Dance Bahia with Sonia Pessoa

Dance Bahia™ is a comprehensive and intense program designed by Sonia Pessoa as a total immersion into Afro-Brazilian culture through dance.

The smell of Bahian cuisine prepared in every corner of Salvador, the mixed of local spices, palm oil (dendê), coconut milk and tropical fruits fragrances and the vision of beauty of the city intertwine with the old architecture and the tropical beaches will certainly have all five senses of the body working in unique harmony.

The beat of the drummers, the sounds of the berimbau and the music of Bahia will have you body moving in rhythm by simply walking through the streets.

The purpose of Dance Bahia™ is to celebrate, explore and diffuse the legacy of African heritage, brought to Brazil during the Middle Passage, through dance. Samba is Brazil’s trademark. It is Brazil’s national rhythm, its prime symbol of cultural nationalism.

Samba and carnival represents and showcase Brazil’s African heritage and helps to define its national identity. Students will be introduced to the various forms of samba such as Samba de Roda, Samba Reggae, Samba Axé, Samba de Gafieira and Samba no Pé.

Workshops and Classes

The 2012 Dance Bahia™ will consist of three program components:

The first program component is two introductory Dance Master classes given by master teacher and choreographer Sonia Pessoa in Washington, D.C. prior to traveling to Bahia. The classes will highlight and introduce dancers to the diverse Afro-Brazilian dance styles and movements found in Brazil.

This program is designed for beginning, advance and professional dancers. Dancers can take part in all classes offered or design their schedule according to individual needs.

Dance Bahia

From DC to Bahia

The second program component will take place in Salvador da Bahia – Brazil, January 13 – January 22.

This program will be managed and directed by Sonia Pessoa. The Dance Bahia™ instructors are either master teachers or professional performers.

They are internationally renowned choreographers, and performers with broad professional experiences, teachers with records of excellence and innovation, The Dance Bahia™ philosophy is to provide the absolute best in dance technique instruction integrating the aesthetics, eloquence, power and passion of Afro Brazilian culture and dance styles.

Dance Bahia

Dance Bahia™ combines traditional cultural expressions with contemporary movements to present dancers with a program of dances of African origin that includes the various forms of Samba, Candomble religious dances of the Orixas, Maculelê, Dance Capoeira, Afoxe, Symbology, Theory, Floor Bar, Dance Composition, Pagode and the Silvestre Technique created by internationally renowned Bahian choreographer Rosangela Silvestre.

Workshops and classes daily schedules are three-hours morning sessions, two-hour lunches and three-hour afternoon sessions. All classes and workshops held at the Dance University studios.

Photo by Mihoko Owada

The third program component of Dance Bahia™ 2012 is a Dance Master class given by Sonia in Washington, D.C. upon returning from Brazil. Dancers will have the opportunity to practice what they have learned in Bahia, get individual attention from your instructor, ask questions and work on exactly the areas which you feel need particular attention. Most importantly, it is a time to come together and share your experience in Salvador da Bahia with the other dancers. A Dance Bahia™ Certificate of Participation will be presented to each dancer.

Whether you are a beginner or advanced or somewhere in-between, Dance Bahia™ is a perfect time to try something new without a long commitment, improve upon what you know if you already dance, and have fun with Sonia, who looks forward to working with you!

Download the Dance Bahia™ application.

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