FORRÓ IN PARIS: WORKSHOPS, COLLABORATION, AND EUROPEAN HISTORY
Rafael from Forró New York’s work in Paris brought together a series of workshops and an educational exchange that contributed to his documentation of forró’s history in Europe.
A FIRST PROFESSIONAL VISIT TO PARIS
Paris was one of the central stops of Rafael’s first professional journey through Europe in September 2022.
The trip also included a visit to the Vem Vem Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, and a musicality workshop at the Cafofo Brazilian Cultural Center in Barcelona. In Paris, the visit developed through a collaboration with Marion Lima, an educator and organizer whose work has been closely connected to the growth of forró in France and across Europe.
The collaboration began through a conversation about Rafael’s upcoming time in Europe and the possibility of creating an educational exchange with dancers in Paris. Marion organized and hosted the activities, led portions of the warm-up, and worked alongside Rafael during demonstrations and partner exercises.
WORKSHOPS WITH MARION LIMA
The program was held at the Paris studio where Marion regularly taught and was organized around two different stages of the learning process.
The beginner-focused class welcomed both first-time dancers and students who were still consolidating their foundations. The second workshop was designed for intermediate and advanced participants interested in expanding their movement vocabulary and exploring more complex forms of partner interaction.
Rather than presenting isolated combinations, the workshops connected technique with the social and cultural experience of dancing forró.
FROM FOUNDATIONS TO A PERSONAL MOVEMENT LANGUAGE
In the beginner session, Rafael worked with fundamental structures that help dancers develop rhythm, coordination, weight transfer, and greater comfort when moving with a partner.
The intermediate and advanced workshop explored movement vocabulary connected to Rafael’s experience within São Paulo’s forró universitário culture. Circular pathways and inverted turns, also known as giros paulistas, are an important part of the repertoire that has shaped his personal way of dancing and teaching.
Together, the two sessions created a progression from essential foundations to a more expansive movement language.
BEGINNER FORRÓ MOVEMENTS RECORDED IN PARIS
A short recap was recorded during the beginner workshop, preserving some of the foundational movements explored in class.
The video offers an accessible reference for people beginning their study of forró and has since become part of the educational resources shared through the Forró New York YouTube channel.
INVERTED TURNS WITH RAFAEL AND MARION
Rafael and Marion also recorded a demonstration connected to the intermediate and advanced workshop.
The video shows circular movement structures and inverted turns developed through their collaboration, offering a practical record of the movement vocabulary explored during the intensive.
PARIS AND THE HISTORY OF FORRÓ IN EUROPE
The visit also created an opportunity to document a broader story.
Marion encountered forró in Paris in 2004 and later became an educator, organizer, and an important participant in the development of the European scene. Her work included the creation of regular activities in Paris and involvement in the production of Ai Que Bom!, a festival that became part of the city’s forró history.
During Rafael’s visit, they recorded a conversation about the early development of forró in Europe, the creation of local communities, the emergence of festivals, and the changes Marion observed through years of teaching and organizing.
The full interview and its accompanying article preserve this historical perspective without separating it from the lived experience of someone who participated in that development.
DANCING WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
The experience in Paris extended beyond the studio.
Rafael joined members of the local community at an outdoor gathering centered around a gazebo and participated in another social dance event with a view of the Eiffel Tower. He also taught private lessons during his time in the city.
These moments made it possible to encounter the Paris community through different settings: structured workshops, individual instruction, informal gatherings, and social dancing.
DOCUMENTATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
The Paris visit generated different forms of documentation, including workshop recordings, movement recaps, demonstrations, photographs, and the extended conversation with Marion Lima.
Together, these materials preserve both dimensions of the collaboration: the immediate experience of teaching and dancing in Paris and the larger history connecting the city to the development of forró in Europe.
The workshop videos remain freely available through the Forró New York YouTube channel.
CONTINUING THE EXCHANGE
The 2022 visit remains Rafael’s first and only professional teaching experience in Paris to date.
There are currently no new dates announced, but Rafael remains interested in returning for future workshops, educational collaborations, and exchanges with members of the local community.
→ EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF FORRÓ IN EUROPE
→ READ HOW FORRÓ COMMUNITIES GROW OUTSIDE BRAZIL
→ EXPLORE FORRÓ BEYOND NEW YORK
→ EXPLORE THE GLOBAL FORRÓ COMMUNITY
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