Dan Polari is a Psychobiologist whom have been dancing for 12 years and is totally in love with pé-de-serra culture. Dan works with consciousness studies, approaching how dancing and social gathering may improve cognitive capacity and the dance ability itself. His style was developed in Brazil, learning while dancing 24/7 in Brasília. Right now he lives in Natal, RN, Brazil, working as the director of the Forró-UFRN project and as the founder of Baião de Canto, a cultural project that aims to bring the real forró back to the northeast with the new influences from the southeast.

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Felipe Abreu, born in Salvador (BA), professor of forró since 2008, had his first professional contact in ForroPolitano group in 2009 where he stayed for five years. In 2014 he founded the Dance Academy Essência in order to work and teach other rhythms and get to add forró the same importance as other rhythms have within the ballroom dancing. In 2015 he held his first tour around Europe taking part in the Festival Ai Que Bom – Brussels and Forró In Russia Festival in Saint-Petersburg, teaching workshops also in Paris, London, Milan and Munich. He works since 2013 with the Longevitat Institute Dr. Adriano Gordilho.

Partner: Marianna Vilas Boas da Rocha e Silva (Mari Vilas)

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Evandro Paz is a much respected teacher, and always holds interesting classes that fascinates his students. Look out for some clever footwork… Evandro’s expertise has always been the Forró Pé-de-Serra style of Forró as seen in many night clubs in São Paulo. Many current forró teachers were his students. Evandro has been working with Forró since 1995, sharing his skills in classes and workshops worldwide as well as at one of the most famous and traditional clubs in Brazil, Remelexo Brasil in São Paulo. He’s graduated in dance from the University Anhembi Morumbi focusing his studies on bringing pupil’s attention to their balance and movement through steps and body awareness. His teaching style focuses on leading and following using all parts of the body, through various techniques in the dance to understand more deeply the concept and dynamics of the couples harmony that makes Forró so special.

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Lucas Dumont

Dancer for 10 years and teacher for 7, Lucas Dumont started dancing forró, samba and bolero, and today dances as well zouk, west coast swing and a little bit of salsa. Lucas has been part of the Pé Descalço presentations Group since it was born and given workshops in many places, inside and outside of Brasil, like Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia and Japan. He teaches in the first and oldest unit of Pé Descalço, and believes in the methodology and how dance can make something good to people. He believes that dance is a harmony and balance of 3 things: the dancer, the partner and the music.

Isabel Loyola (Bel Loyola)

Isabel has been a dancer for 10 years, and a teacher for 4. Isabel knows the basic techniques of samba, west coast swing, music and drama. She has already participated of Pé Descalço group of presentations and given workshops in several cities of Brasil – São Paulo (SP), Niterói (RJ), Uberlândia (MG), Lavras (MG), Ipatinga (MG) and Juiz de Fora (MG) – and, abroad, in Japan. She is a teacher and an examiner at Pé Descalço project. She believes in Pé Descalço’s methodology as an instrument of individual overcoming, knowledge and personal growth. In her classes, she aims not just to share her knowledge, but, also awaken the interest of the pupil and hold his attention in a lively and relaxing way, to make him feel comfortable.

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Terra was born in Minas Gerais and grew up in São Paulo. At the age of 15, he discovered the mid-90s strongly growing Forró scene in São Paulo, began to learn the dance and frequented the booming Casas de Forró of São Paulo. This new interpretation and development of Forró – the urbanisation of the traditional Forró Pé-de-Serra – is what stamps Terra’s dance style and also what he transmits to his pupils. Terra is co-founder and chief executive of the Brazilian cultural association Verein Brasilianischer Kulturen Stuttgart e.V. and of Europe’s greatest Forró festival Forró de Domingo Festival. Since 2002, he lives in Germany and is regarded as one of the main characters in the dissemination of Forró in Europe.

Henni

Henni Pasqualini was born, grown up in Germany and she is already engaged in the Brazilian culture for more than 15 years. 2006 Henni started to dance Forró more intensively and in the same year she participated in the first Forró de Domingo in Stuttgart. Starting with a constant support to the Forró scene in Stuttgart, she is a fix part of the organisation team of Europe’s greatest Forró Festival. She accompanied all Forró de Domingo Festivals, working as editor, advertiser, teacher, and above all as organiser and contact person for the participants. With enthusiasm she devotes herself in the spread and support of the Brazilian couple dance in Europe.

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Sabrina Lima was born in Rio de Janeiro. She started dancing in 1991, taking jazz and ballet classes. In 1999 she began working as a professional dancer. In 2002 she entered Cia de Dança Marinho Braz and began studying forró. Her main achievements are: II Ballroom Dancing Choreographic Exhibition with Cia de Forró Marinho Braz (2003), Feira de São Cristovão Opening (2003) and participation in europe’s greatest festival Forró de Domingo – Stuttgart, Germany in 2014. Specialised in Jazz, Samba and Forró, she gives classes in big schools in Rio de Janeiro, she is Director and Teacher of the Social Project Criança que Dança, dance for poor children.

Partner: Michel Peres 2001-2002 teacher of forró Academy Jorge Lyno 2005 show Brazil in France. St. Etienne France 2000 – 2013 dancer of dance company Marinho Braz

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Rudolfo was born in Olinda, in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Even as a child Rudolfo Batista da Silva was passionate about the folklore, the culture but mostly about the dances of this region of the northeast of Brazil (Nordeste). During his childhood he participated in many of the typical parties called Festas Juninas, dancing in the cultural capitals of Pernambuco. At the age of 14 Rudolfo’s interest in Forró grew and he started learning the typical styles of the northeastern region. When he was 19 he was introduced to the Forró Universitário style, learning it and mixing it with his Forró Nordestino. In 2010 he moved to the city of Cologne in Germany, where he founded the group Forró de Colônia.

Partner:

Sarah Scherhag

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Ayo Barbosa comes from a small city in Minas Gerais, Brasil. When he was 5, he moved to Belo Horizonte. His first contact with the dance was in the dance school “Dançarte”. Due to his ambition of becoming a professional dancer, he decided to move to Rio de Janeiro to learn Samba de Gafieira and Tango. After few years, one of his mentor encouraged him to start with contemporary dance. In order to improve his musicality and sensibility of the movements. As soon as he came back to Belo Horizonte. He started to participate to the forró scenario of the city. Due to his background of different styles of dance. He started to experiment a personal style of dancing forró. Inspired on movements from Samba de Gafieira and Tango. His sources of inspiration are the “big” names from Samba’s World: Bezerra da Silva, Jackson do Pandeiro and Gordurinha (these names represent an icon of Forró Sambado, for example Bezerra da Silva’s vinyl “Rei do Coco 1&2”). He worked as teacher at Pè Descalço, Centro Gafieirando Acácio de Souza. In September 2012 he moved to São Paulo. Where he started a Forró-Sambado project called “Grupo de forró – Fua” in partnership with Natalia Militão. Since 2016 he lives in Berlin and he works to his Forró-Sambado project “Forró do Miudinho”.

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