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This blog follows Dance Wire’s Founder/Director Emily Running in her adventures taking new dance classes all over Portland.
I wish I could start EVERY day with the fun filled, blood pumping I started this Saturday with. Samba at CenterSpace set my day up for success with rosy cheeks and a smile.
I entered the studio and was the first one there, just 5 minutes before class started, but then others trickled in – it is Saturday after all. The class began with an easy-to-follow warmup of simple stretches and relatively tame movement. Then we started to pick up the pace with basic Samba movements. For complete beginners you have two options:
1) Stay on the lookout for BEGINNER classes, which occur every now and again, where the steps will be broken down.
2) Fake it til you make it!
I chose option 2, which involved shaking my hips and moving my feet as fast as I could and hoping no one noticed I had no clue what I was doing! The good news is, there was a range of levels in class and the atmosphere didn’t have a shred of judgement or competitiveness, simply a small group of people having a great time.
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Then we began moving across the floor adding on little chunks each time until we have a short piece of choreography. The video above is what we learned. If you are or every have been a dancer, you will likely catch on to the basics no problem. If you have never taken a dance class, you will catch on over time.
In a class like this, nailing the technique is well beyond the goal, the goal is simply to have fun, liberate the body to move in your own way that’s both sophisticated and sensual, and learn a little bit about Samba culture.
Find more Portland-area dance classes on Dance Wire’s Find A Class Directory.
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