4th Brazilian Zouk Festival in Finland.

Wow, last weekend... I don't know how to put it into words... was like a Zouk heaven!

Seriously, I knew the Zouk festival was going to be awesome event but it still exceeded my expectations. I had no idea that it was going to be that big and that so many dancers from so many countries would come to Helsinki to dance Zouk. And I had no idea how clearly I could feel my personal improvement in my body! On Sunday's party I felt like I was invincible, like I could do anything, that my body didn't put any limitations to my dancing. And I had no idea how amazing dance connections I was going to find during the parties. Wow.

I don't know if the dance festivals and congresses (or at least the parties!) keep on getting better when my dancing is getting better, but that is what I'm feeling now. Even though Helsinki's Zouk festival was smaller than the others I've been and there was maybe relatively more beginners, it gave me the best dance feeling since far. Maybe the smaller scale also made the atmosphere more relaxed and intimate and that way made me feel more comfortable and confident. I felt like it also enabled to dance more dances with those who I enjoyed dancing the most with.

So, for those who weren't there, the festival included dance parties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, five hours of beginner and intermediate dance classes both on Saturday and Sunday, and on Saturday's party we were treated with four Zouk shows from the teachers. Talking about them, we had four amazing visiting teachers, Leonardo&Layssa from Brazil and Daniel&Leticia from Barcelona, plus our own local teachers Freddy&Andressa and Soile. I liked that the workshops concentrated more on technique than figures, and this time I was trying to get a double gain from those by learning also the leader's part. One memorable moment from the classes was when D&L commanded us who took part to their intensive workshop on August to come in front of everyone and do a Mzouk stepping technique practice - how awkward! My favorite classes, though, were from L&L where they taught body movements and how to lead them clearly. I'm not even exaggerating by saying that every leader later used those techniques in the parties, and Leonardo then again was constantly surrounded by a crowd of followers there (no wonder - I was part of that crowd!).

Here is some demos from L&L, D&L and F&A I took during the workshops:

The weekend showed once again that dancing isn't just moving to a music but there is a strong emotional connection to it. Dancing can put you to a highest heaven or in a worst case crush you down badly. I wasn't the only one to shed some tears during the weekend; mine were from happiness but I saw couple from sorrow too, something not that foreign also for me. The emotional connection is one of the reasons why dance though.

There would be so much more to say about the weekend but it is so hard to describe how great, warm and excited feeling I had there. All I can do, I guess, is to thank especially those who put me to the Zouk heaven in the dance floor. You know who you are.

Before the after-festival-depression was able to hit anyone, we had a special drop-in class from F&A and L&L followed with a practica last Tuesday evening. I must say that it was the most crowded and relaxed drop-in I've even been. Usually Freddy is always watching everybody with a desparate look and starts the feedback like "okay guys, you need to be carefull with..." but now he was just "okay, you all had your own timing but it was okay!".

Photos by Berg Chabot.