The Ailey Extension Interview

Where are you from originally? What got you into samba?
I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My mother was involved with producing musical events in Rio and as a result she knew a lot of musicians and people in the pagode and samba scene. As a child and teenager, I was always very involved with ballet, but my exposure to the samba/pagode scene really happened as a result of my mother bringing us to lots of shows, events and parties.

What should people expect when they come to take your class? How would you describe the movements that are taught, the music, and the overall energy in general?
I get so many different positive reactions from people about my class. Each student has different needs and expectations. Some people have goals that are more oriented towards exercise and losing weight. Others are more interested in the dance and its cultural aspects, while some are more experienced dancers looking to expand their understanding of movement and culture.

I am thankful that we have live music in class. We always make an effort to present the various dances and music in the most authentic way possible. There are so many forms of samba: samba no pe, samba de roda, samba afro, etc. And they are all closely related to the many forms of African dance originating in Angola, Nigeria, Benin and Congo. Each form requires different drums and rhythmic arrangements. Each form also has specific, distinct movements. I always explore at least two styles in each class so that my students can begin to understand the relationship between the forms and their origins.

Does someone need experience in dance or samba to enjoy and learn from your class?
I try to accommodate different levels of experience. I try to present my beginning classes in a way where there is still some level of challenge with the choreography.  Anyone can do my class. It just requires a certain level of commitment and the desire to learn. Students who have initially found the class challenging have really improved after only a few classes. Plus, a lot of people who have had experience with another form of dance will find similarities in the movements because Brazilian dance is so diverse and borrows from so many sources.

What do you enjoy about teaching? What do students get from you, and what do you get from us?
I love my work. I have always felt such a strong relationship to dance and music. It’s so exciting to do something so physical and fully engaging. I enjoy my students and when they succeed or when they come away from a class feeling great, I feel the same way. There is also a strong element of cultural education that goes along with my work. Normally, when someone develops an interest in Brazilian dance, they have something in them that is waiting to be plugged in to that “connection.” I want to be that current that brings them to that place.

In celebration of Brazil’s Independence, there will be a Samba Celebration Workshop all day at the Ailey Extension on Sept. 26th. What can people expect from the workshop and surrounding events? Why should they participate?
The samba workshops at the Ailey Extension are always exciting. It’s incredible to see an entire class dancing samba in their heels, and it gives students the chance to see how challenging it is to dance samba no pe like a passista in a real escola de samba.

In addition, my musical director, Nick Birmelin, will be teaching a samba drum class in the style of a Rio de Janeiro samba school. And another Ailey instructor Tiba will be teaching the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira and the Afro-Brazilian fight dance maculele.

Our regularly scheduled two-hour class features three forms of samba from its birthplace, Bahia. Finally we all participate in a full parade around the block. I bring many of my own outfits or hats for my students. (Or you can bring your own.) We then join the drummers and “take it to the street.”