Let's dance forro!
Several years ago outside of Brazil forro was only practised by capoeiristas and fans of Brazilian culture. Today, however, its popularity has boosted significantly. We looked into the history of this dance and found out why it is so popular around the world.
The origin of the word "forro" is interesting. Brazilian anthropologist, historian, folklorist, Luis da Camara Cascudo, dedicated most of his life to the study of Northeast Brazilian culture. He believed that the true meaning of "forro" came from Arabic word "al foro", which means "freedom". The term came to Brazil from the Portuguese, whose territory was invaded by the Moors for almost two centuries.
Another theory by Luis da Camara Cascudo is that "forro" is derived from "forrobodo" (from french Faux Boedeaux ), which in Portuguese slang means "party", and it's shorter version "forro" — the place to have a party and dance.
Another theory by Luis da Camara Cascudo is that "forro" is derived from "forrobodo" (from french Faux Boedeaux ), which in Portuguese slang means "party", and it's shorter version "forro" — the place to have a party and dance.
Another popular theory is that "forro" is derivative of the English expression "for all" and that it originated in the early 1900s.
English engineers on the Great Western Railway of Brazil would throw balls on weekends and classify them as, either only for railroad personnel, or for the general public "for all". This is unlikely, however, because "forro" was already in use in the northeast of Brazil prior to the 1900s.
The most popular musical style, which is called today forro, is derived from the Forró of Luiz Gonzaga. He decided on the combination of the instruments: an accordion "sanfona" (melody instrument used in Forró), zabumba (drum that is responsible for the different syncopated rhythms) and the triangle "triangulo". The most popular rhythms of forró are the xote (a slower-paced rhythm), baião (the original forró) and arrasta-pé (the fastest of the three). Even though they existed before Luiz, they all came to us through his interpretation.
The most popular musical style, which is called today forro, is derived from the Forró of Luiz Gonzaga. He decided on the combination of the instruments: an accordion "sanfona" (melody instrument used in Forró), zabumba (drum that is responsible for the different syncopated rhythms) and the triangle "triangulo". The most popular rhythms of forró are the xote (a slower-paced rhythm), baião (the original forró) and arrasta-pé (the fastest of the three). Even though they existed before Luiz, they all came to us through his interpretation.
The music of forro was very popular everywhere in Brazil, but the dance wasn't quite as favored outside of the Northeast region. In big cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where samba and bossa nova were preferred, forro was considered the music of farmers, laborers, and the poor.
Glau Santana
Forro teacher with a 22 years' experience:
"I grew up in the family playing forro music, so I was dancing and playing instruments since I was little. At the age of 17 I started teaching. By that time I already knew both the women and men's steps. Out of all the Brazilian dances I picked forro because of its mixture of complex music and relatively simple steps. I believe the main idea of the dance is connection with a partner. The number of turns and the difficulty of the moves are not as important as concentrating and being comfortable with your partner. If you are ever in Brazil, stop by Minas in Belo Horizonte and Itaúnas, a beach-side village in the municipality State of Espírito Santo — those are my favorite forro places".
Nowadays forro is becoming very popular outside of Brazil as a traditional Brazilian dance.
Frederico Viana, who is a forro teacher in Brazil, first got introduced to this dance in 1998. His parents were worried that he was a very shy kid, so they decided to sign him up for dance lessons. Ever since then forro became a part of his life. He successfully graduated from college majoring in chemical engineering and frequently traveled around the world. Russia was the 45th country that Frederic recently visited, and he taught forro workshops in almost every country.
Frederico Viana, who is a forro teacher in Brazil, first got introduced to this dance in 1998. His parents were worried that he was a very shy kid, so they decided to sign him up for dance lessons. Ever since then forro became a part of his life. He successfully graduated from college majoring in chemical engineering and frequently traveled around the world. Russia was the 45th country that Frederic recently visited, and he taught forro workshops in almost every country.
Frederico Viana
Forro teacher
"I wanted to visit Russia, but I wasn't sure how familiar Russians were with forro. The first time I met Russian dancers was at an event in London in the beginning of 2016, and they were among the best! Michael Orekhov, a teacher from Forro United school in Moscow, invited me to teach a workshop. I really enjoyed it. I was impressed with how advanced this school was. I always say that music is the only reason for dance. I transform the energy from the forro rhythms into body movements. Also, it's a great opportunity to meet some artistic and creative people".
Forro is becoming more and more popular in Russia and capoeira has contributed to its growing popularity. Thanks to capoeira parties, which are usually accompanied by forro music, this dance has become recognizable among locals, attracting both amateurs and professionals.
Nowadays a lot of Russian dancers participate in international festivals, as well as the one in Brazil that took place in famous Pé Descalço academy. This summer Russia was represented by Anna Pack from Saint-Petersburg and the founder of the "Forro United" school in Moscow Michael Orekhov.
The most attractive things in dancing forro is the deep connection that is created between partners during the dance, and the beautiful rhythmic music, which creates a unique Brazilian atmosphere. One of forro's traditions is similar to one in capoeira — the forro birthday roda. Similar to the capoeira birthday roda, the person whose birthday it is must dance with all of the dancers in the Roda, one after another without stopping.
Nowadays a lot of Russian dancers participate in international festivals, as well as the one in Brazil that took place in famous Pé Descalço academy. This summer Russia was represented by Anna Pack from Saint-Petersburg and the founder of the "Forro United" school in Moscow Michael Orekhov.
The most attractive things in dancing forro is the deep connection that is created between partners during the dance, and the beautiful rhythmic music, which creates a unique Brazilian atmosphere. One of forro's traditions is similar to one in capoeira — the forro birthday roda. Similar to the capoeira birthday roda, the person whose birthday it is must dance with all of the dancers in the Roda, one after another without stopping.
It is possible to learn forro on your own, as long as you find a partner who can show you basic steps. If you want to dance forro on a higher level, however, you should take forro classes. There are classes for different levels of students. For the beginners, the classes cover the basic steps, offer an introduction to the rhythms, and teach how to combine the two. The names of the steps and the movements are taught in forro's native language, Portuguese, and because of this you also learn a little bit of a new language.
Intermediate and advanced dancers are taught more complex moves and acrobatics, and soon these movements can turn the dance into a show. Unlike capoeira, there are no classification levels in forro.
However, professional level dancers continually improve their performance level by attending workshops in Brazil. Much like capoeira, there are forro events and workshops, taught by the teachers from Brazil and from all over the world. These events are great opportunities to meet new people, exchange knowledge, share your passion dancing, and of course, to dance. Attending events like this let you fully immerse yourself into the world forro.
Intermediate and advanced dancers are taught more complex moves and acrobatics, and soon these movements can turn the dance into a show. Unlike capoeira, there are no classification levels in forro.
However, professional level dancers continually improve their performance level by attending workshops in Brazil. Much like capoeira, there are forro events and workshops, taught by the teachers from Brazil and from all over the world. These events are great opportunities to meet new people, exchange knowledge, share your passion dancing, and of course, to dance. Attending events like this let you fully immerse yourself into the world forro.
By Ekaterina Zheltonozhenko
Credits: Dmitriy Korotkov; Elizaveta Orekhova; Glau Santana
Credits: Dmitriy Korotkov; Elizaveta Orekhova; Glau Santana
