Jessica, 30 years old, left her life in the UK behind to follow her dream to dance Samba in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In less than a week, she will be parading down the iconic Sambodrome Marquês de Sapucaí as an official Passista (dancer) for her Samba school Unidos de Banguas part of the 2019 Rio Carnival. Her inspirational story is a testimony to the magic that dance can bring to our lives. She believes that samba awakens the soul, as it fills her with immense joy and happiness.
I’ve always enjoyed dancing and have practiced many different styles over the years (Flamenco, Belly-dance, Afro, Contemporary). But I only started to take dance seriously when I fell head over heels in love with samba! I started samba classes five years ago with beginner classes in Bristol (UK) and my passion grew from there. I’ve never looked back!
Before samba my life was “OK”, but I felt I was missing something… I felt a bit restless and unsettled. I was lacking focus and zest for life. When I discovered samba classes in Bristol, my hometown, I was fresh out of university. I’d majored in Modern Languages—Spanish and Portuguese—and was working in the Spanish department of a multinational insurance company. My job paid well and finished relatively early, so I decided to invest in some artistic ventures, one of them being dance classes. I’ve always been a creative person but during my university years this was somewhat stumped because of my heavy workload.
Moving to Rio de Janeiro to perfect my samba felt like the next logical step! I studied Portuguese at university and had
My decision to move to Rio de Janeiro was also influenced by the fact that I feel a very strong connection to Brazil, its culture and its people. I grew up in Spain so I already had a Latin-influenced upbringing. Despite Spain being a European country, its culture shares many similarities with Latin America—the warmth of the people, their outlook on life and the open expression of culture through music, art and dance.
Samba awakens my soul… I feel immense joy and happiness when I dance samba! It’s also one of the most challenging dances I have ever practiced both technically and physically. Passistastyle samba is very fast. It has complex footwork, turns, and you need to build up a lot of resistance and strength in order to perform well. There’s always a new challenge, and moves to perfect, which keeps me developing as a dancer and growing as a person.
Dancing samba has allowed me to delve much deeper into Brazilian culture and discover other dances such as Brazilian Zouk and Forró! They are both beautiful partner dances, which are very popular in Brazil at the moment. When I’m able to take a break from my crazy samba schedule, I really love going out social dancing. One of the great things about dancing is the connections you make with people you meet along the way. Not only does it allow you to share appreciation for this art form, it also leads to creating meaningful experiences with others that remain as lifelong memories.
One of the most challenging aspects is having to speed up my samba to match the other Brazilian Passistas in the school! Here in Rio your samba has to have energy and power—there is a fierceness and rawness to it! The samba that we see in the west is quite different to the way Brazilians dance samba! In the west we pace our samba slightly slower and focus on presentation and elegance. In Rio I’ve learnt that you need to dance samba from the inside out—expressing whatever you feel for the entire world to see! The challenge for me has been about adapting to the pace and speed whilst maintaining my technique. It has taken perseverance and hours of practice to build on this.
If I’m honest, I was slightly nervous entering a Passistaala [parade wing or block—Ed.], as samba is rooted in Brazilian culture and taken very seriously here. I was scared that I wouldn’t be accepted by the community. But I was so wrong! Unidos de Bangu welcomed me with arms wide open and made me feel like one of them!
I can hardly contain my excitement! I feel so honored and privileged to be part of this breathtaking event. I cannot believe that I’m actually going to be parading down the Sambodrome in less than a week! Carnival is such a special time here in Rio de Janeiro—a celebration of life and joy—a sign of hope despite the daily hardships that many people endure here. It really is a dream come true to be a Passista at the biggest carnival in the world!
It’s so hard to choose only a few, there have been so many magical moments! I would say that completing a technical rehearsal down the sacred Sambodrome Marquês de Sapucaí was amazing! It gave me a sense of what to expect on the big night! Also receiving such a heartwarming welcome from all the members of Unidos de Bangu—we are like one big family united by our common love for samba! And finally, being able to fulfill my samba dream of parading in carnival alongside my best friend! She auditioned for the Passista role back in the UK and we will be parading and performing together.
My long-term goal is to become a samba instructor so that I can share my love for Brazilian culture in the most authentic way possible! I plan to come back to Rio de Janeiro every year and train for at least a couple of months so I can keep up with the latest trends and keep perfecting my samba technique. Even the basic samba step is always a work in progress—you can always better something—make it more elegant, faster etc.
Dance has been, by far, the best thing that has ever happened to me!
It has boosted my confidence and self-esteem, while also making me much more aware of my body and its limitless possibilities. Apart from being a great way to exercise, dance has allowed me to express myself and explore my creativity. It has also taught me to be disciplined and patient. Dance requires a lot of focus, repetition and dedication because results never come immediately.
I’ve also grown immensely as a person, discovering sides to myself that I never thought were there! Qualities like my sensuality and playfulness which I feel I can express through dance now. Not to mention all the amazing people that I’ve met through dance, some of which have become life-long friends and join me in my dance adventures!
Follow Jessica on Instagram @lejessicat, and @bailandojourney for more inspirational dance stories.
Behind every dance, there is a story. This book will take you dancing from New York to Buenos Aires, immersing you in the local culture, history, and happiness with every dance step. Aliénor Salmon is represented by Gregory Messina of the Linwood Messina Literary Agency.
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