A Day of Dancing

We began the day with a final dance class with Antonia Cozido and learned how to shake our booties intensely! We learned all about the different samba moves for guys and girls. We also learned how to do a Brazilian partner dance. Watching everyone's attempt at samba was very very funny. The dance class lasted all morning and after we had lunch back at the hotel we left to meet up with Banda Dida again. We worked with them from 2:30 to 6, and in that time we went over all four complex rhythms we learned and make sure we would be able to bring them back home. We ended the session by forming a circle and each person, no matter which instrument they were playing, had to go into the center and do a solo dance/drum. It was really funny to see everyone dancing while trying to mantain their sticking.

After Banda Dida we stayed in Pelourinho and had dinner outside at a very nice restaurant. Limited on time, we all ate as quicly as possible and enjoyed lime and mango juices before heading down the road to see the Ballet Folkorico. The ballet started with the drummers and singers forming the main rhythms of the ballet. Then male and female dancers danced onstage in casual white costumes. Five dancers in beautiful costume each performed solos. One man was in skirted outfit and introduced the others. One lady was dressed in a fancy gold outfit with beads in front of her eyes and a mirror in her hand. Another man was dressed as the Candomble god of hunting and his eyes were rolled in the back of his head while he danced. The second lady was dressed in a showy pink and red outfit with beads in front of her face, and the last man had a huge skirt on made of straw and a huge straw headdress on in front of his face. All of the dancers screamed and trembled and rolled around as they danced. After the solos, male and female dancers appeared onstage dressed as slaves with large straw hats and white outfits dancing to very upbeat music. There was also a solo that one of the musicians played on the berimbau. He was amazing! Another act was a male dancer holding a bowl of fire on his head and two smaller bowls in his hands. He danced around like this for awhile before placing the fire on the ground. He then dipped two sticks in the fire and dancing with them as torches. He would put them into his mouth and even walked on the hot coals! Towards the end of the performance there was a group of male gymnasts. They entered the stage doing blackflips and crazy things we have never before seen! They did capoiera together and it was absolutely amazing. There was another group of men doing capoiera. They were dressed in nothing but a type of loin-cloth and did insane dancing and capoiera. There was definitely a difference between regular capoiera and this ballet inspired capoiera. The flexiblity and choreography made it very ballet-esque. The dancers also pointed their toes and spotted their turns. Little things associated the word ballet with the performance even though there were no similar costumes, styles, or steps. It was definitely an incredible experience and something no one will ever forget. We sat in the first couple of rows, showing how real these people with the most toned, flexible, and superhuman bodies actually are. One dancer even winked at us.