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Samba Adventures in Brazil

August 28, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

By Phineas Upham

When I took a trip to Rio de Janeiro in the colorful country of Brazil, I was drawn to dance. Everywhere I went, I saw Brazilians dancing so wildly and with such grace. Despite the individual styles, I saw a certain uniformity in the type of dance –Samba!

Samba is an old Brazilian style of dance with African origins. It has many different variations, but it’s fairly easy to identify because of the specific rhythm involved. At Carnival, street performers moved their bodies in the rhythmic Samba dance.

The basis of Samba involves rapid steps taken on a quarter of a beat as well as a swaying and rocking motion. It’s particularly difficult to learn how to dance with a partner because it’s so fast paced!

I arrived at a Bossa Nova late in the evening as most Brazilians don’t show up until almost midnight. I was surprised to find that the version of Samba that most people did at the nightclubs was very different than the stiff classroom style.

I highly recommend taking Samba lessons next time you visit Rio de Janeiro. You will be completely intoxicated by the South American flair…even if you do trip all over yourself in the process.


Phineas Upham Phineas Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or Facebook page.

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