The Mimic Method – Week Two – Zouk Needs You & Val Clemente
I have been going to Val Clemente‘s trainings for a few weeks. They are on Sunday mornings… Some days, it’s really tough to get up early and make it there … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/mimic-method-portuguese-3/

Suave Social Dancer
Etiquette is the social lubrication that allows people to interact with each other with minimal discomfort. Social dances have their own rules of etiquette, some common to all, others specific … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/04/28/suave-social-dancer/

About to launch a campaign to make a short movie about Zouk in Rio!
I invite you all to check the YouTube video which I made to bring awareness about the campaign I am about to launch! I want to film and talk about … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/campaign-zouk-in-rio/

Don’t Expect Great Dances
Most of us dance because we enjoy it. It is enjoyment quite unlike anything else; at the highest levels we feel profoundly connected to our partner, as one with the … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/dont-expect-great-dances/

Letter to a Beginner
Dear Beginner, Congratulations! You have just decided to start dancing Brazilian Zouk, the best dance in the whole world. Here are some things you should know. 1) There is no … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/letter-to-a-beginner/

Enjoying Dances with Beginners
Once, I mentioned to a beginner that I like to dance with beginners. Her immediate response was “Why on Earth!?” I have many answers to that. Because I like to … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/11/09/enjoying-dances-with-beginners/

Dancing with Alexander Technique
Right from the moment I embrace my partner I can feel how her body works. I can feel how she breathes and how she holds her body. Above all, I can … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/dancing-with-alexander-technique/

Make the Most of Your Moves
Some weeks ago I took part in a great Kizomba workshop by Ronie Saleh. One of the things that resonated with me was his approach to learning. He said that … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/make-the-most-of-your-moves/

You Don’t Have to Try So Hard
Ever seen something like this? On the dance floor, a man is leading a woman through a dance. The music is euphoric, and she dances beautifully, but the man stares … Continue reading →
#wordpress 🔗 https://zouksidedown.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/dont-try-so-hard/

LA Zouk Congress & US Open 2015 (I'm on a boat)!
What a wonderful adventure to have taken part in. LA Zouk Congress 2015 you rocked the boat! Such a unique & lovely place to party with all the Zoukies! Each and every year this congress becomes better and better! Cant wait for 2016. For us, this was a particularly special event as Island Zouk director's, Jonathan Troupe & Gigi Mak, entered in the US Zouk Open Competition.  Competing really has a way of challenging you in more then you will ever imagine! Our advice....Go for it! After spending just one week to prepare our show, we are happy as we could hope to have brought back the second place award home to Hawaii!!!  ;-) Much more than awards or recognition however, we are grateful for the opportunity to dance, teach and be a part of the one and only LA Zouk Congress! Big thanks to the organizers and all the friends/family we made and reconnected with along the way! ALOHA! “ Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.- T. Alan Armstrong ”
#islandzouk 🔗 https://www.islandzouk.com/blog/2015/5/22/la-zouk-congress-us-open-im-on-a-boat

The 6th Annual Spiral Dancers Mzouk Intensive!
We recently had the pleasure of attending the 6th Annual Spiral Dancers "M-Zouk" training in Barcelona, Spain.  The 6 day intensive is led by world renowned Zouk instructors, Daniel and Leticia, who have been training together as partners for over 20 years! The current longest zouk dancer partnership in the world. During the 36 hours of training, it became all to apparent that these two instructors were not just about teaching us some new moves but also about turning us into dancers, dancers who understand the overall fabric of Zouk technique.  Proper body position, spinal alignment and head position became things that we didn't just mention, but went in depth on.  That was just the tipping point! We had different classes on acrobatics, zouk/mzouk history, ladies/men styling, free style, improvisations, hip hop, contemporary dance and so much more! Our class size was limited to a maximum of 30 people, so it was a small group and we had more private attention. Students came from all over the world and from all different walks of life.  Some, like us, had only minimal experience with the M-Zouk technique, and some have danced it more often.  We all started from the basics and worked our way up in the concepts and learned how to make this dance, our own dance.  We now have more zouk friends around the world.  It was truly one of the most unique zouk training experiences that you could have imagine! This training is held every year in August in the magical city of Barcelona. When you are not training zouk (which is all the time), you can go out and explore the mystical streets of the gothic district that are spotted with buildings designed by the famous Gaudí, enter the everlasting-never finishing Sagrada Familia, or have a bite at a swanky tapas bar. What ever you do, do not go to the Anti Karaoke bar and sing Cowboys from Hell unless you really know the words well!!  For us this was a truly unique experience that we highly recommend to any one looking to take there zouk dance to the next level! If you want professional, technically oriented, fast paced zouk training.... this is one of your best options! it's super mega ultra muy bien! -Island Zouk
#islandzouk 🔗 https://www.islandzouk.com/blog/2015/9/3/6th-annual-mzouk-intensive-spiral-dancers

A day in the Life of Island Zouk Hawaii
Acoustic Guitars playing around the campfire, roasting marshmallows under a star filled sky, waking up to the stillness of a Hawaiian beach at 7 am, Morning swim with dolphins and surfing blue hawaiian waves in the sun, thats our kinda fun!   -Island Zouk Hawaii Permalink
#islandzouk 🔗 https://www.islandzouk.com/blog/2015/10/11/a-day-in-the-life-of-island-zouk-hawaii

ISLAND ZOUK DANCE INTENSIVE WITH KAMACHO
We might not be the biggest Zouk scene in the world and we but we have the most fun of anyone under the sun @ the "Island Zouk Hawaii Dance intensive"!
#islandzouk 🔗 https://www.islandzouk.com/blog/2016/1/24/island-zouk-dance-intensive-with-kamacho

The Ethics of Paying for Dances
We are used to paying cover to go social dancing, but for many people the concept of ‘paying for dances’ is both foreign and alarming. It is usually men who are ‘paid’ as a partner, and women who are paying. And, the...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/the-ethics-of-paying-for-dances/

What changes when you become an advanced dancer?
Social dancers tend to covet the idea of becoming an advanced dancer. When beginners first start out, they ask “how long will it take for me to be an advanced dancer?” (Answer: depends completely on your skills, how seriously you...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/what-changes-when-you-become-an-advanced-dancer/

Dance-Touch vs. Non-Dance Touch
Touch is necessary for social dancing. Depending on your style of dance, it can be anything from an open handhold to full body contact. Those contact points may also change or evolve, and those connection points may ask for specific...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/dance-touch-vs-non-dance-touch/

The 12 Types of Beginners
Beginners are one of the most important parts of a growing dance community. They’re our future. But, if you look at the beginners in any scene, you’ll notice a few patterns: there are types of beginners. Not everyone falls neatly...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/the-12-types-of-beginners/

The five W’s (and one H) of Dancing
Each great dance we will ever have comes down to a few foundational building blocks. If all the blocks are there, a dance will be more successful and pleasant. But, if we prioritize certain building blocks over others, we end...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/the-five-ws-and-one-h-of-dancing/

One Dance vs. Several: Which system is better?
Each dance has their own system and customs for dancing. Some dances have a pretty defined limit of one-song-per-partner, while in others you can spend an hour or more dancing with one person. Tango has the most defined example, with a Tanda (3-4...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/one-dance-vs-several-which-system-is-better/

The 7 Types of Dance Crushes
Dance Crushes: we’ve all had them. They fill us with joy (usually), and are a concept that most non-dancers don’t quite understand. But, have you ever noticed that “Dance Crush” doesn’t always mean the same thing? While it usually refers...
#danceplace 🔗 http://www.danceplace.com/grapevine/the-7-types-of-dance-crushes/

K-yo Victor: On Music, Movement, and the Birth of Soulzouk
The post K-yo Victor: On Music, Movement, and the Birth of Soulzouk appeared first on Ludic Zouk .
#ludiczouk 🔗 http://ludiczouk.com/k-yo-victor/