Evolution of Latin Dance in Australia (1989-2024)

On By taniacreationsIn English Australia, English Australia, publishings, tania, The Dancing Bug, Uncategorized1 Comment

At the start of this year, 2025, I have completed my Master of Research.

My thesis has now been published at Macquarie University:

‘Dancing with Diversity: Mapping the Evolution and Impact of Latin Dance in Australia (1989-2024)‘ 

https://doi.org/10.25949/29260235.v1


This thesis investigates the Australian Latin Dance scene’s evolution and role in fostering cultural connections (1989-2024). Using mixed methods — autoethnography, community leader interviews across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, plus dataset analysis — the research tracks the scene across three Eras: Unified Salsa (1989-2007), Life Outside Salsa (2008-2018), and Recess & Re-Renaissance (2019-2024). Focusing on Salsa, Bachata and ForrĂł, the study reveals an inclusive community making significant contributions locally and globally. Key findings highlight cultural bridge-builders, organisational dynamics, and pandemic adaptations. This documentation enriches Latin Dance scholarship and establishes groundwork for future research on interpretations of connection. 

All Things Beautiful

On By taniacreationsIn English Australia, passions, roaming the earthLeave a comment

I am here writing my thesis about Latin Dance, writing about the difference between Ballroom dancing and Latin dancing. “One stand for the other as Italian stands to Spanish, not the same language even though they both come from the same Latin root, both beautiful in their own way, just different. Translatable, with some similarities, still not the same.”

And my mind went on a tangent… I am here thinking that I find all things beautiful… beautiful. All dances are beautiful in their own way. I like some better than others, and some work better for me, and I connect with dancers more closely dancing ForrĂł at the moment. But I know that each Latin Dancer chooses their own dance style, and feels their own Nirvana through their favourite dance. My dance is not better than others, it’s only better for me, at this moment. I have danced Zouk, Bachata, Salsa, Kizomba…

I find all people beautiful, beautiful… I cannot fathom why it is logical to think that if one person did something wrong, all people of that colour, or ethnicity, or religious belief will be bad or do bad because that one person did something wrong. (To me a good person, an authentic person, a person who does what is good for the world in any little way they can, for their loved ones, who does what is right, not what is easy, a person who listens, a person who is kind to themselves, who is responsible for themselves, that is a beautiful person.)

I also cannot understand why anyone could think that if a community or a country made unwise decisions in the past, they are destined to make bad decisions in the present or future, because of past decisions they may have learnt many lessons and might be able to make wiser decisions. I understand there are many influences, education, and pre-dispositions that could be construed as indicative that there is a chance that bad decisions will be made, but we cannot just assume that a past decision will determine a future decision, that’s prejudice. We need to be able to give future generations a chance to make future decisions.

I just think I want a world where there is more space for love for all things beautiful…

Master of Research: Dancing with Diversity – Mapping the Evolution and Impact of Latin Dance in Australia

On By taniacreationsIn creations, English Australia, passions, The Dancing Bug, why1 Comment

I was at the Sydney Writers Festival in May 2024, and we discussed a world in pain.

We spoke at length about the effects of global warming, the devastation of wars, radical religious and political views. Ways of thinking around prejudices and inequality that we thought were disappearing but are rising again. We talked about isolation, that in Australia, 25% of households are of single occupancy, and that online dating doesn’t seem to be working very well. (ABS, 2021)

And yet, I go out every week, I meet and see hundreds of people who break barriers of age, colour, gender, background, abilities, body shapes… People who speak different languages and “would never be in the same room if not for one reason”, to invite each other… to dance…

In 2024 I was honoured to be accepted into a Master of Research program at Macquarie University, in Sydney, Australia. This is my Thesis:

Dancing with Diversity – Mapping the Evolution and Impact of Latin Dance in Australia

I grew up dancing ballet, jazz and contemporary in Brazil. When I came to Australia, I worked as a school manager at a Latin Dance company and fell, with passion and sometimes obsession, in love with Latin Dance. Immersed in the Australian Latin Dance community since 2005, I possess a unique vantage point to document central yet underrepresented events that have shaped the global Latin Dance community through an autoethnographic perspective.

In order to explore and analyse the Latin Dance sector, I engage in an ethnographic fieldwork practice. I will undertake interviews with 6 key personalities in the Latin Dance Scene who established companies and events in Australia. The interviews, analysis of archival materials and primary sources available will enable me to research and write the recent history of Latin Dance in Australia.

For my Master of Research project, I am mapping the current number of Latin Dance Schools, Venues, Music groups, and Events, in the community. I am focusing on 3 Latin dance styles: Bachata, Forró and Salsa. They are representative, most dancers dance at least one of these styles. Lastly, Sydney has regular parties, events, classes and groups for Salsa, Bachata and Forró.

My research questions are:

  • What is the recent history of Latin Dance in Australia, in the last 25 years?
  • In what ways is Latin Dance significant for Australian Society?
    • How does Latin Dance foster inclusiveness and which barriers does it break?
  • How significant is the Australian Latin Dance scene for the Global Latin Dance community?

Latin Dance came from Humble origins as documented by various scholars. Dormani; Carwile; Delgado; said that it was originally danced by the lower classes;Salsa scholars Cabanzo, Hutchinson, and Dormani, documented that it came out of the Latin American “barrios”, the immigrants’ hoods of America. Brazilian specialist in Forró, Fernandes, mapped a similar trajectory for the style when it came from the drought driven Northeast of Brazil to conquer the whole country.
The various styles became accepted by the middle and upper classes and took the world by storm creating a widespread fever, documented in literature by Borland, Wilson, and Sloat, to name a few.

There is a fair amount of Literature on Latin Dance, particularly overseas, but the academic discourse on the history of Latin Dance in Australia is limited, leading to a concentration of knowledge in specific styles and regions: such as Mathews’ PhD thesis on Samba de Gafieira, Couple Samba, with Rio Rhythmics Academy in Brisbane; Samba Queen Lillian Shaddick’s Master’s about Samba no PĂ©, individual Samba, in Sydney, Bendrups who writes on Latin Music and Dance in NZ and Australia.

This scarcity necessitates caution among scholars to avoid monofocal analysis. However rich the literature worldwide is, it’s not a widespread coverage, and where there are gaps, there are risks. That’s why we need more research and more literature, with more rigour. My research contributes original knowledge to this gap.

The media practically ignores Latin Dance. 

In this gap I hope to register some significant events and accolades that Australia has earned, and are unregistered. Such as:

  • The Sydney Salsa Congress that in 2009 had parties with about 4000 people on one dancefloor.
  • The Sydney Bachata Festival created in 2008, still running, that was the first International Bachata Festival in the world, and their creators were awarded by the government of the Dominican Republic for their contribution to the Dominican culture.
  • The concept of Brisbane as the Brazilian Dance Mecca outside of Brazil; mentioned by Mathews in her PhD thesis.
  • And the many international Samba, Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton champions Australia has.

In a Post-Covid World, of lone households, where many people are so hungry for connection, I believe Latin Dance has much to offer. The benefits of dance have been documented in literature, for mental and physical health, for community, to serve as a conduit between cultures and generations. Studies in articles by Cone & Cone, Iuliano and others, Maraz and others, Aguiñaga and others, are a few specific to Latin Dance.

But the aspects that most fascinate me are the powers of connection, the breaking of barriers I mentioned at the start, and that scholars have registered, Wilson, Carwile, Varea, Arterianus-Owanga, Huthcinson, Renta, have written about this across the globe. Ethnographer Jewett calls the strong connection between couple dance partners, a “semblance of intimacy”, and that is another point for exploration in my research project.

In this power of connection may lie great potential. I agree with this reporter who was listening to salsa in many Eastern languages in the middle of a war region, and thought that Salsa could contribute to world peace.

On the dancefloor, I find what the author Julia Baird calls a sense of awe, in her bestseller “Phosphorescence”, I find it watching other dancers, through the intimacy of my dances, the connection with the community and the people. That is why I keep going back to the dancefloor, to seek connection, to experience the complexities of multiculturalism, inclusion, and the beauty of a world united.

This is what I want to foster with my thesis, create a groundwork by studying and highlighting the benefits of Latin Dance to society in Australia, contributing to the global dialogue and stimulating future conversations.

MRES_DandingWithDiversity_TC_ForWebsite_ReferencesDownload

For any questions, my student credentials are:

Master of Research – 2nd Year – Faculty of Arts | MCCALL – Macquarie University – Sydney, Australia

tania.crivellenti@students.mq.edu.au – tania.crivellenti@hdr.mq.edu.au

The Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature (MCCALL) is one of the largest and most diverse departments at Macquarie University.

How do you eat a Universe?

On By taniacreationsIn creations, English Australia, English Australia, passions, PODCAST, publicaçÔes, publishings, roaming the earth1 Comment

How do you eat a Universe that contains 50k words + 2 podcasts + a new job + a website + a workshop + a writing mastery mentoring package? One bite of 1667 words at a time.

I have just released my Creative Space Mastery Podcasts in English and Brazilian Portuguese, with my new website: creativespacemastery.com

Somehow, I have also completed the Nanowrimo.org writing marathon, writing fifty thousand words in November.

Finally, I started at a new job. How? I asked myself. It’s a focus strategy, where I prioritised the tasks to secure the new job, got the words for the day (1667 words per day), got through a couple of tasks for the podcasts each day. Following inspiration, always. A phrase from one of the books from my collection of mini books is at the bottom of the principle I follow:

“Sit down to write what you have thought, and not to think what you shall write.”

William Cobbett

I use it and expand it
 where I follow inspiration for guidance rather than trying to force its hand.

This year was manic-depressive, the old word for bipolar. It was fret with highs and lows, with moments of ecstatic joy, such as my sister and brother-in-law’s wedding, travelling with my parents, and having time for my creativity with a maturity to use it, as I didn’t have in 2010 when I took a sabbatical year for writing (back then, my time was filled with anxiety, while this year was full of joy). On the other hand, I call this year bipolar because if I had some great moments I also had the death of important people around me, uncertainty, dejection and other challenges.

This year, on one of the many occasions when I didn’t get a job, I also decided to stop the suffering and instead of working harder, I decided to work lighter. I concluded that if I spent my savings and finished with no job and just stress to amount for the time I had spent, it wasn’t worth it. But if I had advanced my creative projects, I would have spent it well.

From then on, I would spend half a day job searching and the rest of the day, creating. For guidance, the very next day, I walked the twelve kilometres of the Narrabeen Lagoon by myself, meditating on what was the starting point for my creative projects, where my inspiration wished me to go. What did heart and logic say? 

They said that Point Zero was the Podcasts, they were my heart poured out. 

They were something that I had been working to create for a while, I had been to Toastmasters to learn more about public speaking, I had been writing the content, and they would kick start the other projects. As I walked, and danced by myself, around the lagoon, among cockatoos and ducks, trees, flowers, flies and bees, the plan was set. When I sat down that week, a one-day-workshop for Creative space mastery came out. Fully structured and organised. 

I follow inspiration, faithfully, so I gave it all my dedication and love and the ideas I had been compiling and throwing in a folder gained form, gained order, shape, movement and logic. It is beautiful to see a narrative “become”. And just like that I had the content perfectly set and organised for my podcasts. And as a bonus, a day-workshop was created.

When November came about, a flood of inspiration came through. I had the scripts for the first episodes of the podcasts ready, the content for the related website, and the book about creative writing that is in its second draft was the perfect material for the writing marathon.

It was easy from there. Full creative flow. Never have I experienced so much of it. When you go through a lot of rejection of your abilities and gifts it is easy to forget to see these gifts, these abilities. That’s why having psychological help is invaluable. 

I have 3 angels, I show up for support sessions I set and the help I need, and the people who help me showed me the gift of having a hiatus from work at the prime of one’s life. With gratitude in my heart, creative Muse was generous and this month, it is all being born at creativespacemastery.com.

Como vocĂȘ devora um Universo?

On By taniacreationsIn creations, inspiração, PODCAST, PortuguĂȘs Brasil, PortuguĂȘs Brasil, publicaçÔes1 Comment

Como vocĂȘ devora um Universo que contĂ©m 50 mil palavras + 2 podcasts + um novo emprego + um site + um workshop + um programa de mentoria em conquista do espaço criativo? Com uma bocada de 1667 palavras de cada vez.


Acabei de lançar meus podcasts Creative Space Mastery em inglĂȘs e portuguĂȘs, com meu novo site: creativespacemastery.com

De alguma forma, também concluí a maratona de escrita do Nanowrimo.org, escrevendo cinquenta mil palavras em novembro.

Finalmente, comecei em um novo emprego. Como? Me perguntei. É uma estratĂ©gia de foco, onde priorizei as tarefas para garantir o novo emprego, me dediquei Ă  escrita das palavras para o dia (1667 palavras), e a completar alguns objetivos para os podcasts todos os dias. Seguindo a inspiração, sempre. Uma frase de um dos livros da minha coleção de mini livros estĂĄ no Ăąmago dos princĂ­pios que sigo:

“Senta para escrever o que vocĂȘ pensou, e nĂŁo para pensar no que vocĂȘ vai escrever.”

William Cobbett

Eu o uso e o expando… onde sigo a inspiração para orientação, em vez de tentar forçar sua mĂŁo.

Este ano foi maníaco-depressivo, a antiga palavra para bipolar. Foi repleto de altos e baixos, com momentos de alegria extasiante, como o casamento de minha irmã e cunhado, viajar com meus pais e ter tempo para minha criatividade com uma maturidade para uså-la, como não tive em 2010 quando tirei um ano sabåtico para escrever (naquela época, meu tempo foi cheio de ansiedade, enquanto este ano foi cheio de alegria). Por outro lado, chamo este ano de bipolar porque, se tive alguns momentos maravilhosos, também enfrentei a morte de pessoas importantes ao meu redor, incertezas, desalento e outros desafios.

Neste ano, em uma das muitas ocasiÔes em que não consegui um emprego, também decidi parar de sofrer e, em vez de trabalhar mais, decidi trabalhar de forma mais leve. Concluí que se gastasse minhas economias e terminasse sem emprego e apenas com estresse para justificar o tempo que gastei, não teria valido a pena. Mas se eu tivesse avançado nos meus projetos criativos, teria sido tempo bem gasto.

A partir de então, passei a gastar metade do dia procurando emprego e o restante do dia, criando. Para me iluminar, no dia seguinte, caminhei os doze quilÎmetros da Lagoa Narrabeen sozinha, meditando sobre qual era o ponto de partida para meus projetos criativos, para onde minha inspiração desejava que eu fosse. O que diziam o coração e a lógica?

Eles disseram que o Ponto Zero era os Podcasts, eles eram meu coração se derramando. 

Eram algo que eu vinha trabalhando para criar hĂĄ algum tempo, tinha ido ao Toastmasters para aprender mais sobre falar em pĂșblico, estava escrevendo o conteĂșdo, e eles dariam inĂ­cio aos outros projetos. Enquanto eu caminhava, e dançava sozinha, ao redor da lagoa, entre cracatoas e patos, ĂĄrvores, flores, moscas e abelhas, o plano se definiu. Quando me sentei para escrever naquela semana, um workshop de um dia para a Conquista do Espaço Criativo saiu. Totalmente estruturado e organizado.

Sigo a inspiração, fielmente, entĂŁo dei a ela toda a minha dedicação e amor, e as ideias que eu vinha compilando e jogando em uma pasta ganharam forma, ordem, movimento e lĂłgica. É lindo ver uma narrativa “virar“. E assim, o conteĂșdo ficou perfeitamente definido e organizado para meus podcasts. E como bĂŽnus, um workshop de um dia foi criado.

Quando chegou novembro, uma enxurrada de inspiração veio. Eu tinha os roteiros dos primeiros episĂłdios dos podcasts prontos, o conteĂșdo para o site relacionado, e o livro sobre escrita criativa que estĂĄ em seu segundo rascunho era o material perfeito para a maratona de escrita.

Foi fĂĄcil a partir daĂ­. Fluxo criativo total. Nunca experimentei tanto disso. Quando vocĂȘ enfrenta muita rejeição de suas habilidades e dons, Ă© fĂĄcil esquecer de ver esses dons, essas habilidades. É por isso que ter ajuda psicolĂłgica Ă© inestimĂĄvel.

Tenho 3 anjos, compareço Ă s sessĂ”es e Ă  ajuda de que preciso, e eles me mostraram o presente de ter um hiato do trabalho no auge da vida. Com gratidĂŁo no meu coração, a Musa Criativa foi generosa e neste mĂȘs, tudo estĂĄ nascendo em creativespacemastery.com.

Creative Space Mastery Podcast in the making

On By taniacreationsIn creations, how, passions, PODCAST1 Comment

I’m self-published and by no means known for my writing. I’m unemployed at the moment, waiting for the right employer to find the best project support officer they could find.

Meanwhile, I’m done suffering with the rejection emails both for the creative applications and the job applications. Instead, I’m praying the storyteller’s serenity prayer and following my inspiration. I’m splitting my time and doing what I do best: creating compelling narratives, funny moments, generating positive thoughts even through my cover letters and resumĂ©s.

I’m splitting my time between my job applications now, and my creative projects. And next will come a Podcast because there is one thing I have mastered:

A regular, productive, creative practice!

It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, how happy or sad, how anxious or depressed or how hyper and excited, which is equally distracting, I can produce good quality productive outcomes. I can also be creative both when I’m very busy at work, which I did when I was working full time and studying for my Masters of Creative Writing, and now that I have too much time on my hands (which sometimes can get people overwhelmed and they don’t know where to start)>

I developed a method, a framework, a process that people can follow to craft a recurring creative process and named it Creative Space Mastery.

Now, I’m in the process of developing my podcast about it! Watch this space!

The Dancing Bug’s Favourites

On By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

I’m recreating my old blogs from the Orble community that disappeared around 2013, taking all my writing with it.

I have just re-published a series of 46 blog posts under my “The Dancing Bug” category.

I’ve also re-plublished the 4 posts I had in the Bachateros Online Magazine.

From those here are some of my favourite articles, and the ones with thoughts I think have ideas that are still relevant and interesting.

The Dancing Bag – has a checklist for dancers for performances

How to Teach Amazing Dance Workshops

The Ballet Dancer’s Toe – An interesting fictional tale

My Clubbing Experience – another account about dancing freely

Sydney Bachata Festival 2009  – A new festival is coming up end of April 2023 – it still an incredible festival

Public Luv – what dancing should be about

Dance of Live – I read what I wrote then, still feel the same

It is a Couple Dance – important tips for Latin Dancers – Very Relevant still

Zouk in Rio – an account of dancing with feeling

Wizard’s Zouk – an account of dancing with no rules

The Dancing Bug the Virus & You – are you a dance addict?

From Orble to WordPress – Aussie Folly to Daily Adventures

On By taniacreationsIn Orble - Aussie FollyLeave a comment

Back in 2008 I created a blog at the the Australian Orble Community called Aussie Folly.

It was dedicated to writing about interesting happenings and cultural differences.

The Orble community disappeared suddenly a few years after I started writing, taking all the posts and content without notice.

One day it simply went offline.

I decided to move everything across to WordPress.

I was able to transfer the text, finding the images (or as close as I could) inside my old files, noting how many votes I had in Orble, the date and time they were published. I wanted to keep as close as I could from the original for historical data.

I’m keeping the new archive inside the category “Aussie Folly” in my Taniacreations.com website.

Here is a print-screen of the final statistics of the blog before it went awol:

14 Posts + 2 Comments +. 1,263 Votes

ForrĂł para Todo Mundo

On By taniacreationsIn Dançando aos Quatro Ventos1 Comment

[DiĂĄlogos direto do salĂŁo]

‘O que que Ă© isso, Zumba?’ Me pergunta o forrozeiro com um ar de indignação na cara.

Dou uma gargalhada. Esse parceiro de dança reclama de todas as mĂșsicas rĂĄpidas. Ele gosta das lentas, as de coração.

“SofrĂȘncia” Ă© a palavra certa para esse sentimento, uma palavra que nem existe gramaticalmente, mas explica perfeitamente a alma Brasileira, o aperto no peito do velho sertĂŁo. Vem da seca, do nordeste, trazendo imagens de casais dançando no chĂŁo de terra, ao por do sol, levantando poeira, suando com alegria.

Vem de dançar a tristeza embora, de esquecer da fome, da sede, do desespero


Sou tirada do devaneio por uma voz que me pergunta:

’TĂĄ louca pra dançar nĂ©?’

É outro dançarino, um que gosta das mĂșsicas aceleradas, acho atĂ© que quanto mais melhor.

‘Como Ă© que vocĂȘ sabe?’

‘UĂ©! Ta dançando sozinha!’

Eu nem tinha percebido, rio de mim mesma. Acho que estou sempre me mexendo sem nem notar, em lugares inapropriados atĂ©. Na balsa, em ĂŽnibus, estaçÔes, trens, enquanto caminho, patino, espero em filas, nas ruas. 

Não ligo muito, normalmente estou em outro mundo, dentro de alguma história, vendo dragÔes, sacerdotisas, homens com asas, ou pior, bem pior. Mas nesse exato momento estou um pouquinho embaraçada, um tantinho só.

SerĂĄ que estava tĂŁo a fim de dançar que dava para ver do outro lado do salĂŁo? Ah, paciĂȘncia, nĂ©? Estou sempre a fim de bailar. Minhas cĂ©lulas tĂȘm desĂ­gnios prĂłprios, dançar estĂĄ em sua programação. No momento fico feliz de compartilhar meus passos, ao invĂ©s de ficar balangando sozinha.

Alguns dias depois, quando tenho chance de colocar a caneta no tablet, posso registrar a parte que mais quero escrever. É sobre o dançarino que nĂŁo quer dançar as mĂșsicas lentas, os Xotes, como sĂŁo as tais mĂșsicas chamadas. As cançÔes com “sofrĂȘncia”, uma palavra que foi esse dançarino que generosamente ma ofereceu.

Ele diz que só tem mais dois coraçÔes para gastar.

Quando vĂȘ minha “cara de interrogação” explica:

‘JĂĄ perdi muito coração nessa vida. NĂŁo tenho muito mais nĂŁo para distribuir por aĂ­. Dois no mĂĄximo! Xotes, eles quebram o coração da gente. Eu tenho que tomar cuidado, eu me dou todo, cara. De verdade. EntĂŁo tenho uma polĂ­tica, xote nĂŁo, sĂł mĂșsica rĂĄpida. O coração fica aqui protegido.’ Bate a mĂŁo no peito.

Esse é dos meus. Eu entendo, perfeitamente. Só que eu, euzinha, devo ter umas centenas de coraçÔes para distribuir. Dou o meu por aí o tempo todo.

VocĂȘ estĂĄ lĂĄ, tem quĂ­mica de dança e conexĂŁo, e vocĂȘ tem uma dança divina, desliza em uniĂŁo, a mĂșsica, inspiradora, o perfume do parceiro te enfeitiçando, rosto no rosto, e os movimentos em sincronismo absoluto.

Eu digo:

‘Eu sei! VocĂȘ tem essa dança perfeita, dĂĄ tudo o que tem, e o parceiro sai andando com o seu coração, vocĂȘ fica lĂĄ, cirurgia de peito aberto, o coração foi com o outro, vocĂȘ tĂĄ lĂĄ sangrando, sentindo as veias se desenrolando do seu corpo, saindo, seguindo a pessoa.’

Ele concorda e completa meu pensamento, a voz se afinando com o sentimento de afronta:

‘É! E eles saem andando, como se nada tivesse acontecido!’ A voz dele Ă© quase um falsetto nesse momento.

“E vocĂȘ fica lĂĄ, sua vida totalmente transformada” fico pensando comigo mesma, e continuo em voz alta:

‘Algumas vezes vocĂȘ perde outros ĂłrgĂŁos tambĂ©m, um rim, um fĂ­gado, pulmĂ”es, frequentemente. E vale dizer, uns ĂłrgĂŁos Ă­ntimos estĂŁo sempre a perigo.’ Eu falo para meu amigo que nĂŁo dança mĂșsica lenta. Eu o entendo tĂŁo bem.

‘Sim, exatamente! Eu nĂŁo posso mais fazer isso. SĂł tenho mais dois coraçÔes para dar nessa vida!’ Ele se repete. ‘Preciso guardar eles para a hora certa. EntĂŁo sĂł danço mĂșsica rĂĄpida agora!’

Eu amo o dialogo, o ideal, o sentimento. Medito a respeito. Eu posso ter muitos coraçÔes para dar, mas cada um é inesquecível. Cada vez que acontece, é um momento especial e me mata um pouquinho por dentro. A pessoa acaba levando uma pequena parte de mim, para sempre, sem nem saber.

E eu sou deixada à deriva, fazendo de conta que estou inteira, sangrando no salão, Fico pensando o que acontece com eles, eu sempre fico me questionando


SerĂĄ que sĂŁo sĂł os escritores, os mĂșsicos, artistas, poetas, que sangram? E serĂĄ que, Ă s vezes, eu levo pedaço dos outros por aĂ­?

Mas dentro desses vazios, me deixam esses momentos, essas experiĂȘncias, esses focos de magnificĂȘncia que ninguĂ©m jamais poderĂĄ me tirar. Se eles levaram meu coração sangrante, sem nem notar, eles sĂŁo os pobres, e eu a mais rica da situação.

E isso Ă© a vida, certo? Morrer e viver de pouquinho todo dia? Novas cĂ©lulas, novos pensamentos, novos padrĂ”es, novas experiĂȘncias, novas oportunidades? O que Ă© velho morre, o que Ă© novo nasce?

Por dentro, carrego Zouks, Bachatas, Salsas, Salsarrós, Bachatangos, Forrós, Lambadas, Kizombas, Ruedas, Cha-chas, até mesmo umas Gafieiras e Tangos de iniciante, que não se apagarão.

Esqueço nomes de parceiros, às vezes suas faces, mas as danças, as sensaçÔes, são inapagåveis.

Se um dia, na velhice, eu tiver uma daquelas doenças horrorosas que comem lembranças, dizem que a memória de longo prazo fica mais acurada. Que eu possa manter essas danças. E minha esperança é que uma delas me cause um ataque cardíaco quentíssimo e me deixe morrer a velhinha mais feliz do mundo!

Esse texto em inglĂȘs/ This same post in English: ForrĂł for All

Leia um conto sobre dançar forró: Forró dos Quatro Elementos

#forromates #sydneyforrodance

ForrĂł for All

On By taniacreationsIn The Dancing Bug1 Comment

[Dialogues from the dancefloor]

‘What is this? Zumba?’ The forró dancer asks me with an expression of indignation on his face.

I laugh heartily. This dance partner complains about all the fastest songs. He likes the slow songs. The heartfelt ones.

“SofrĂȘncia” is the appropriate word in Portuguese for this feeling, the literal translation would be “suffering” but the word doesn’t even exist grammatically in the Portuguese language, but it exist in the Brazilian, Old Country soul. Comes from the old, dry, drought-driven, centre of the “SertĂŁo Brasileiro”; images of barefoot dancing on unpaved red earth comes to mind, during a sunset, hot, with dust rising as the couples sweat happily.

It comes from dancing your woes away, such as the hunger, the thirst, the hopelessness


I am taken out of my reverie by a voice asking me:

‘You’re dying to dance, aren’t you?’

It’s another dancer, one who actually likes the fast songs, the faster the better, I think.

‘How do you know?’

‘You’re dancing on your own.’

I hadn’t noticed, I laugh at myself, I guess I do that, move without noticing. I think I do that in the most inappropriate places; on the ferry, on buses, trains, stations, while walking, roller blading, waiting on queues, or on the street. 

I don’t really care much, I’m usually in a dreamland, inside a story, seeing dragons, priestesses, winged men, or worse, much worse. But at this moment I’m slightly, just a little bit, embarrassed.

Was I so eager to dance that it was visible across the dancefloor? Ah well
 I’m always eager to dance. My cells have designs of their own, dancing is in my programming. I’m happy for the chance to share my steps now, rather than ridiculously swaying on my own.

A few days after, when I’m ready to put pen to tablet, I get to register the piece I most want to write about. It’s one about the dancer who doesn’t do the slow ones, “xote” as the slow forrĂł songs are called. Music with “SofrĂȘncia”
 a word he was the one who generously offered it to me.

He says he only has two more hearts to spare. 

At my “question mark” face he explains:

‘I have lost my heart enough in this lifetime. I don’t have many of those left to give away. Two at most! Xotes, they are heartbreaking, I have to be careful, I give my everything. Truly. I give it all. So I have a policy. No Xotes. Only fast songs. Keep the hearts safe.’

He is one of mine, this one. I get it. I do. Except. I must have hundreds of hearts. I give mine away. ALL the time.

There you are, there is dancing chemistry and connection, and you have this blissful dance, you glide in unison, the music is inspiring, the scent of the partner is alluring, cheek to cheek and the movements are in absolute synchrony.

I tell him:

‘I know! You have this perfect dance, you give everything, then you walk away without your heart, open chest surgery, bleeding, the threads of your veins intertwined with the other person’s, you feel your veins being pulled out of you as the other person walks away. The veins unravelling from your chest, going with them.’

He agrees and he completes my thinking, his voice pitching high in affront:

‘YES! And they walk away as if nothing happened!’ His voice is a falsetto by then.

“You are there, life transformed.” I think to myself and continue:

‘Sometimes you are left without a few other organs too, a liver here, a kidney, lungs, often. And last but not least, some intimate organs are on the line.’ I tell my friend who does not do slow songs. I understand him so well.

‘Yes, very much so! I can’t do that, not anymore, I only have two more hearts to give away in this life.’ He repeats himself. ‘I need to keep them for the right time. So I only do the fast songs now!’

I love the dialogue, the ideal, the sentiment. I meditate on it. I may have several hearts to give away to but each is unforgettable. Each time it happens, it is special and it kills me a bit on the inside.The person does take a piece of me with them forever, without ever realising.

And I am left bereft, pretending I’m still whole, bleeding on the dance floor. I wonder what happens to them… I always wonder. 

Are only the writers, the musicians, the artists, the poets the ones who bleed? Do I take pieces of people with me too, sometimes?

But inside these holes, I’m left with these intense moments, these experiences, these spotlights of magnificence that no-one can ever take away from me. If they didn’t feel it and took my bleeding heart, without ever knowing or realising, they are the poorer it. I’m the richer.

And that is life, right? Living and dying a bit every day? New cels, new thoughts, new patterns, new experiences, new opportunities? The old dies, the new is born.

Within, I carry Zouks, Bachatas, Salsas, SalsarrĂłs, Bachatangos, ForrĂłs, Lambadas, Kizombas, Ruedas, Cha-chas, even a couple of beginner Gafieiras and Tangos, that will never fade.

I forget partners’ names, sometimes even faces, but the dances, the sensations, those are indelible.

If one day, in my old age, I ever have one of those horrible diseases that eat remembrances; it is said that the long term memory becomes sharper. May I have these dances to the end. I hope one of them cause me a hot heart attack and let me die the happiest of old gals!

This same post in Portuguese/Esse texto em portuguĂȘs: ForrĂł para Todo Mundo

Read a short story about Forró Dancing: Elemental Forró

#forromates #sydneyforrodance