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We’re starting the new year with a mini weekender featuring visiting international instructor Leticia Castro and some of our District Zouk team. - Saturday will include partner Brazilian zouk workshops focusing on influences, technique and variations from lambada that are increasingly used in Brazilian zouk.
- Saturday evening, we have a social at Glen Echo with an open level class and a lambada practica.
- Sunday afternoon will be followers-focused, with Elena and Leticia sharing some of their secrets and techniques to help our followers grow in your confidence and repertoire.
- We’ll end with an early evening Sunday social at Bryant Street Market.
We have options for all different levels. Sign up and spread the word!
SCHEDULE
*** SATURDAY AFTERNOON - Workshops @ Glen Echo Park ***
1:30 - 2:45 pm (Ballroom Back Room)
>> TOPIC: Circular Movements and Accents: Soltinho & Chicote
>> TEACHER: Leticia & Kuna
3:00 - 4:00 pm (Ballroom Back Room)
>> TOPIC: Fun with Piao: Spinning Like a Top
>> TEACHERS: Leticia & Kuna
4:15 - 5:45 pm (Beginner/Intermediate - Hall of Mirrors)
>> TOPIC: Musicality & Swag
>> TEACHERS: Elena & Revathi
4:15 - 5:45 pm (Intermediate/Advanced - Ballroom Back Room)
>> TOPIC: Boneca Desprezada: Using this Technique from Lambada in Brazilian Zouk
>> TEACHERS: Leticia & Kuna
LEVEL: Students participating Saturday afternoon should be comfortable with Brazilian zouk basics and fundamentals. For District Zouk students, you should be at least in Fundamentals classes or above. For the last workshop, we’ll have two different levels of workshops students can choose between.
*** SATURDAY EVENING - Class & Social @ Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom ***
7:00-8:30 pm
Lambada Practica
8:30 - 9:30 pm
>> TOPIC: Traveling with Soltinho (Open Level)
>> TEACHERS: Leticia & Hermela
9:30 pm - 1:00 am
>> Brazilian Zouk & Lambada Social Dancing
>> DJs: Rhinestone & Afrodeshiak
*** SUNDAY AFTERNOON - Followers Technique @ Dance Loft on 14 ***
2:00 - 3:30 pm
>> TOPIC: Torsion Technique & Tips
>> TEACHER: Elena
3:45 - 5:45 pm
>> TOPIC: Footwork & Body Movement
>> TEACHERS: Leticia
LEVEL: Students participating Sunday afternoon should be comfortable with Brazilian zouk basics, at least up to Basics 2.
*** SUNDAY EVENING - Class & Social @ Bryant St Market ***
5:00 - 6:00 pm
>> TOPIC: Brazilian Zouk Class (Open Level)
>> TEACHERS: Elena & Emilia
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
>> Brazilian Zouk & Lambada Social Dancing
>> DJs: Chapibol & Eflosa
TICKETS
Full passes, day passes, or social tickets are available. Prices go up on Jan 1, Jan 8, or when each lot sells out.
- Full Pass (Saturday + Sunday Workshops & Socials): $110-140
- Saturday Pass (Day and Night Workshops & Social): $65-85
- Sunday Pass (Day and Night Workshops & Social): $55-75
- Saturday Evening Class & Social: $15-20
- Sunday Evening Class & Social: $12-18
Get your tickets at: https://www.danceplace.com/book/it/16292
LOCATIONS
Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD 20812
Dance Loft on 14, 4618 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20011
Bryant St Market, 670 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Hailing from Belém do Pará, the birthplace of Lambada, Leticia Castro embodies the vibrant rhythms and culture of her Brazilian roots. She began her career in dance at the age of 11, studying the most influential folk dances in the creation of the lambada, Lundúm and Carimbó. With a deep connection to the essence of Lambada, Leticia has been sharing her passion for this dance across the world for over 12 years. She is also certified as "Profesora nacional de Dança de Salão" (National Ballroom Dance Teacher) endorsing her knowledge in various modalities, such as Samba de Gafieira, Salsa, Brazilian Zouk, Lambada, Tango, Bolero and Forró. She was part of the dance team on the 2014 FIFA World Cup tour.
Elena is a Brazilian zouk instructor, performer, and DJ, originally from California. She has a diverse background of many different arts and sports including gymnastics, parkour, ballet/jazz/modern/contemporary dance, and various partner dances. She began partner dancing in 2014, and has since competed at collegiate ballroom events, completed certifications in multiple dance courses, and taught classes all over North America - from San Francisco to Playa Del Carmen. Her preferred styles of dance are Brazilian zouk and bachata, but she also dances samba de gafieira, salsa, West Coast Swing, forró, while dabbling in many others. The nickname “Rhinestone” refers to her love for sparkly accessories, but also to her constant development of inner sparkle and inspiration. She is a passionate advocate for body positivity and acceptance, and she loves to incorporate this into her teaching so that people of all body types can learn to dance! She also blogs about body positivity, mental health, and personal growth (therhinestone.medium.com). In 2019, she visited DC for a weekend event and fell in love with the welcoming atmosphere and dedication of the local dancers. After a few years, she finally took the leap and moved cross-country to join the District Zouk core team! She is very excited about getting to learn alongside their phenomenal instructors and to help further grow the incredible community in DC.
Kuna’s journey to Brazilian Zouk started about 10 years ago. As an established videographer and photographer, Kuna was hired to photograph a zouk event, where his talent and ability to capture the beauty of zouk was discovered. Brazilian Zouk congresses around the world started hiring him to film and photograph their events, igniting his love affair with the dance. Kuna traveled across the globe as a filmmaker, while simultaneously learning from the most recognizable Zouk instructors. He became passionate about mastering the technique and intricate details of leading to not only improve his dance, but to also create a comfortable and smooth experience for those he dances with. For the past several years, Kuna has logged over 8,000 hours of social dancing, obtained teacher training from some of the most esteemed Zouk instructors (including Kim Rottier, Bruno Galhardo, Ry’El & Jessica, and Brenda & Anderson), and has danced with close to a hundred different dance communities around the world. In just a few short years, he has cultivated a skill level that’s inline with the top professionals and has become one of the most desirable and recognizable names within the Zouk community. Kuna went from being behind the camera to starring in front of it as an instructor at Zouk congresses and as a lover of zouk who can always be found dancing the night away. Today, Kuna continues to share his love of videography and dance with Zouk communities both big and small. He’s passionate about sharing all that he’s learned and has taught some of the biggest classes in the world, but still spends his time supporting the growth of smaller communities. Kuna’s classes are going to feel intimate no matter the size as he makes the effort to know each dancer personally. He has a unique approach to teaching that sometimes pushes dancers outside of their comfort zones, but never without a positive outcome. He is constantly looking to improve as both a dancer and instructor, which benefits all those lucky enough to cross paths with him in the zouk world. He will make jokes, half of which won’t be funny, but try to laugh anyway.
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