Bright, passionate, overflowing with energy Brazilian folk dances have conquered the whole world. And they owe their birth to the African negro slaves brought in long ago, who gave the Brazilians the fiery rhythms of popular dances.
Brazil surprises all the inhabitants of the planet with a variety of colorful and very rhythmic dances. A wealth of beautiful music, beautiful dancers in bright outfits, representatives of special schools and their partners are able to show the audience fascinating show programs. The most popular Brazilian dances are samba, capoeira, ashe, lambada, funk.
The main rhythms of the carnival
Every year, a five-day carnival is held in Rio de Janeiro, which has become a popular holiday for Brazilians and all dance lovers from other countries. The main thing in the carnival dance marathon is samba. Even the central square of Rio de Janeiro, which gathers the participants and spectators of the carnival show, is called "Sambadrome". Professional judges at the sambadrome choose the best Brazilian dance schools.
Brazil's most popular incendiary samba rhythm serves all year round, not just on carnival days. The emergence of the famous dance was served by slaves from Congo and Angola, brought to Brazil in the distant 16th century. Negro dance moves with the names batuk, embolda, katerete seemed obscene to Europeans, because during their performance the partners touched their bodies.
Swinging and rotating bodies was added to the simple figures of the dances of the Negro slaves - thus, in the first half of the 19th century, a more rhythmic dance in movements arose. And with the addition of carnival steps, a Brazilian dance appeared a little later, called "mezemba", which later became "samba".
The European popularity of the circular dance with steps came at the beginning of the 20th century after the show in Paris, it was even called the South American waltz. The modified musical rhythms of samba formed the well-known "lambada" and "macarena".
It is very important, while performing a dance, to maintain the true character of the samba, otherwise he will lose a lot. Rhythmic movements of the hips, cheerful flirting of partners with each other form the basis of the dance that conveys a lot of emotions.
Competition dance
The origins of capoeira are explained in different ways. The most widespread opinion is that it once arose among the Negroes of Angola brought to Brazil as a combat dance-duel of young warriors. There is a version that capoeira originated in the entertainment quarters of slaves of different nationalities and cultures, where they sometimes spent their leisure time. Perhaps the dance was born in the settlements of escaped slaves and was formed as a martial art.
The slave masters banned the manifestation of African culture. Capoeira gave blacks a sense of confidence and solidarity, added agility to true fighters. After the abolition of slavery in the late 19th century, the Brazilian constitution outlawed it. Masters of this martial art, trying to maintain ancient traditions, gathered in secret. Then capoeira gained popularity with many people. And after the military coup in 1930, the manifestation of folk culture ceased to be persecuted. The masters of this art preferred different directions of capoeira: martial or traditional, based on rituals and games.
There is another interesting opinion about the origin of this Brazilian dance: the word "capoeira" is considered a relative of the "rooster". The dance style is like a fight between these birds. Indeed, modern Brazilian capoeira is very close to the martial art: in the center of the circle of dancing couples alternately arrange a competition dance.
