Dancing the Samba in Rio de Janeiro

A priority for many travelers is to experience a new country or city like a local, immersing themselves in the day-to-day life of a place. For most people, this means drinking where the locals drink and fattening up on their cuisine. But another way to truly get into the rhythm of a place is to learn its dance.

In Brazil, the Samba goes beyond dance and music. Like historical sites and ‘magical cities,’ cultural traditions can also get their own UNESCO designation. In 2005, the Samba dance circle received the Heritage of Humanity designation. The Samba is world recognized due to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Months of preparation go into building the floats, designing the elaborate costumes and perfecting the dance and drumming for the parade. If you’ve ever watched Carnival footage, observing beautiful, preening women in glittering headdresses and bikinis, arms raised regally overhead and legs moving wildly to the beats and thought to yourself, “I want to do that,” you can find a number of dance classes in Rio de Janeiro.

Of course, you can go the online route first and find some lessons on YouTube, to get a feel for the Samba and bust out some of your moves alongside a Carnival parade route. But if you find yourself traveling in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival and the months leading up to it, you can take Samba lessons at a number of Rio de Janeiro Samba schools. One thing: The award-winning schools you might see promoted online or by word of mouth operate more like clubs, a place where dancers and musicians represent their local neighborhood (for example, Beija Flor or Mocidade) and prepare for the upcoming Carnival. But often these schools offer private lessons for curious tourists.

If you find this option is a bit intimidating due to all of the raw talent, you can also go the more touristy route and try Samba workshops and classes in Rio like Rio Samba Dancer or Allez Samba Rio that teach you the moves and take you out for a night on the town.