A Great Video of Samba de Gafieira

by Mose Hayward

LAST UPDATED ON 2023-07-27

PUBLISHED ON 2015-02-26

DancingDIVERSIONS IN BRAZIL

By Mose Hayward / 2015-02-26 / Dancing, DIVERSIONS IN BRAZIL / 1 minute of reading

Your Guide

Mose Hayward

Travel Nerd

Samba de gafieira — Brazil’s groovy answer to tango — is a flashy, complicated dance that lends itself to spectacle. There are many videos of performances by outrageously talented professionals online, but I also love to see people just dancing it in a party.

In the first video below, the dancers are talented, but this is not a formal performance with all of the flashy silliness that that sometimes brings; it is rather just a gathering at the Escola Carioca de Danca, and while there’s tons of creativity on display it seems less showy, and more just for the sake of the dance itself, and the party.

It starts a bit slow (and even that is gostoso), then they really start to fly.

Post by Rafael Portilho.

And, one of my favorite performance videos…

This is David Bosco, a samba de gafieira teacher, performing with samba teacher Sarah Pallares at Europe’s largest and always worthwhile samba de gafieira festival Spai Carioca. I used to go most years; sadly that festival is now defunct.

Post by Sarah Pallares.

A still from the video

Brazilians, dancing, Rio de Janeiro, samba, samba de gafieira

About The Author

Mose Hayward

I've been a digital nomad since the early 2000s, eons before that was a thing. Or, more accurately, a wandering writer with an intense interest in the world's languages, music, and dances, who managed to make a living out of learning and enjoying those. Here is more about my efforts to get folks to opt for minimalist travel and advice for cross-cultural boinking and boozing.

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A Great Video of Samba de Gafieira