CLASS DESCRIPTIONS  

This course is focused on learning Samba from the ground up. You will learn the technique for the Samba basic step including the foundation footwork and hip movements. We also work on arm placement, body movement and some simple parading and steps. We teach and break down the timing and basic movements in detail in order to ensure that everyone in the class learns at a comfortable pace.
 
This course is suitable for absolute beginners (no dance experience required) or beginner level Samba students who want to refresh their basic skills.

Our level 2 Samba Improvers course is the next step up from Samba Beginners. The course is focused on improving your Samba basic skills and expanding your range of body movement. We build on the Samba foundation focusing on Sapateado technique, hip isolations, basic travel, simple caminhadas (walks) and transition steps. The course also incorporate elements of classic dance technique to help you to transition through steps smoothly, working on weight placement and control of your movements.
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This course is ideal for Samba Beginners who want to progress to the next level or anyone who has a basic knowledge of Samba and wants to brush up on their skills.

Our level 3 Samba Intermediate course is the next level up from Improvers. In this course we work on the rotation technique, build on Samba travel variations and expand your range of body movement, hips, arm placement and footwork transitions. We also focus on building Samba speed and fitness using various drills and exercises and work on incorporating more “gingado” (vibe / swing) in your Samba so that you can dance Samba with more feeling and ease.
 
This course is the ideal next step up from Samba Improvers and prepares dancers for the Advanced Samba course.

Our level 4 Samba Advanced course is designed to level up your Samba no pé skills based on the standards of the top Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. In this course we refine essential technique from Sapateado (linear) to Torçao (rotation), build on technique for speed and fitness, expand on Samba variations, caminhadas (walks), arms, footwork and Passista styling. We also focus heavily on musicality, gingado (vibe / swing) and learning to dance Samba and freestyle according to the different rhythms (Pagode, Bateria, Enredo etc).
 
This course is the essential next step up from Samba Intermediate and prepares dancers for the ongoing training classes such as Projeto, Drills and Passista.

Aligned with the authentic “Projetos” (classes) at the top Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro, “Projeto” is a key on-going Samba training class designed to refine and maintain technique.  Based on the world famous technique of Carlinhos Salgueiro (King of Samba), this class involves a disciplined method of training, drills and exercises for refining overall Samba no pé technique, variations, fitness and “Samba Diva” Passista styling. The class also works on incorporating musicality, personality and confidence in performing Samba as well as expanding your understanding of Samba and Carnaval culture.

This class is an ideal regular training class and is an essential preparation class for Passista. Suitable for Intermediate - Advanced Samba dancers.

Samba Drills is an on-going training class focused on drilling and refining technique, resistençia (fitness), transitions, caminhadas and the movements used in Rio Passista style. Incorporating the world famous methods of Carlinhos Salgueiro and the top Samba schools in Rio, this class moves at a fairly fast pace and is ideal for building, refining and maintaining your Samba no pé technique and fitness at a high level.

Samba Drills is requires dancers to have completed our Samba Advanced Course and have a decent understanding of Projeto style drills.

This is a professional performance level class based on the Passista culture of Rio Carnaval and focuses on both Passista show and Passista ala style. This class is all about the essence of Passista Samba performance, fast footwork, short choreography combinations, desfilando (parading) and resistencia (Samba fitness). This class also focuses heavily on musicality, dancing with essence and feeling as well as understanding Samba and Carnaval culture. We also work on developing your own individual Samba “jeito” (way/vibe) in freestyle as well as working as a team in performances.

This class moves at a fast pace and requires an advanced level of Samba and a solid understanding of Passista technique. Completing at least 1 term of Projeto or Samba Drills is essential for attending this class.

In Brasil the “Ala das Passistas” is the section of each Samba school (and carnaval parade) that is made up of the official Samba performers (Passistas) and requires a high level of Samba skill and fitness. 

Our director Sashya Jay is the only Australia based instructor officially accredited to teach the signature “Samba Diva” style of Carlinhos Salgueiro (Brazil’s King of Samba) and our instructors are all experienced Passistas in Rio de Janeiro and trained in this style.

This course is all about the learning the essence of Brazilian dance and its roots in Afrocentric culture. The focus of the class is to understand more about the culture and learn to incorporate more feeling, meaning and gingado In your movements. The class will include various style of “roots” based Brazilian dance such as Afro movement, Samba de Roda, Malandro style Samba, Axe and more. The class is ideal for Samba dancers who want to have more authenticity in their movements or anyone wanting to expand their Brazilian dance knowledge.

Our Funk Beginners course is designed to teach you the fundamental technique and movements required for dancing authentic Brazilian Funk. In this course you will learn the correct technique for executing the signature booty, hip and body movements used in Brazilian Funk as well fundamental Funk footwork. With Funk Carioca (Rio) as the foundation, the class also includes various Funk styles from across Brazil and ensures that you learn the authentic technique as well as the essence and all important swag of Brazilian Funk and its culture.

This course is suitable for absolute beginners or anyone wanting to learn the fundamentals of Brazilian Funk. No experience in dancing Funk or Brazilian dance necessary.

Commercial Funk is a Jazz and JFH (Jazz Funk Hip Hop) stylised class with elements of the hottest moves from Brazilian Funk. This class will be incorporating the fundamentals of Commercial Jazz such as Musicality, Textures, Technique, Shapes and Lines along with the viral moves of Brazilian Funk. Structured like a regular Open Class, this class will predominately be choreography/routine based and will inspire you with choreography and how to stylise movements that can benefit you for any class or style.  

A foundation in Commercial or JFH dance technique is ideal for this class.