazilian Dance!

When I considered moving to Brazil I pictured a country in my mind known for:

• Soccer
• Fitness
• Carnival and dancing
• Music

Brazil is a country rich in culture so it’s no wonder that music and dance are staples of the country.  I was really excited to learn more about the various types of music and dance styles that are popular in the largest country in South America.  I made a vow that when I came here, I would learn all about Brazilian Dance and luckily, Zumba had me covered with Zumba Brazil Style!

Brazilian Dance has five major rhythms that are popular in both beats and moves: capoeira, samba, Brazilian funk, axe and frevo.  I did a little breakdown for you here on each move but to really get the flavor, check out my video that includes a breakdown of the moves in each style and then puts them all together in a short dance!

Capoeira

• Capoeira is actually a form of Brazilian martial art but it combines elements of dance, acrobatics and gamemenship as well. 
• Capoeira developed as a way for slaves to express themselves in Brazil since they were not allowed to express themselves of teach themselves any form of self defense.
• Today you most often see capoeira performed in a circle with shirtless and barefoot men wearing white pants performing incredibly acrobatic moves. 
• Typical Capoeira moves include: Ginga, Balanco, Esquiva and Bencao. 

Samba

• The most well known Brazilian rhythm, samba is synonymous with Carnival.
• Its roots are actually in Africa and are part of Brazil due to the African slave trade.
• Samba is associated with the crazy Carnival held in Rio de Janiero (pronounced he-o).
• Samba is used to identify Brazilians as a community and culture.
• Typical Samba moves include: Basic Samba, Samba Lunge, Samba Travel and Samba Rockback.

Brazilian Funk

• Brazilian Funk is the most recent form of Brazilian dance developed in the 1980s in the favelas or shanty towns of Brazil.
• Brazilian funk is a unique blend of American hip hop, freestyle and Miami Bass.
• It has a similar feel to reggaeton and hip hop.
• Typical Brazilian Funk moves include: Basic Funk, Knee Up, Travel Snake, Turning 1 Knee Up

Axe

• Axe is an extremely popular dance rhythm in Brazil with many popular musical artists performing in this style, including Claudia Leitte.
• Axe developed originally in the Bahia state and means “good vibrations”.
• It has a distinct afro-Caribbean feel to it, sounding like a mix between reggae and calypso.
• It has a great deal of percussion in it due to the Bahia state’s desire to form their own Carnival music with blocos or street bands that use large percussion instruments.
• Typical Axe moves include: Samba Axe, Axe Twist, Axe Side Step and Axe Travel. 

Frevo

• Frevo is a musical style from the city of Recife in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.
• Frevo started when Brazilian Army regiments based in Recife began parading during Carnival. Each regiment had their own bands, a couple with famous bands, and large crowds drew to the streets to cheer for their favorite bands. The bands started to compete against each other by playing faster and louder. 
• Frevo is a fast-paced dance which includes choreography such as jumps, deep leg squats and fast leg movements.  It comes from the word ferver, which means to boil.
• Typical frevo moves include: Frevo Cross Step Bounce, Frevo Wide Twist, Frevo Machete and Frevo Cross Step with Travel.

Readers, what comes to mind when you think of Brazil?  Have you ever tried any of these dance styles before?