Samba
Dance Of Love
Samba is a lively,
rhythmical dance of Brazilian origin in 2/4 time danced under
the Samba music. However, there are three steps to every bar,
making the Samba feel like a 3/4 timed dance. Its origins
include the Maxixe. There are two major streams of Samba dance
that differ significantly: the modern Ballroom Samba, described
in this article, and the traditional Brazilian Samba.
The ballroom Samba is danced to music in 2/4 or 4/4 time. The
basic movements are counted either 1-2 or 1-a-2, and are danced
with a slight downward bouncing or dropping action. This action
is created through the bending and straightening of the knees,
with bending occurring on the beats of 1 and 2, and the
straightening occurring on the "a".
As a ballroom dance, the samba is a partner dance. Ballroom
samba, like other ballroom dances, is very disconnected from the
origins and evolution of the music and dance that gives it its
name. It is a form created for its suitability as a partner
dance. The dance movements, which do not change depending on the
style of samba music being played, borrows some movements from
Afro-Brazilian traditional dances such those used in candomblé
rituals and the chamadas of capoeira angola.