As part of the Melbourne Samba Encontro, we are proud to be hosting a morning of workshops on Saturday 14th July 2018, led by some of the best local and international percussionists and dancers.
2 Studios will be running side by side, one dedicated to dance, the other to drums. Each studio will hold 3 different one hour workshops, designed to help you hone your skills in these art forms.
TIMETABLE
| Time | Dance Studio | Drum Studio |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00am – 10:00am | Samba no Pé with Tami Fogueira |
Caixa with Petyo Sós |
| 10:15am – 11:15am | Introduction to Orixá Dance with Fabiana Grimaldi |
Tamborim with Rob Arcari |
| 11:30am – 12:30am | Samba Dance to Drums with Denise Kayan |
Jamming the Batucada with Mark Grunden |
DANCE STUDIO
09:00 – 10:00
Samba No Pé (Intermediate/Advanced ): PASSISTAS SHOW Workshop with Tami Fogueira
This workshop explores Carlinhos Salgueiro’s technique, ‘Método Samba Diva’, as well as Fogueira’s own Passista Styling Techniques. It takes the Fundamentals of Samba no Pé to a performance show level! Fogueira will focus on her five elements for teaching Samba no Pé: Technicality, Style, Musicality, Movement & Performance. You will be taught how to break down current dance vocabulary in Brasil with clear explanation and clean execution. Whilst working on footwork variations and miniature choreographed group sequences, you will focus on speed, power, grace and individual personality.
As a Passista in G.R.E.S Acadêmicos do Salgueiro and São Clemente Tami, aka Fogueira, has danced alongside the worlds best samba dancers and has picked up many styling steps and combinations as well as invented many of her own signature moves and trademark variation sequences that she has performed on world famous stages Salgueiro, Portela and Caldeirão do Huck to name a few, on Globeleza, Globoplay and RJTV and the grandest stage in the world the Sambodromo Marquês de Sapucai in Rio de Janeiro. Tami has 15 years of Samba Experience starting her Samba Journey back in 2003 running Carnival style shows around Asia alongside Brazilian Passistas from Salgueiro, Villa Isabel and Mocidade. She later opened her own Samba Dance School in Singapore before moving to Sydney Australia.
10:15 – 11:15
Introduction to Orixá Dance with Fabiana Grimaldi
Fabiana Grimaldi, a Melbourne-based Brazilian Contemporary dancer, teacher and Choreographer, will take you into a deep experience of Brazilian culture with this workshop.
Fabiana explains each symbol and movement related to African deities from the Yorubá tradition, specifically from the Candomblé lineage, from Brazil/Bahia. Candomblé means “Dance in honor of the Gods”. In Candomblé, it is believed, every person has their own Orixá, who acts as a protector. Each Orixá, represents a force of nature, and it is associated with food, colors, metals, emotions and days of the week.
This 1 hour workshop will focus on 3 female orixás and 1 male, their movements and characteristics. The classes a have a powerful effect on dancers, who often describe it as an empowering experience. Many rhythms including samba and samba reggae have their roots firmly in these traditions. Candomblé is the key to understanding Brazilian music and dance.
The class encourages free expression and creativity, and is a fabulous workout. It is devised with a warm up, followed by travelling exercises and a circle at the end where students can express themselves with more individuality.
Fabiana grew up in Salvador/ Bahia, and it is a classically trained dancer, who holds a Diploma of Arts- Classical Dance from the acclaimed National Theatre Ballet School in Melbourne. She is also a trained ballet teacher from the Royal Academy of Dancing. She has a Folkloric group here in Melbourne, Ballet Folklorico Fabiana Grimaldi, and holds weekly classes In Northcote.
11:30 – 12:30
Samba Dance to Drums with Denise Kayan
The drums of Rio Carnaval are infectious, multi-faceted and full of heart. A samba dancer represents batucada through her dance. In her Dance to Drums styling workshop, Denise will emphasise how to recreate the essence of the samba beat through dance. She will break down moves that compliment many of the different instruments in a bateria ensemble, looking at speed and endurance. The workshop also focuses on the importance of fluidity in movement, developing layers in your dance, demonstrating energy and intricate footwork. The workshop will also work on on confidence, ensuring that you capture the attention of your audience whilst paying respect and honour to the school/band. This is a rare opportunity to study with the accompaniment of live drummers, and is one not to be missed.
Denise Kayan is the co-founder and choreographer for Sambasita Productions. She was the Musa of GRES Renascer de Jacarepagua in Rio Carnaval 2018 and Musa of Carnaval in Florionapolis 2018. She holds a Certificate IV in Dance and choreographed the winning entry for Open Samba Group at the Australian Latin Dance Championships 2017. Denise is currently Miss Lindeza Multicultural and reigning Queen of the Melbourne Latin Summer Festival.
DRUM STUDIO
09:00 – 10:00
Caixa with Petyo Sós
Join Mestre Petyo on a Rio-style caixa workshop where we will focus on ’em cima’ technique (holding the drum up on the arm). We will concentrate on playing technique, swing, accents, stamina and some general tips and tricks. All levels welcome as long as you’ve touched a caixa before. BYO instrument and extra drum sticks – (If you need to borrow a Rio style caixa, contact Bloco 3K to arrange).
Petyo Sós has been playing samba for over 10 years and was the founder of Bloco de Samba Girassol, Hungary’s first Rio-style bateria. He is also co-founder of both Bloco Coração (Eastern Europe) and Unidos da Cacatua (Australia/NZ), two international samba collaborations. Through these projects he’s gained experience in teaching and training samba drummers of different levels. For Petyo, the most important aspect of samba is community: if you know how to play, you straight away fit in in a vast community of lovely, like-minded people! He encourages everyone to polish their technique so more and more opportunities arise to travel, play, and collect beautiful memories!
10:15 – 11:15
Tamborim with Rob Arcari
This workshop will focus on the ‘2 por 1’ technique for tamborim, breaking down the steps needed for a clean sounding ‘virado/carreteiro’. This particular style of playing utilises the flexibility of a multi-pronged stick to allow greater speed when turning the drum, with less effort.
Open to all levels of experience, the class aims to both introduce some players to the technique, whilst pushing those that are more familiar towards more precise playing and perfect swing. The group will look at exercises to improve the sound, speed and stamina of their playing.
After years playing tamborim throughout Europe with numerous bands (Verde Vai, London School of Samba, Bloco X…) Rob Arcari has now settled in Melbourne where he is Founder/Director of Bloco 3K, Musical Director of Maracatu Estrela do Mar, and Tamborim Director of Unidos da Cacatua. Having taught percussion for more than 15 years, his teaching style is clear and straight forward.
11:30 – 12:30
Jamming the Batucada with Mark Grunden
This short workshop takes a look at improvising arrangements, soloing and picking up rhythms on the fly and will dive a little into exploring textures from less commonly used samba instruments and found objects. Facilitated by Mark and mentored by O’Ziriguidum’s A team, the workshop promises to be fun, action packed and full of gratuitous showing off. Suitable for all levels, bring your instrument.
Mark Grunden is a drummer/percussionist from Australia based in Melbourne. BA Mus VCA/MelbUni. Original member and currently performing with Bad Boys Batucada and Tumbarumba Samba. Mark is founder and musical director of O’Ziriguidum Escola de Samba as well as being an in demand drummer on the Melbourne scene in a variety of styles. (Sol Nation, Fiona Boyes, CW Stoneking and his own “Wild Gladioli”)