Exclusive Interview with Griselle Ponce

One of the world’s most recognized and decorated salsa artists, the Mambo Diva opens up on life as a dancer, mother, and humanitarian, the importance of staying humble, and how dancing can help you become the best version of yourself. Griselle Ponce is elegantly dressed in black, her waist-length hair neatly tied back. Sitting on […]

How to be a Feminist and love Reggaeton

Violent and vulgar, loved and loathed, reggaeton is one of the world’s most controversial musical genres, and also one of the most popular. Criticised for its sexist lyrics and degradation of women; is it possible to be feminist and love reggaeton? Even those who don’t want to admit it have danced to Despacito like there’s […]

Champeta

Champeta dancers

Champeta was born out of the slums of Cartagena on Colombia’s Atlantic coast, home of many stricken by poverty and displaced by violence from around the country. But now Champeta is a cultural phenomenon that has grown out of the slums and has become popular across the country. It was named after the champeta knife, often associated […]

Argentine Folklore

Argentine Folklore in the Andean town of Salta

If Tango is Buenos Aires, then Folklore is Argentina. Most people in the country identify more with folklore music and dances, such as La Chacarera, El Escondido or El Gato among other styles. It offers a deeper understanding of rural life and Gaucho (Argentine Cowboy) culture, with a blend of colonial and indigenous influences. The best place […]

Tango

couple dancing in the street

Tango is a partner dance from the rio del plata area, the river that separates Argentina and Uruguay. Its creation is the result of a fusion of influences with the influx of immigrants to Argentina in the 19th Century, including waltz, polka, tango flamenco and other styles. Lesser known are its African origins, influenced by styles […]

Samba de Gafieira

Dancing Samba de Gafieira in Pedra do Sal, a historical Samba landmark in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Samba de Gafieria is a type of samba which is danced as a pair. An elegant and joyful dance, it is still one of the most popular social dances in Brazil. It can be danced in an open and closed embrace, with the basic steps usually in a box movement known as quadradinho. One of […]

Lambada

Dancing with one of the last remaining Lambaderos in Brazil

In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Lambada was everywhere in the streets of Brazil and became known to the world with Kaoma’s hit song Lambada in 1989. It is without a doubt one of the most important songs of my childhood. But one day, the Lambada simply died and disappeared, with rumours that its censorship had […]

Forró

Forró dance style

Forró is probably one of the most popular dances in Brazil today. Originally from the North-East of the country, its origins remain disputed. Some argue that the word forró comes from forrobodó, often used to describe a fun party, while others argue that it was a dance that was “for all”, a termed coined when […]

Samba no Pé

Samba no Pé dancers

Samba no Pé, or Samba on the foot, is an Afro-Brazilian solo dance brought to Rio de Janeiro by immigrants from the North-Eastern State of Bahia and is internationally known for being danced as part of the Rio Carnival. Foreigners are also allowed to participate in the carnival parades by purchasing a costume either through […]

Cali Salsa

Cali-style Salsa in Colombia

In Cali, the world’s salsa capital, dancing is everywhere with an array of dance academies, bars, and clubs to choose from. The Cali style of salsa is noticeably different from other styles, with a lot of fast foot steps, skips, and kicks. Rather than being linear or circular, the basic consists of an open break, with […]