How to Do Samba Solo

"Laugh longer, live louder." Or so the saying goes. There is no reason why dance shouldn’t be done just for fun, after all that is probably what it was created for. And there is no better dance to have fun with than the Samba. You can even dance the Samba Solo or better known as the Samba no pé. Usually this dance is an impromptu dance that takes place when Samba music is played. The following basic steps will help give you a basis to doing the Samba Solo, or Samba no pé.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

How to Dance Samba Solo

1. Keep your body straight and one knee at a time bent, so that you can get the independent hip action that is needed.

2. Your feet only move a fraction at a time. They only move a few inches in every step.

3. Rhythm is 2-4 and you take three steps per measure. So it will be something similar to a one and a two, then a one again.

4. Basic move to the side mans you lift your foot up just before the first beat. You lift it on the “a and a” and you put your foot back don on the count.

5. When one foot moves to the left or right that leg is kept straight and the other bends slightly at the knee so the hip comes to the front a bit and one side of the hip looks higher than the other.

6. Lift your foot on the a beat and the other foot takes on the body weight on the inside foot, then the weight is shifted back to the foot that has been placed down.

7. Use the basic samba side to side steps.

8. Dancing should follow the beat of the music and the arms can be moved in whatever way feels good or seems appropriate. Some dances and rhythms will be faster than others depending on how fast the tempo of the music is. Note most men will dance on the whole foot and women who are wearing heels will usually dance on the balls of her foot.

Tips & Warnings

• If you actually go to Brazil the basics of the dance will be the same but different regions add certain moves that are regionally known. In some regions they tilt their knees outward instead of keeping them close as they do in Brazil. Professionals will add other moves to their solo dance to make their actions seem more interesting.