What is Brazilian Zouk
Origins
What is Zouk?
Zouk is a French word meaning "party".
Brazilian Zouk is a Latin dance that began in Brazil in the early 1990s. It originated from a Brazilian dance called Lambada with influences from other Brazilian dances.
In the 80's Lambada was very popular in Brazil and quickly gained worldwide fame through its music, especially because of the popularity of the band Kaoma, Beto Barbosa and others, and different styles of music such as Samba-Reggae, Caribbean Zouk, Flamenco music, especially Gipsy Kings and others. TV shows, films and DJs also helped promote the dance and music.
Lambada was a dance that dominated most nightclubs in Brazil, especially in Porto Seguro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro.
After Lambada's popularity began to decline in the 90's and the remaining lovers began to use mainly Zouk, Caribbean music to continue dancing Lambada. It was during this period that people naturally began to call the dance French Lambada, as the music was sung in French Creole. Subsequently, the community began to call the dance Zouk.
As the Zouk music had different characteristics from Lambada, the Lambada dance soon began to adapt to the Zouk music. The dance was naturally modified, acquiring different characteristics in different states of Brazil and some places in the world, creating interpretations and different styles of Zouk.
Adapted from the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council.
Why are we Dancing Brazilian Zouk
Brazilian Zouk, like many Latin American dances, is a social dance. This means that the real experience doesn't take place in the classroom, but on the dance floor at a party - the socials! This is where you meet the community, make new friends and share your passion for this special dance.
We believe that dancing is much more than just learning steps. It is a path to personal growth, greater self-confidence and a life filled with meaningful connections. We want our students not only to learn to dance, but to become an active part of this community.
We organise our classes to help you feel comfortable from the start and encourage you to take part in social events early on, because that's what we love about this dance and why we teach it! Come and dance with us and experience how Brazilian Zouk can enrich your life!
We are organizing socials on a regular basis in Munich. Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date.🌱