Name: Afro-Brazilian and Samba [All Levels]
Start: 2025-01-08T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-28T21:00:00-05:00
Location: Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance

Quenia’s class explores various forms of Samba from Rio De Janeiro and Bahia - Samba No Pé, Miudinho, Samba Reggae, to Samba Afro and more.
About this Event

Class Description

Learn Samba from its roots in Salvador Bahia, via Africa to its evolution as the national dance of Brazil in Rio De Janeiro’s famous Carnival. Although there are many styles of Afro-Brazilian dance, Samba is the most internationally recognized form coming from Brazil.

Quenia introduces Afro-Brazilian dances and movements originating from Angola, Congo, Benin and Nigeria. She also offers a thorough warm-up with upper and lower body isolations, exercises for abdominal and lower body strengthening and stretches, and a relaxing cool down.

Meet Your Instructor!
Quenia Riberio

Quenia Ribeiro is a dancer, choreographer and dance instructor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with more than 25 years of experience in the field. Quenia has performed Samba and Afro-Brazilian dance in Greece, Martinique, Portugal, Brazil and throughout the United States. Her studies and experience in dance extend from Ballet and Samba of Rio De Janeiro, to the roots of Samba through Afro-Brazilian Folkloric dance and Orixa movements rooted in Africa. She has been featured in interviews and performances broadcast on PBS, ABC, WPIX, Telemundo and CBS Television. As a dance instructor she has been teaching and conducting workshops for Samba and Afro-Brazilian Dance in NYC since 1997. Quenia has worked extensively in the public and private school system with children and teens teaching Brazilian dance and creative movement (in both NYC and Brazil). Classes with Quenia include elements drawn from her background in Ballet as well as her 10 years of Capoeira training. Currently Quenia Ribeiro choreographs and directs her own dance company, “Grupo Ribeiro.” She became the first and only Brazilian teacher to implement Samba and Afro-Brazilian dances at the Ailey Extension in New York City and has taught there for 14 years. Her series of four instructional dvds has broadened her reputation as an innovative leader in the field of Brazilian Dance.