FOOR RÓ SAAMBA ZOOUK
Exciting News!
We're thrilled to announce the second edition of Festival Forró Léman, and this time we're partnering with WFC. Expect innovation, loads of fun, and Europe's first and biggest Jack and Jill Forró competition. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Parties, workshops, forró coaching, private classes, jack & jill.
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⚠️ YOU CAN BUY ONLY ONE TICKET PER PERSON ⚠️
Tickets must be correctly named with the dancer's respective information.
Otherwise, they will be cancelled.
The leader tickets must be bought by leaders and the followers tickets by followers. This is not a suggestion. This has been drawn up to keep the balance in our parties and ensure that everyone can dance.
⚠️ All ticket exchanges are only allowed until 26 March ⚠️
The ticket is exchanged once the organizers have received by e-mail (forrosambazouk@gmail.com) the following information from the seller:
- Full name
- Telephone
- Role
(follow, leader)* Leader tickets must be purchased by leaders and vice versa.
- City and country of residence
- Languages spoken (Portuguese, French, English)
- Dance level
(Mandatory test to be taken for advanced and teachers level at 1 p.m. on March 29)
No changes will be possible after this deadline.
Live Concert
Mariana Aydar
Winner of the 2024 Latin Grammy in the category of ‘Best Roots Music Album in the Portuguese Language,’ with the album released in collaboration with Mestrinho, and winner of the 2020 Latin Grammy with the album "Veia Nordestina", Mariana Aydar has six studio albums and two documentaries to her name.
Her passion for the culture of Brazil’s Northeast began in childhood, when she was introduced to Luiz Gonzaga through her mother, who was his manager. During her youth, she toured Salvador's carnivals as a backing vocalist for Daniela Mercury and performed in numerous forró venues with her former band, Caruá.
To celebrate Northeastern music, she created the carnival block Forrozin in São Paulo in 2018. This project has featured major Brazilian music icons, including Gilberto Gil, Anastácia, Criolo, and others. She also marked her debut as a film director—alongside Joaquim Castro and Dudu Nazarian—with the movie Dominguinhos and the documentary Dió - O Diamante do Forró.
Her songs have been part of the soundtracks for Globo Network soap operas, including Renascer ("Te Faço Um Cafuné"), Volta Por Cima ("Se Pendura"), and Travessia ("Espumas Ao Vento"). The São Paulo-born singer and songwriter is recognized for blending the new with the traditional, merging contemporary sounds and themes with the roots of forró.
Her music and performances emphasize women’s empowerment and freedom of choice, as well as the need to challenge the deeply ingrained machismo and conservatism still present in forró. By revisiting classics and introducing new songs with a freer, less sorrowful perspective on love—a theme so central to the forró universe—Mariana Aydar has solidified herself as a modern and essential voice in Brazilian music.
PH do Acordeon
Accordionist, singer, music producer, composer, and leader of his own project that carries his name!
From Bahia, with 20 years of career experience, PH has recorded 4 albums. His first work, Forró 4 Estações, led the group for 18 years, traveling across Brazil and performing at various festivals. For nearly two years, he has been pursuing a solo career, showcasing his talent and energy on stages throughout Brazil.
In 2023, he earned 2nd place at the largest forró festival in the world (Fenfit). In 2024, he released his first solo EP, Viver a Vida.
Among the many compositions played at various dances by numerous DJs, his greatest success is the instrumental piece Sonho de uma Madrugada. Released in 2018 as a single of the same name, it has garnered over 400,000 streams worldwide!
TAU
Is he a musician who dances or a dancer who plays?
Originally from Salvador/Bahia Brazil, Tau now calls Berlin home, where he teaches locally and through Europe, while he also shares his passion with music as he tours as a musician being part of Diego's Olivera band and other musicians and also as a DJ.
Sandrinho
Sandrinho Dupan is a percussionist musician, composer, and author of the book What is Forró. He brings with him the experience of having performed with great names such as Os 3 do Nordeste, Luizinho Calixto, Elba Ramalho, Mestre Marrom, Biliu de Campina, among others.
Teachers
Pamela & Victinho
Pamela Barrón began her dance journey in childhood, when she practiced ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance. In 2017, she started studying partner dances and became a professional in forró universitário and forró roots, as well as samba de gafieira. Victor Maia is a teacher, producer, choreographer, and owner of the "Lá na Dança" Academy. He started his involvement with dance in 2003, beginning as a student, later becoming an instructor, and opened his first class in 2007. Together, they run regular classes in Brasília, organize the Forró Workshop na Capital (WFC), and have taught at the main forró festivals in Brazil, such as Itaúnas and Rootstock (BH). They have also done international tours and taught in countries such as Germany, Austria, Denmark, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, and Japan.
Luiz Henrique & Nick
Nick and Luiz Henrique are the winners of the Forró Dance Tournament - Matrizes Edition 2024 and have inspiring and passionate journeys. Nick began his dance journey in childhood, exploring a variety of rhythms such as candomblé, capoeira, and forró. Currently, as Director of Pé Descalço, he brings his vision of dance to various cities, approaching it as a powerful tool for transformation and unity. His passion and talent have stood out with significant achievements in forró competitions in 2022 and 2023, which have only further enhanced his successful trajectory and influence in the dance scene. Luiz Henrique, on the other hand, was born in Contagem, Minas Gerais, and entered the Forró Universitário scene in 2013. His journey has led him to teach forró not only in Brazil but also around the world, captivating lovers of the rhythm in countries such as Japan, throughout Europe, and in Russia. In addition to being a teacher and examiner, Luiz Henrique is the director of Pé Descalço Eldorado. His passion for forró continues to increase the love and dedication of his students and followers. One of his inspirations is the famous phrase from the song "Vida Boa Danada" by Trio Dona Zefa, which reflects his deep connection with forró: "If it weren’t for forró, what would become of me, my God." These two talented teachers represent the vibrant and welcoming spirit of forró, uniting people and cultures through the rhythms they love so much.
Rafael Wilker
Rafael Wilker began his trajectory in dance in 2009. Throughout these 13 years, he sought contact with various rhythms such as: Samba, Bolero, Zouk, WCS, Bachata, Tango and Salsa - to add techniques to his dance and enrich his specialty: Forró!
Inside Pé Descalço School, one of the most recognized forró schools in the world, he passed through all the collars (school graduation), on both sides (conductor and conducted).
Always considering his responsibility as a diffuser of knowledge, he felt it was time for a new step and in 2019 he also started his solo project: Forró com o Wilker!
Rafael has built a reputation for bringing technical knowledge and clarity in dance: novelty, cleanliness, fluency, figures, movements that explore dynamism and the senses. He also stands out for his musicality and improvisation. He values lively and fun classes, and the most important, for bringing in his dance content, not only as leisure, but as something bigger, stronger, that heals, cheers and changes lives (therapy).
In his journey as a teacher, he has already held several workshops/festivals in several cities and states in Brazil, including: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Piauí, Pernambuco, Bahia and, of course, Minas Gerais!
As well as teaching in the main international Workshops/Festivals: Europe | Portugal, Germany, France, Belarus, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain (...) United States | Boston, Miami, California, Chicago, New York... Japan | Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Gunma Russia | St. Petersburg, Moscow, Siberia
Lud & Luan
Luan is a Forró teacher in Brasília since 2018, with experience in classes and workshops. Currently, in addition to working as a producer at WFC (Workshop de Forró na Capital), he also teaches at the "Lá na Dança" school, where the focus is on technique, musicality, and connection, always striving to enhance each student's experience.
Ludmila Fernandes, 26, Forró teacher in Brasília. She started dancing ballet at the age of 8, and at 14 she started dancing ballroom at an academy that offers more than 20 different types of dances, such as: forró, rumba, salsa, waltz, zouk, samba, foxtrot. At the age of 15, she began to compete in events promoted by the academy itself.
In 2015 she joined one of the most prestigious dance schools in the city (Lá na Dança). In 2017 she started teaching private and group classes, and in 2018 she had her first class. In her career, she was part of the forró group Baioneiros, directed by Victor Maia; she participated in the Footwork West Coast Swing team and the MeiaSeteOito contemporary dance group.
She has been teaching forró classes at events such as the WFC in Brasília and Goiânia, as well as workshops and study groups in Brasília and other cities. She has produced international and local West Coast Swing and Forró events such as dances, workshops, intensives and study groups.
Lud is a didactic teacher who prefers a fun, dynamic class with lots of technique and detail on the topics covered. Her favorite topics are connection, musicality and autonomy in dance.
Giovan na & Ícaro
She’s from Bahia, he’s from Minas Gerais. They began their partnership in 2022, after winning the 1st Forró Tournament held by Buraco do Tatu in Itaúnas. Together, they have taught numerous classes in various cities across Brazil, such as Brasília, Salvador, Itaúnas, Rio de Janeiro, Petrolina, and others.
Their partnership aims to bring Forró and its surrounding cultural aspects to as many people as possible, always working with the idea of dance as a dialogue, where both partners share autonomy and responsibility.
Pêt & Ítalo
Ítalo Augusto is from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais and started to dance in 2014 at Pé Descalço school. He started as a student and in April 2016, he reached the highest level at the school as a leader. Later on, he joined Pé Descalço’s team as a teacher, examiner and performance group as leader. After that, Ítalo has improved his abilities as a follower and became the first person on Pé Descalço to reach the highest level at school as leader and follower! Now, he teaches as leader and follower in Lá Na Dança and examines at Pé Descalço. He has held many workshops all over Brazil, like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Juiz de Fora and also abroad, in Boston (US).
Pêt has joined the team of Forró teachers at Lá Na Dança since 2023, alongside Ítalo Augusto, and has been working as a teacher and examiner at Pé Descalço since 2011 in addition to working as Artistic Director at Pé Descalço Eldorado (2011-2023), being responsible for elaborating classes program. He has reached the highest dancing and teaching levels both as a leader and a follower at the school and has performed and lectured workshops and courses at different dance schools and events in Brazil (Zouk in Foco, WFC) and the United States of America (Orlando, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Chicago).
Laura & Gustavo
Laura is originally from Valencia, Spain, but she's currently living in Lisbon. She fell in love with forró back in her hometown in 2018 and, not long after, decided to move to Lisbon for a month to learn Portuguese, as she wanted to understand the songs she danced to. It was there that she discovered Espaço Baião and began attending forró classes regularly.
When she returned to Spain, she kept up with her forró studies and eventually started teaching group classes in Valencia. In 2021, she felt the pull of Lisbon again, and by 2022, she was onboard as a monitor at Espaço Baião. Currently, she is a teacher at this school, where she teaches regular beginner and intermediate level classes, in both universitário and roots style. At the same time, she continues to study with teachers from both styles to improve her dancing skills as both a leader and a follower. In her classes, she focuses a lot on technique and always tries to encourage students to be more creative, musical and to have a more feminist and democratic dance.
Gustavo is a passionate forró enthusiast originally from northeastern Brazil, who emigrated to Germany four years ago! For him, forró has been a way to carry a piece of Brazil with him while living thousands of kilometers away from home. Dancing is one of his greatest passions, and he loves to constantly learn and follow the development of this beautiful couple’s dance.
Over the past three years, Gustavo has participated in more than 50+ forró festivals across Europe and Brazil. He regularly teaches one class in Leipzig and occasionally at special events like this one, trying to balance his love for the dance, teaching and his professional life. Notably, Laura and Gustavo were awarded the first place at the inaugural European Forró Jack and Jill Competition at this event last year. He also achieved second place at Fenfit, one of Brazil’s traditional forró competitions, held in Itaúnas.
DJs
DJ Vim Vim
DJ Vim Vim is known for teaching forró since 2010 in Europe, he is also known for creating a magical mix of Forró and Samba on the dance floor. Of northeastern origin but raised in the periphery of São Paulo, it is clear the search for roots in their disco, whether in Forró or Samba.
He became a collector of vinyl even before moving from Brazil and began to play exclusively with vinyl in 2014, performing later in major festivals of forró in Europe. He has a rich repertoire of Forró and Brazilianness that goes from Samba, Samba Rock and Samba Jazz, Funk, Soul, Mpb, Psicodelia, etc.
Átila creates this special atmosphere when Forró, Samba Rock and Gafieira, prey for the Groove and musicality on the dance floor.
DJ Sampa
Sampa is a vinyl DJ and cultural producer who loves northern and north-eastern culture, especially forró pé de serra. He founded the project “Forró Vinyl” and co-founded the group “Forró Vem Vem”, both cultural projects that promote forró. Sampa was born and raised in São Paulo and was influenced by popular music styles of the seventies and eighties. He began DJing Samba, Samba-Rock, Rap, Hip Hop and Funk-Soul in the nineties at parties. Sampa’s first contact with Forró Pé De Serra was at the end of the 1990s in the first movements in the capital of São Paulo.
Since 2014, he has been researching the roots of Forró Pé de Serra, its genres and the aspects of north-eastern music. He has been a professional DJ since the 2000s and has performed at clubs and events in Europe, opening shows for singers and instrumentalists. Between 2007 and 2010 he DJed at Clube do Forró and Gafieira in Zurich and since 2014 he has been studying Forró Pé De Serra in its traditional context. Sampa has been performing at festivals and clubs all over Europe since 2015, and has participated in editions of Rootstock Brasil and Forró De Vitrola. He combines his experience as a professional DJ with his passion for Forró Pé De Serra and its aspects.
DJ Swingueiro
Luciano Alves, known as DJ Swingueiro, was born in São Paulo in the city of Osasco. He grew up surrounded by Brazilian music and was influenced by his father, José Luiz, a rhythm musician, and his mother, Dagmar Alves, a Samba-Rock dance hall performer. He entered the world of forró at just 12 years old and is now a self-taught musician and DJ, delving deeper each day into the exploration of global music.
Today, he has a musical project focused on forró with other friends called Forró do Piano.
He has performed in several Brazilian cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, and Curitiba, and had the opportunity to set foot in the "old world" in 2013 with a tour across various countries, playing the triangle.
He expanded his knowledge in Europe when he decided to live and work in the music scene in London, where he livened up the cold nights with a carefully selected weekly DJ set. He also played the zabumba in several concerts, accompanying numerous artists of Forró Pé-de-Serra, such as Gennaro, Luizinho Calixto, Mariana Aydar, Trio Oculino, Ó do Forró, Diego Oliveira, Jorge do Rojão, Everton Coroné Trio, Luso Baião, ForróBamba, Zeu Azevedo, Chiquinho Alves, Aluízio Cruz, ForródeKA, Bastião, Balanço Paulista, Trio Alvorada, Benício Guimaraes, Banda Balancê, Miltinho Edilberto, and Cláudio Rabeca. Currently, he is the zabumba player for the Forró do Piano project.
His location has made travel around Europe easier, allowing him to perform as both a DJ and musician in various local forró projects across Portugal, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Norway, France, Germany, Italy, and Ireland.
He has also participated as a musician and DJ at forró festivals, including Rootstock Brazil 2018 in Belo Horizonte, Forró de Vitrola in Brasília, Forró Vem Vem in Switzerland, O Fole Roncou in Valencia, Baião in Lisbon, Forró London, Lisbon Festival, Forró de Domingo Festival in Stuttgart, Ai Que Bom Festival in Paris, Festival de Lille, Forro a Ru, Encontro de Forrozeiros in Weggis, Switzerland, Forró do Malandro in Berlin, Rootstock Europe, Forró Douro in Porto, Alegria do Norte, and many more.
Dj Âmy B.
Reference of Brazilian Music in France, DJ and cultural producer, originally from São Paulo, has settled in Lyon for a few years now. She is the first female DJ to exclusively work with Brazilian Music in Europe. Forró has always been a fundamental element of her work. Every week since 2017, she organizes the unique weekly Forró dance in Lyon called "Forró da âMy", which has also become a monthly event with guests. She is the founder of the Carnavália collective, which promotes Brazilian culture in Lyon since 2019, and resident DJ of Radio Nova Lyon and Piñata Radio.