Getting ready for Carnaval!

SAMBA SCHOOL IN SESSION!

Cuidado com os malandros! @ Uniao da Ilha Samba School

Last night was full of Samba! We danced and sang our samba enredo (Samba school  theme Song for the samba carnaval) until we dropped. I saw some of the most joyful and passionate samba dancers of my life. From the five year old samba princesses to the kings and queens...it was a night of inspiration and fun!

I´m thrilled to be parading with samba school G.R.E.S. União da Ilha do Governador in just one week. Last night was the last rehearsal and it was beautiful to see all the hard work that this community put in all year long  all come together into a fantastic show and we are ready! 

Samba ensaios (rehearsals) are not how we think of rehearsals in the USA...as in "5, 6, 7,8", over and over...it´s a party! Thousands of people come together from the community and bring the carnaval spirit to life. There is the live Bateria (band), passistas(samba professional dancers), the baianas twirling (women in full dresses and skirts.) beer and caipirinhas (Brazilian lime and Cachaça rum drink) are in hand of almost everyone attending. The objective is to enjoy the moment and let go through samba. It´s about being connected and present to your most joyful self and sharing that energy with the community. It´s about being part of something bigger than the self. It´s a celebration of energy transformation and strength in coming together to share a felizidade (the happiness).

I feel so blessed and excited to be a part of this school this year. Big thanks to Aninha Malandro for inviting me to dance with this school and giving me this special opportunity, so grateful.

This will be my first time parading in Rio´s Carnaval. I have been training hard and getting my samba feet ready. I´m excited to samba in the Sambadromo (Samba stadium), as it has been a dream of mine for many years. I look forward to all that this Carnaval will bring and to the experience of a sambista's dream come true. Feliz Carnaval 2015!

Samba rehearsal/party @ G.R.E.S. União da Ilha do Governador