The Samba Dance
The Samba originated Brazil, and it is one of the most popular outright party dances. It originated in the Rio Carnival, where many different styles of South American dances blended into one, and became the ultimate “fun” dance. It is focused mostly on the rhythm of the music, and is characterized by excessive hip movement in the dancers. It is one of the most unique and fun dances, and if you are interested in dancing culture, then you should certainly familiarize yourself with the Samba. Its success had a profound effect on dancing overall.
The Samba is made up of many steps, walking forwards or to the side. While the dancers take these steps, they bounce up and down on their toes, giving it a lively and cheerful look. When you are very experienced in performing the Samba, your movements should look carefree, as if you are doing the dance as a raw expression of your happiness, rather than some series of steps that you have memorized. Although the latter may be true, in order to maintain the feel you should memorize the steps to such a point where they are second nature.
You will see a lot of dancers stepping to the side with one leg passing over the other. This is called a Volta. The dancers bounce as they do this, and it is important to note where the bouncing occurs – in the knees. Bouncing in the feet will give an entirely different feel. Another recognizable move is the Samba Roll, which occurs in the upper body of the performer. This is when the dancer performs a turning group, gradually wrapping his upper body around, and causing his lower body to seem to “catch up” with it. Usually the dancers arms are outstretched during moves to provide an interesting effect.
While some dances are classified as almost completely stationary, and some move all over the room, the Samba is hard to place. It is almost an even mixture of stationary steps and moving steps. At the end of every Samba dance, you will see its trademark finale: the dancers dramatically throw their heads back, and spread their arms to their sides. This distinctive ending, along with almost every other aspect of the Samba, make it a recognizable and fun dance. If you want to learn something that is both challenging and fun, consider the Samba out of the many other dances.
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