How to Learn From Samba Videos

The samba is a passionate Latin dance that uses 100 beats a minute. In order to master the dance, a beginner first needs to learn four basic steps in the samba and four variations of the movements. If you have purchased or rented a samba video, you can learn to do the samba today. Read on to learn more about how to learn from samba videos.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Samba dance video

1. Watch for the basic natural move. The man steps forward with his right foot on the count of one, pauses, and brings his left foot forward to meet the right foot. He next steps backward with the left foot on the count of one, pause, and on the count of two steps backward with the right foot to meet his left foot. In the reverse basic, the step is started with the left foot.

2. Try the basic movement to the side. The man leads by stepping to the side with his left foot, pauses, and then brings the right foot to meet it. The dancer then moves his right foot back, pauses, and brings his left foot to meet the right.

3. Samba with the dancers on screen when they combine some steps for the progressive. The man's left foot goes backward and then the right foot joins closing the pattern. The right foot then goes to the side, after a short half count the left foot meets it.

4. Hunt for the whisk. This is done much like the basic side movement. Instead of the second foot meeting the first, it is tapped lightly behind the foot. The foot that just tapped behind moves back to position and the other foot taps behind it. Two variations add a twirl on the second or third movement.

5. Practice a samba walk from the videos. The samba walk is a weight shift. Stepping forward with the right foot, pausing and rocking the weight to the left foot. Repeat it by stepping forward with the left.

6. Gyrate with variations to the walk. If you watch closely, you'll notice the samba dancers begin the walk with the first step, rock, motion. The second step in the side walk goes forward does not rock. Instead, the second foot is brought slightly ahead of the first and the foot beside it is brought widely to the side and rocked. In the stationary walk, the dancers remain in place, stepping forward, rocking and moving back to the original spot.

7. Revel in the rhythm bounce where the dancer steps to the right and bounces by dipping at the knee three times.

Tips & Warnings

• In all basic steps except the whisk with a twirl, the female partner remains in constant contact with both hands touching her partner. She mirrors her partners movements. The whisk with turn variations are the only times both hands aren't touching and she isn't mirroring her partner when turning. In the first variation she twirls on the second step and returns to mirroring. On the second variation she turns on the third step and returns to mirroring. The whisk with turn variations are the only times both hands aren't touching and she isn't mirroring her partner when turning. In the first variation she twirls on the second step and returns to mirroring. On the second variation she turns on the third step and returns to mirroring.
• The samba requires a lot of hip movement. Watch the video closely and practice the movement of the hips.
• Check the foot position in the video for the starting of each movement. Watch for the position throughout.