There are several types of samba danced in Brazil. The two leading samba forms in Rio today are the street samba dance called samba no pe, which is a solo dance and samba gafieiro, which is a partner dance.

There are several types of samba danced in Brazil. The two leading samba forms in Rio today are the street samba dance called samba no pe, which is a solo dance and samba gafieiro, which is a partner dance.

The typical type of samba danced in the Rio carnival is samba no pe. But according to some samba dancers there is a slightly distinction between Samba no pe and the performance dance used during the Rio carnival. Samba no pe is also often seen as the most original samba. Even then others may argue that there is no such thing as an original samba dance.

Samba no pe is done in a 2/4 rhythm where the dancer takes three steps to every bar. This could make the samba to feel like a 3/4 timed dance. Samba no pe could be danced either alone or in a group. The dance consists of one basic step. The basic step basically requires a straight body and a bending of one knee at a time.

In samba no pe men and women are dancing samba with different steps and emphasis on different things during the dance. The male samba dancers often do a lot of acrobatic tricks with their feet. It is said that a good samba dancer speaks with his feet.

The female dance can be characterized as quick symmetrical feet movement with each foot twisting on the heel. All the time the females samba dancers put emphasis on their femininity by using their hips and shoulders very much.

The male and female dancers can dance together but they do not touch each other. Often the men dance around the women including spins, hops and jumps. The dance has a high tempo and is complicated combination of the basic steps, different variation and improvisation.

The dance is often done unaccompanied and begins straight away when the samba music appears. The tempo of the moves change with the pace of the music, some samba dances are very fast and other samba dances move at a more normal pace.

The dance consists of jumps and turns. It's important that when you jump you should not jump too high. It's not easy to pick up the samba dance the first time you try. You should not be disappointed if you don't get the hang of it the first time. It's important that you stop looking at you feet and that you keep the body straight and at the same time start to relax.