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Lambada in Zouk
- Ása Ravnsdatter
- Jul 14
- 7 min read
We hope you are enjoying the summer as much as we are, and will dive deeper with us into the fun and vibrant style that has come to be the signature of Lambada. Lambada, even the name, sounds like a playful pink cocktail, and that vibe exactly, is what we love about the dance, the feel and the tropical vibes!
This month we have the company of Julius, who will share more about his experiences with Lambada and Zouk. We'll also share some fun facts, and we have added small video examples, so you can enjoy the Lambada vibe as you continue reading.
If you want to learn Lambada, we offer a Summer Crash Course and an Autumn Lambada from Zero Class. The theme for our next Weekender is Lambada in Zouk, where we will have the pleasure to welcome Cibele and Pedro. Read more about all of the above on our website.
What is Lambada?
Lambada originated in the northern region of Brazil, especially in Pará. It blended influences from Carimbó, Forró, and other dance styles, creating a sensual and vibrant dance that perfectly matched its tropical soundtrack. In the late 1980s Lambada exploded internationally, thanks to the catchy hit "Lambada" by Kaoma, which became a global phenomenon.
Fun fact
The word Lambada means "to whip" or "hit" in Portuguese—a nod to the whipping motion of the dancers' hips and the wave-like movement that became the style’s trademark.
Lambada is danced in close embrace, with quick footwork, circular motions, and lots of hip action. The connection between partners is dynamic and flirtatious, creating a fun, party-like atmosphere.
The transition to Brazilian Zouk
As the popularity of Lambada declined in the mid-1990s, a new wave of dancers began fusing Lambada’s technique with the softer rhythms of Zouk music. This fusion created what we now know as Brazilian Zouk, which retains the body movement and partner connection of Lambada while introducing new levels of musicality, improvisation, and expression.
Many of Brazilian Zouk’s core movements like head rolls and body waves, can be traced back to Lambada’s playful and elastic style.
Lambada & Brazilian Zouk in Inflow Studio
At the studio we teach both Lambada and Brazilian Zouk, and emphasize how movements from each style can be brought into the other, and often we dance the same move in both classes, to study the stylistic differences.
Interview: Julius' take on Lambada in Zouk
Julius is one of our community's most dedicated dancers, and he has recently started assisting Caroline's classes, showing the moves and leading the demos. Although he only started dancing Zouk and Lambada back in March, he is advancing fast and managed to place 2nd in his first Zouk competition last month in Cologne.
In this interview he shares more about his experience with dancing Lambada, and shares his perspective on how you can have an easy transition into the world of Lambada, should you decide to join the joyous side!
"I started dancing because I was ashamed of my (lacking) moves on the dance floor. Through my sister I found bachata, and there turned out to be a beginner’s class the very next week.
So I tried that, and I tried some other dance forms like salsa, hiphop and more. What got me hooked though, was the element of social dancing in partner dance – and it blew my mind the first time I went!
I danced bachata for a couple of years and kept hearing how Bachata Sensual is influenced by Brazilian Zouk, and when Caroline – who everyone said was the best teacher around –
started classes back in march I became very curious.
I felt something missing in the bachata style, so I thought that maybe learning some Zouk would inspire my dancing, especially BachaZouk.
But when I started, first Zouk from Zero and then Lambada, I just thought it was the coolest thing ever, and now it’s all I want to dance."
What first drew you to Lambada?
It's really cool that there are these two dances, Lambada & Brazilian Zouk, that keep inspiring each other. Lambada is crazy beautiful – I really like Pedro & Cibele who will visit us in June and also a couple named Iago and Vanessa. I like that I can challenge myself in Lambada, because the timing is different. It’s a great way to become more aware and strong in your timing!
How do you find the connection between Lambada & Zouk?
I find it very easy to incoorporate dance moves between the dances, you just have to trust it and try it out. If you listen carefully to the music, you hear the same beats, just at different times, which makes it great fun.
What differences in movement and style is there between the two dances?
When I was in Cologne, there was an entire Lambada room, and you felt it there, that they have a different personality and vibe in their room: very joyous and encouraging, and extroverted. The dance itself has a higher tempo and more dynamic shifts; more energy, claps, cheering, and stumps in the floor – you know, things are lively!
What is one thing you have really enjoyed about Lambada?
There is this thing, where you can steal partners, or dance together more people at once, which is very enjoyable with a couple of friends. It’s a way to connect, and have fun more people together, where Zouk maybe focuses a little bit more on the introverted feeling of connecting just you and your partner.
Also, in Lambada there is a "Lambada Corner" concept, so if there’s no designated Lambada room, often people find each other in a corner of the Zouk dance floor to dance Lambada, since you can dance both dances to the same music. I plan to make a sign for the cozy corner of our Zouk floor in Inflow, so it says “Lambada Corner”. That would look so cool!
Which Lambada move(s) have you found to be easily transferable into Zouk?
In Lambada we learned the reversed Pião to Sarrada, and this move I use a lot in both Lambada and Zouk, but actually, I think almost all the moves are transferable.
What makes it fun to dance both Zouk and Lambada?
The most important thing is that while the dances are very similar, there is a different feeling to the two dances. It becomes a very comparative experience, where your awareness of the small details of each dance becomes very clear. If you don’t know the dances, you might not even be able to differentiate the two dances, which makes learning about them very nerdy. The difference between the two dances is blurry… they inspire each other much, but that just makes it more inspiring.
Is there a difference between dancing with followers from Zouk and Lambada?
A difference I have seen is that Lambada followers have very strong technique, since much of the dance is in wifi, so they have to really know what they are doing. When dancing with a Lambada follower, just give them room and they will be very empowered and make all kinds of amazing moves, which was very fun when I danced in Cologne. So as a leader, you have to remember in Lambada to give more space, on the other hand it feels easier to let go a little of the leading, and create the dance more equally, which is very nice!
What advice would you give to Zouk dancers curious about Lambada?
I think maybe some people are reluctant because the steps are different thinking “oh no, will this make me super confused”, but for me, that has never been the case, quite the contrary actually. You only become more aware of your footwork, the rhythm and counts. So my advice would be, just try it out!
What are your hopes for Lambada in Copenhagen?
It would be really cool if everyone who already dances Zouk would want to get a taste of Lambada too. I think it would add so much liveliness to our dance floor if we had more people engaging in the Lambada corner. And maybe Lambada could also be the dance that some people would fall in love with, and then specialize in it, because I am sure that there is some people that would feel more naturally at home in Lambada. And having strong communities for both dances, would only add more creativity and variation into both dances. All the best Zouk dancers I follow, they also dance Lambada. So I hope more people get smitten by the Lambada beats, since it would bring a ton of fun!
What is one thing you are looking forward to next season?
That the Lambada class will be earlier in the evening, since the dance is so vibrant and energetic! I think Caroline once referred to it as “Lambacardio”, and for the ones of us that participate in all classes, it is very nice that we begin earlier thursday evenings.
Fun facts with Julius
What is your Favorite dance move?
It’s definitely Luan’s way of leading a Baté Cabelo to Chicote in Wifi, since he looks like a conductor of classical music while he leads it. I saw him doing it live in Cologne with Jade, and that was a very special moment to witness.
What is your primary focus right now?
Right now I am focused on learning how to extend my role as a leader, and work on how to handle confrontations that happen in the dance. I see those as invitations to learn more about myself.
What is your biggest Zouk experience?
It has been to travel to Cologne, see the best dancers, the level they dance on, and how much humor, fun and seriousness there is in dance; I saw how only the sky is the limit
If you want to learn more about Lambada and watch some really cool demos, make sure to check out our website and Instagram
Glossary
Lambada: "to whip" or "hit" in Portuguese—a nod to the whipping motion of the dancers' hips and the wave-like movement that became the style's trademark
Pião: "spinning top"—a spinning movement, similar to a spinning top, where the dancers, in a closed frame, rotate around a central axis
Sarrada: a hip movement that is an integral part of cultural expression in Brazilian Funk reflecting the vibrant and expressive nature of the music.
Baté Cabelo: "hair whip"—refers to a specific head movement or body wave where the follower moves their upper body in an 8-figure motion.
Chicote: "whip"—a sharp headmovement, often described as a "whip", or a head flick, that is used as an accent in the dance.
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