On the Scene Rio de Janeiro: Locals Talk About Current Trends in Their City
Yoga teacher Beatriz Berla and content creator J. Brennen Mathues live in the Santa Teresa neighbourhood of Rio. They both love yoga and love to dance samba. Here they tell us where you can dance samba with the locals instead of spending unnecessary money on tourist samba shows.
You only understand what samba means to the people of Rio de Janeiro when you've swayed your hips with them at a samba party. It's much more authentic than watching a samba show or taking dance classes for tourists. In Santa Teresa, the neighbourhood where we live, for example, the big samba party Samba dos Guimaraes takes place several times a week, and you can simply dance along with the locals.
A good opportunity to try out the typical Brazilian dance is also offered every Sunday at the hippie market Feira da Glória from 10 am. The locals dance between the stalls and everyone is welcome to join in. The same goes for the Vaca Atolada bar in the Lapa neighbourhood. At the Roda de Samba, a mix of dance event and poetry slam, people dance samba to live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from nine o'clock.
For more information about our tips, please click on the points on the map above.
Tip:
Whether it's a samba show, tickets for the Sambódromo or a beginners’ dance course, GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of ways to experience samba in Rio de Janeiro.
About:
J. Brennen Mathues is an American yoga instructor and content creator. His partner Beatriz Berla is a local Brazilian yoga instructor, geographer and educator. They live in the charming neighbourhood of Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro.
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