(Walmir Coelho & Juliane Rosa, Forró de Lisboa 2014 on YouTube) 

The South American dance genres include the Brazilian Forro, Argentine Tango and Venezuelan Joropo (also Colombian). 

Forro

Forro is a Brazilian dance that originated in the 1940’s in north-eastern Brazil. It is a social dance like other Brazilian dances including samba de gafieira. It has a characteristic bounce like samba. Some styles include a twisting action of the feet.  Composer of the Forro music include Luiz Gonzaga and Geraldo Azevedo (see videos below).

Forró de Lisboa 2014 Demonstração Walmir Coelho e Juliane Rosa

Apresentação de forró com Paulo Aguiar e Daniela Moura.

Joropo 

Joropo became the Venezuelan national dance in 1882. It is a popular folk dance in Venezuela and Colombia. It is danced at rural dance festivals where the people get together to enjoy food, drink, music and dancing. The music has a similar rhythm to waltz with 3/4 timing. There are turns and sweeping movements like the different styles of waltz but also a man’s stomping action and woman’s fast footwork forward and back.

Baile de joropo de Yormán Aguirre y Leidy Tovar, Barinas

Baile de Joropo Luis Linares y Laura Torres, de Portuguesa

Argentine Tango

Tango originated in the late nineteenth century in Argentina then spread throughout Europe and the United States. It was catapulted to popularity in the U.S. after…Read more about the Argentine Tango here!

Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo – Superstars Of The Dance Tango

Facundo Gallo & Magdalena Valdez en el show de la Esquina Carlos Gardel