(10 Feb 2015) Brazil is gearing up for another all-singing and dancing celebration. As carnival approaches, Rio's dance schools are busy teaching Brazilians and foreign visitors how to move to the music, especially the Samba. Rehearsals are underway for Brazil's biggest party of the year, the Rio Carnival. Thousands will take to the streets for five days of lively partying and dancing. In the main carnival parade at Rio's Sambadrome, it's a highly competitive contest. Groups earn points for originality and costumes, but the quality of the dancing is one of the main items. It's in dance schools like this one in downtown Rio de Janeiro where many people learn the secrets of samba. Every Friday at noon the Centro Cultural Carioca (CCC) dance school is busy with practicing ballroom dancers. This is ballroom samba or 'gafieira' which is danced together by couples. It's a unique Rio de Janeiro style from the 1930s, preserved by a more traditional crowd. Instructors Rosangela and Cadu show the difference between the two styles. "When Carnival arrives we dance 'foot samba' (samba-no-p�) which we dance separately and it looks more or less like this" says Rosangela Pinheiro. Her fellow instructor, Cadu Vieira says: "There is great demand for lessons by Brazilians. Everyone thinks Brazilians are born dancers but many come here to learn and those who already know come here to improve and learn new moves". In another yellow house dance studio in Botafogo, Rio's best known samba dancer and teacher, Carlinhos de Jesus holds a pre carnival weekend workshop. Samba dancers and instructors from Brazil and abroad learn the latest techniques and improve their styles here. Carlinhos is a public figure in Rio and is often seen in television, films and the theatre. He has also won many prizes as a carnival choreographer and claims he can teach samba to anyone. "Any human being who can move and who wants to learn to samba, he/she can learn. That I guarantee," says Carlinhos. As Carnival nears, he is busy teaching and choreographing the main front dancing group at Mangueira Samba School. In the meantime, his weekend workshop starts with the roots of samba dancing. The Jongo style is still danced by descendants of slaves in rural communities and one single favela in Rio. It is danced barefoot to a simpler drumming style. Katia Baskirova is a dance student from Siberia and says: "I came here wanting to learn. Even the first time I came I went looking for lessons and I hadn't found any. It was a long time dream which I'm now turning real". Nilce Fran is another well known samba teacher in Rio and is responsible for teaching the young dancers at traditional Portela Samba group. The movement of the hands is the focus of this lesson. People from various Brazilian regions and foreign countries are here to learn. "There's the combination just like in the class you just watched sort of the elegance to the arms and then the speed to the feet," says Bailey Cohen, from the United States. Five dancers from New Caledonia in the South Pacific have come to Brazil to improve their techniques. "We came to Salvador and Rio for carnival while trying to learn as much as possible about Brazilian dancing" says Veronique Bourrat, one of the dancers. Nilce Fran teaches her own dance style that mixes formality, sensuality and street style with small steps. "I put together my knowledge of dance with samba dancing and created a kind of classical kind of samba for my work. I always say that people who have rhythm and a feeling for dancing do learn to samba easily" says Fran. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/84d7002ab44c49de30920bde4673b9c6

• published: 03 Aug 2015
• views: 1504