A Deeper Dive into Connection in Zouk

Caroline Haugsted
Jun 15
8 min read

Updated: Jul 4

Inflow Newsletter June 2025

As we are approaching our Connection Weekender in June, let's celebrate something that is already very present on the dance floor in our community - Connection!

This month we will explore deeper what it takes to create connection in the dance both physically, emotionally and spiritually, you will get more info about upcoming events and summer drop-in workshops, meet Mikkel and hear his take on connection, and read more about Caroline's dance journey and how dance has taught her to relate deeper in life.

If anything comes up for you while reading or if you want to share your own experience with connection in either Brazilian Zouk or Lambada, we would to hear it in the comment section!

"Once I allowed myself to just be who I authentically am, allow myself to be seen,

I learned to open up to others, to listen better, be more present, and relate better

to others - in dance, and in life."

What is connection?

Connection has a lot to do with surrender - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is about trusting ourselves, our bodies, our minds, our intuition and our sensations. And in a partner dance we have to trust not only ourselves, but our partner, the other people in the room, and the music.

In order for this trust and surrender to take place, there are things we can do:

Physically we can work on how:

to embrace our partner
to breathe
to ground
to touch
much muscle tension to use and where

Emotionally and spiritually we can deepen our connection when we:

let go of control
trust the process
allow things to happen
believe in ourselves
send kind thoughts to ourselves and our partners

Images of connection between our dancers. Taken from our Weekender and in between classes in May 2025.

Pro tip:

While connection is something we can get tools for, we have to grab those tools and explore how to use them. It requires an openness, and a willingness to be vulnerable and do the, sometimes difficult, work.

What can you expect from learning more about connection with Inflow?

In normal classes

We work a lot from the outside and in. Body language does a lot - and therefore work a lot on posture, both for dance safety and efficiency, but just as much for confidence and self-esteem. Putting the body into physical shapes that make you feel more confident, build confidence and trust in yourself from the outside in. And the quality of touch is something that is important as well - touching with kindness, like hugging a friend we haven’t seen in a while. Hugging with our hands, and with any contact points. Using minimal effort and minimal tension - both because this is easier, more comfortable for you and for your partner, but also because relaxing the body helps to relax the mind.

In workshops

We dive deeper into topics like how our mind and our inner monologue affects our dance, and how we can change how we dance by changing how we talk to ourselves, and how our breathing affects our nervous system, our mind, our body and our dance. We also dive deeper into communication exercises that help us understand more what our partner wants and expects from us, to help relinquish social dance anxiety and give us more enjoyable dances.

Image taken from our Connection Class in May 2025.

Interview: Mikkel's take on connection

Meet Mikkel, one of our dedicated dancers in our community and a master of connection.

Mikkel tried Zouk for the first time with Caroline in 2017. He draws on experience from other dance styles as well as Acroyoga, that also emphasizes on partner work.

On the link between the two, he says:

"Preparation before a move is very prominent in both Acroyoga and in Brazillian Zouk – you dont just push, you give a slight preparation, so your partner can feel the shift of tempo and direction."

You can meet Mikkel on the dance floor, where he will seek and maintain really good eye contact.

In his experience there is all flavors of people, and he does enjoy when people are a little bit shy:

"It becomes fun to try and catch their eyes. I find it so adorable when followers are shy, it makes me smile more and look for eye connection more."

So, if you dare, catch Mikkel on the dance floor and see if you can beat him in an eye contact contest!

With your own words - how would you define the concept of connection in dance?

What is important to me – whether you are dancing with an experienced dancer or a beginner, someone who is present or someone who is absorbed with focusing on their technique or maybe eyeing who they want to dance with next – the most important connection type starts with eye contact. I like to feel that we are sharing some kind of connection through our gaze. The level of technique we can do is secondary.

What other elements would you say contribute to feeling connection in the dance?

Coming straight from work, many of us often have trouble establishing connection, and we need to find some kind of peace inside and not rush our steps. Sometimes I ask for a little bit more delay from my follower, to slow down a bit and allow movements to be bigger. I often try and lead with an invitation first, but it depends on the circumstances, whether we are in class, in practica or at a social.

Have you faced any challenges in establishing connection with dance partners?

I would say that it happens every time i come to dance class, because there is always a different body and a different partner to connect with. We often bring in outside related thoughts, feelings and stress-factors, and it is very rare that connection is established immediately. So from my perspective it is a topic worth investing a lot of time in; I would rather have more connection training than flashy spins.

How did you navigate those obstacles, and what did you learn from those experiences?

In the ideal world, I don't say what I think, because I find it better to figure out if my experience is coming from myself, and see if there is anything that I can do. I also dislike performing something, and then right away getting critiqued, instead of being allowed to take a breather and think about the experience. I strive to continue to keep it inside and look at myself first, and try to work on that instead of putting it on my partner.

What have been your main takeaways from participating in the Zouk connection class?

I enjoyed a lot the slight leaning away from each other, so we shift our weight slightly away from each other to try and create that momentum that comes before elasticity. There are of course many ways to achieve connection, but I like this idea of the golden potatoes – that the simplest way to describe an action will grant you the biggest effect, and this slight leaning away from each other, is a good golden potato for me!

How have you applied these teachings into your social dancing?

I have become less inclined to exit the basics, I have stayed longer in the basics looking for those details we have gone through in the Connection Class, and so have my partners. They have not rushed into taking new steps or doing all the pretty things.

Is there anything in particular you focus on improving when dancing with a partner?

Part of my appreciation for Zouk is that there is so much to learn, there is always more things to become good at, or you forget something that you can revisit again and again.

My focus changes along with the teachings of the classes that Caroline gives, but I also have a personal list of what is important to me to bring to a dance:

what I can do to make the basics delicious
how to make small variation that the follower hasn't tried before
connection with the eyes

In what ways have your own life experiences influenced your connection in dance?

I am happy that I came from a movement based practice where there is a lot of physical touch already, because I remember how much I was blushing the first time i stood hip to hip with a follower and I was like: "okay, this feels very close!". If I had not had that background, I might have actually been too shy to continue with Zouk, since for the common Danish person, hugging strangers can feel like a bit much being so close.

Looking ahead, how do you hope to explore the concept of connection in your dance?

It is important to me to keep connection as a focal point. I don't think it is a skill you learn and then you get it forever, you need to stay present and keep practicing the ways to connect. Otherwise you are likely to fall back into focusing on your technique and the steps you know. So I am hoping to remember to stay present and to keep in mind always, the importance of connection.

Mikkel's tips and tricks for connection

Before you can have a dance with connection, you need to know your basics. You might want to skip to the flash, the difficult stuff, but that is why a lot of dancers end up returning to connection later.
The more strong your basics are, the less you have to think about them.
When your basics are in place, a lot can be achieved with a slight delay.
Remember to ask for feedback, otherwise a lot of people will not be inclined to give it. Which is out of respect, but we might benefit from it if we ask for it.
It takes some extra mental awareness to have connection, give yourself time.
And then I would say there is a lot to learn, so don't stress about learning fast, just keep practicing.

Interview: Connecting with Caroline

Can you share a pivotal moment in your dance journey where connection played a significant role?

Dance has completely changed my life - it has changed my confidence, my self-awareness and how I interact with others. I used to struggle with eye contact, making myself smaller and not wanting to be seen. Dance has shown me that I have value - everyone does - and that what I want and what I feel is valid, just as it is for everyone. Once I allowed myself to just be who I authentically am, allow myself to be seen, I learned to open up to others, to listen better, be more present, and relate better to others - in dance, and in life.

How did that experience shape your understanding of dance and its relational aspects?

I started teaching dance not because I want everyone to have great dance technique (although of course it’s great to learn new skills and techniques), but to build community and help people grow their confidence, empower them in their own bodies and in how they relate to others. I’ve seen shy students blossom through dance, just as I have, gaining confidence, and improving their quality of interaction with others.

What are some common challenges dancers face when trying to establish connections in their practice or performances? How can they overcome these obstacles?

Most of us, to some extent, struggle with not feeling enough, not feeling good enough, and comparing ourselves to others. We’re afraid of failing, of being wrong, and of disappointing our partner or not living up to expectations. These fears often hold us back from deeper connections, and I work with these, and other, challenges that we are confronted with in social dancing, through different exercises. I usually work on these things with people mostly in private classes, but every now and then I also do workshops on these topics.

What practical tips can you offer dancers on how to cultivate a stronger sense of connection in their dance practice?

Work on accepting yourself as who you are, know that your thoughts and feelings are valid, that you are worthy, and that you are enough. Work on this, on being yourself authentically, and you’ll be able to be more comfortable and open in your connection with a partner, more able to give and receive and more sensitive to what your partner needs.