Hey Dancers! This week I picked up the speed dancing samba. Read more about it below!

Basics

Class: All-Levels Samba and Afro-Brazilian

Studio: The Dance Complex

Teachers: Rachen and Ines (@sambavivaboston)

Time: 1.5 hours

Category: Teens 16+ and Adults

Cost (Single Class): $17

Background: An Afro-Brazilian dance style unique to Brazil, samba is a dance that “originated among disenfranchised communities of Black Brazilians and spread to the mainstream and beyond.” The class celebrates movement and “appreciation for Brazilian culture through music and dance” (SambaViva, The Dance Complex).

OOTD

In the information about the class on the SambaViva website there is a recommendation to wear comfortable exercise clothing (no jeans), so I opted for my usual short-sleeved top and leggings combo. The website also noted that sneakers, socks, and bare feet are all good footwear options, so I stuck to my sneakers, and noticed that most of the other dancers did as well. And of course, for those of you with long hair, I recommend getting it off your neck ahead of time.  

Atmosphere & Energy

The SambaViva website promised that the class is “non-competitive, high-energy and fun,” and emphasized that it is open to every gender and age, and to dancers of all levels of experience. As promised, the class kept us moving and enjoying ourselves in a judgment-free environment, welcoming all dancers equally. Though there were probably only 3 men in our group of 20, they were welcomed, and the teachers even suggested a traditionally men’s style for certain movements, which anyone in the class could choose to follow.

And with Afro-Brazilian beats playing as our backdrop, how could we not smile? Each song had a different pace, allowing us to experience a variety of rhythms and speeds while familiarizing ourselves with the technique.

Dance Difficulty

The title “all-levels” really fit this class well, and it was one of the most beginner-friendly ones I attended, simply because of how it was structured.

We started off with a collective, all-level friendly warm-up, and then the teachers asked who was a beginner, so they could split the class into two and each teach a different group. To my surprise, the class split perfectly in half, and I was surrounded by many other dancers who were new to Samba.

My beginner group joined Rachel on one side of the room, while Ines took control of the more advanced group on the other side. Luckily, they both followed the same music, but some dancers may find it distracting that they call out different instructions to their respective groups at different times, so I would suggest finding a spot close to your instructor and focusing on their movements to not get confused.

Rachel led us through a lesson of the basic step, breaking it down into stages that were more digestible, and gradually increasing the tempo. We started by stepping in place, then by stepping in various directions, then focused on taking backwards steps without moving from our spot, and finally we incorporated hip work and increased the speed. Though it was challenging to keep up at the end, the process was digestible, and it made the speedy movements make much more sense (meanwhile, Ines’s group, who were more advanced, had already mastered the basics and were focusing on incorporating arm movements and style).

After our technique lessons, Rachel and Ines joined the two groups together again and led us through a short combo, which relied in parts on the technique work we did earlier but also incorporated slower and easier-to-learn movements that encouraged us to focus on style and to put our on “flavor” into the movements.

We ran the sequence several times on its own and then with music, eventually splitting the class into two groups so that each could enjoy having more space to move around. We cheered each other on and concluded with one last run of the combo all together (which you can see a clip of on the dance diaries Instagram, @dancediaries0).

Top Tip

Be open about your level of experience and try not to worry when the pace starts to pick up. It can be daunting to try a new dance style, especially one so speedy, but the teachers are attentive to the students’ levels of experience, and learning is broken down into several parts that are easier to join together once each aspect is mastered. True, you likely won’t perfect the basic samba step by the end of your first lesson, but luckily in this class no one is expecting you to, and the important thing is just to keep trying and have fun.

Awkward

At full speed, the basic step of samba is incredibly speedy, and though my hips have had their share of exercise when I danced salsa, samba was still quite a challenge. This led to some awkward slip ups where I’d lose the rhythm when things got too quick, but I tried to just compose myself, keep going, and remember that I’m there to enjoy myself!

Awesome

Maybe it was the energetic music, the smiles on the faces of the teachers, and the fact that I just love dancing.  Or maybe it was the amazing smell of food streaming in from the open windows, the unusually warm weather, and the fact that the class reminded my of my days dancing salsa. Maybe it was a combination of everything! Either way, during this class I felt transported to a dance festival in the middle of summer, and that felt amazing.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an energetic workout to the tune of energizing beats, try this all-levels samba and Afro-Brazilian dance class!

If you’re entirely new to the dance world, just keep in mind that while the class is beginner friendly, by the end of the class you’ll be asked to pick up the speed!

That’s all for this week! Visit Dance Diaries next Tuesday at 8PM for another diary entry. See you then dancers 😊