Dance of passion and sensuality

From November 1 through 3 within the framework of the International CasaDeRitmo ZOUK Festival & Competition Ukrainians will get a chance to feel the passionate rhythms of Brazilian zouk and understand why millions of people around the world fell in love with this dance!

Zouk is a style of fast tempo dance music that emerged in the first half of the 1980s on the French islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Haiti, St. Lucia, and Angola and has become popular through the music performed by Gramacks and Exile One bands. In Europe zouk became the most popular in France and in North America the place of its greatest popularity was Quebec province in Canada. It also gained popularity in Asia. A special variation of zouk has been developed in the islands of Cape Verde. From the French Creole language “zouk” is translated as a party or festival. In Brazil it is believed that the zouk style comes from French Polynesia. Other zouk-musicians add Jocelyne Labylle from Guadeloupe Island.

Zouk has become worldwide known through concerts, which are held in a form of spectacular theatrical performances featuring actors in colorful costumes.

In Brazil the zouk beat is used to dance Brazilian style that originates from the Lambada with the moves that fit better with the music. Lambada is usually a very fast and spectacular dance, while zouk in Brazil, by contrast, is often slow and sensual, which allows more steps and turns in performing. By the way, in recent years there have emerged different dancing variations like Zouk Love, Neo Zouk, Zouk-R’n’B. The most popular is Urban Zouk, which provides unlimited possibilities for interpreting music of different styles.

“Thanks to zouk, a little forgotten beautiful songs in R’n’B and DubStep style with the melodies that excite our memories and enable us to fully dissolve in dancing again have gained popularity in Ukraine,” stressed Iryna BYCHEVA, organizer of the festival and director of the CasaDeRitmo dance school.

International instructors Sofie da Silva and Luciano Gomes, Bruno Galhardo and Eglantine Oliveira will share the secrets of the passionate zouk dance at master classes open to all Kyiv residents.

Flower zouk party and the opening of the exhibition dedicated to Latin American culture will be held at the Center of Contemporary Art “M17” on November 1. Halloween zouk party dedicated to the 16th anniversary of the foundation of the CasaDeRitmo dance school (Caribbean Club) will be held on November 2. Zouk Yellow Party will be held on November 3 (also in the Caribbean Club).