This exotic Brazilian dance has quite a rich cultural background. From its origins and music to its style and types of dance, there’s a lot to learn about samba.
Facts About Samba
The Origins of Samba
Samba is a dance from African origins that was introduced to Brazil in 1917. It became a dance and music movement in the 1920s and was adopted by Brazil as a ballroom dance in 1930.
Brazilian Samba vs Ballroom Samba
The original samba danced in the streets of Brazil is quite different from the ballroom style dance, so much so that a local Brazilian might not recognize the style when watching a ballroom samba competition.
In Brazil, Samba is mostly danced solo, and remains especially popular during celebrations of Carnival.
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Ballroom samba was created in England and includes adapted elements of Brazilian samba. This version is danced internationally in competitions as regulated by the World Dance Council.
Instruments for Brazilian Samba
For traditional street samba, there are usually musicians playing along while people dance. They use instruments such as bass drums, snare drums, a whistle, and other types of percussion instruments.
Ballroom sambas are usually played by standard ballroom dance bands with one or two extra percussion instruments.
Types of Sambas
Samba No Pé
This is the name given to the type of samba that is danced solo. Samba No Pé is the style that is often seen in Carnivals. It’s a lively dance; the footwork is fast, and the steps are simple and spontaneous.
Samba de Gafieira
Samba de Gafieira is a partner samba dance, however, it is different from the ballroom version. This style incorporates some entwined leg movements of the Argentine Tango.
It appeared in the 1940s and it gets its name from the gafieira, the popular urban nightclubs of Rio de Janeiro at that time.
Other Types of Samba
- Samba Pagode
- Samba Axé
- Samba Reggae
- Samba-rock
- Samba de Roda
Come Samba with Us in Colorado
It’s not just about learning to samba; it’s about feeling it, too! Samba is for everyone. At Bella Diva Dance, you will learn to find your own personal beat & rhythm to the infectious samba music. Register for a class. We can’t wait to see you there!