ZoukNerds • Learn | Build | Belong

Lambada vs Brazilian Zouk: Is It One Dance?

Lambada is like the sun, you know? It spreads the brightness and the energy to everyone around. And I'm sorry to say this, but sometimes, in some places, Brazilian Zouk

From Ballet and Math Class to Lambada Masters with Iago & Vanessa

"I don't believe this person, they can really follow what this guy wants. I think they are guessing." That's Vanessa on why she started Brazilian Zouk, after fifteen year

Yes, Dance Teachers Plateau Too!

"Hell yes, hell yes." That's my answer every time someone in the group asks whether teachers hit plateaus too, and I teach Brazilian Zouk for a living. Ours just hides b

The Pickiness Curve Every Dancer Climbs

For years the DJ would put on traditional old school Brazilian Zouk and I'd walk off the floor. "Ah, I don't like that type of music, I'm gonna take a break." That was a

Are You Wasting Your Private Dance Lessons?

"I know, I've done this already." Every Brazilian Zouk teacher hears that in privates, and I ask the same thing back. "Okay, you've done it. But do you know it?" "Oh no

Why Do You Dance Like You're Competing? (S06 Ep16)

Why do you dance like you're competing? Because Brazilian Zouk is one dance living as five: the social dance, the performance, the competition, the after-class demo, and

Most Dance Teachers Are on Autopilot (S06 Ep15)

Why did you leave that amazing Brazilian Zouk class confused? Because the teacher was serving three meals at once. Every dance class teaches one of three things: mechani

How Dance Becomes Your Safe Space (S06 Ep14)

How does a dance school become your safe space? Before Brazilian Zouk, before teaching, Gui Prada and I were two shy kids who found one safe room. In this ZoukNerds epis

Zouk Retreat vs Festival: Two Opposite Worlds (S06 Ep13)

What's the difference between a Brazilian Zouk retreat and a Zouk festival? In this ZoukNerds episode, Gui Prada and I go down memory lane to the events that marked us,

Is Brazilian Zouk a Spiritual Dance? (S06 Ep12)

Is Brazilian Zouk a spiritual dance? Do you have to be spiritual to dance it? In this ZoukNerds episode, Gui Prada and I take the "too hippie" stereotype apart. The com

The Fear Behind Every Brazilian Zouk Festival (S06 Ep11)

Why is the festival you bought never the event you get? Because most Brazilian Zouk festivals are designed from the fear of not being able to pay for them. Gui Prada and

Is Brazilian Zouk an Addiction? (S06 Ep10)

Is Brazilian Zouk an addiction? I think for a lot of us it is — and I say that as someone it nearly broke. In this ZoukNerds episode my co-host Gui Prada and I talk abou

Brazilian Zouk Musicality: Beyond the Beat (S06 Ep09)

I'll put my hands up here. A lot of the time, dancing Brazilian Zouk, I'm just listening to the tum, ta, chick and going for it. "Oh, good BPM, I can dance to this." That

Where Are the Brazilians in Brazilian Zouk? (S06 Ep08)

Where are the Brazilians in Brazilian Zouk? Gui Prada went looking in Sydney and found them at the Forró social, not at our Zouk Social. Gui was three weeks in Sydney,

Why Do You Pick Who to Dance With? (S06 Ep07)

I'll be honest. I walk into a social and I pick who to dance with in about three seconds, and most of the time I don't even decide it. My body decides for me. In this ep

What Brazilian Zouk Actually Costs You (S06 Ep06)

Brazilian Zouk costs me sleep. I'm in Taiwan right now and I've finally built a schedule that lets me rest. The rest of the year? Time zones, late socials, weekends that

Why Brazilian Zouk Has a Leader Shortage Problem (S06 Ep05)

Brazilian Zouk has a leader shortage problem at every social — and no organizer has solved it, including me. I've run BraZouky with strict ratio control for years. Some y

Most Zouk Scenes Don't Need More Socials! (S06 Ep04)

Most Brazilian Zouk scenes don't need more socials. They need more Practicas. And the reason most Practicas fail comes down to the DJ: songs that don't end. In this Q&A

Style vs Technique: Finding What Fits Your Body (S06 Ep03)

What If Your Teacher’s Style Isn't For You? Ever taken a class and thought, "Man, this technique just doesn't feel right for my body"? Gui and I are hanging out in Taiw

Why Dance Reveals Your Deepest Insecurities (S06 Ep02)

Does Dance Reveal Your Inner World? Do you feel like the way you interact with your dance partner reflects your inner world?  In this episode, Gui Prada and I are toget