FORRÓ IN PHILADELPHIA: WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS
Through recurring visits, Rafael from Forró New York has developed workshops, social dance events, and educational collaborations with members of Philadelphia’s forró community.
A CONNECTION THAT GREW BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK
My connection with Philadelphia grew through relationships first formed in New York. Brazilian university students based in Philadelphia began attending Forró New York festivals and activities, creating an exchange between the two cities before any workshop had taken place locally.
As those relationships developed, conversations began about creating more opportunities to learn and dance forró in Philadelphia. Because the city is close to New York and located along the route to Washington, D.C., it became possible to include Philadelphia in small East Coast teaching projects with visiting educators.
The first two visits followed this format. Each began with activities in New York involving a visiting guest teacher, followed by a day in Philadelphia before continuing to Washington, D.C. A third visit, in 2026, was organized as a standalone Philadelphia event led by Rafael from Forró New York.
Together, these three visits reflect a relationship built gradually through students, local community members, university-based collaborators, and dancers who have moved between Philadelphia and New York.
PHILADELPHIA COLLABORATION ARCHIVE
2025 - THE FIRST PHILADELPHIA WORKSHOP WITH FIONA LADYBIRD
The first Forró New York visit to Philadelphia took place on June 13, 2025, with Rafael and guest teacher Fiona Ladybird. The event was held at the Annenberg Dance Studio and formed part of a short East Coast route connecting New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
The evening included a two-hour workshop followed by social dancing. Designed as an open-level experience, the workshop created space for newer dancers to develop foundational skills while allowing participants with previous experience to expand their movement vocabulary and explore new possibilities with a partner.
The social that followed gave participants time to practice, meet one another, and continue exploring the material outside the formal structure of the class. This combination of guided learning and shared dance time established the format that would return in later Philadelphia activities.
2025 - AN INTIMATE WORKSHOP WITH ALICE RODRIGUES
Rafael returned to Philadelphia on October 31, 2025, with Brazilian guest teacher Alice Rodrigues.
The visit took place during Alice’s first teaching trip to the United States and formed part of another short route connecting activities in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
The Philadelphia workshop was held in a University of Pennsylvania space used for cultural projects. Unlike a larger festival or multi-level intensive, this was an intimate encounter centered on fundamental movements and accessible partner-dance concepts.
There was no formally scheduled party after the class. Instead, the space remained available for informal practice, conversation, and dancing. A smaller group stayed after the workshop, giving participants an opportunity to revisit the material and spend time with the visiting educators in a relaxed setting.
During that period of open practice, a student asked Rafael and Alice to demonstrate how the movements and ideas introduced during the class could appear inside social dancing. The resulting video captured their first complete dance together. Recorded informally on Halloween, it later became part of the Forró New York video archive and contributed to articles about movement, partnership, and the active participation of both people in the dance.
2026 - A STANDALONE PHILADELPHIA WORKSHOP AND SOCIAL
On August 22, 2026, Rafael returned to Philadelphia for the first visit organized independently from a larger tour or guest-teacher itinerary.
Held at ASCAB Capoeira USA / Project Capoeira, the four-hour program included a two-hour workshop followed by two hours of social dancing. The event was open to dancers of all levels.
The workshop followed a structure similar to the educational format Rafael uses in New York. The first portion concentrated on foundations and essential technique, creating a shared base for the group. The second portion introduced movement vocabulary that participants could adapt and explore according to their experience.
The social dance that followed gave the group time to practice the material, dance with different partners, and continue building connections within the local community.
This third visit marked an important development in the relationship with Philadelphia. Rather than functioning as a stop within a visiting teacher’s tour, it became a dedicated local program created specifically for the city.
WORKSHOPS, OPEN PRACTICE, AND TIME TOGETHER
The Philadelphia visits have consistently brought teaching and social practice into the same experience.
After the workshop with Fiona Ladybird, participants moved directly into a scheduled social dance.
The gathering with Alice Rodrigues continued through informal practice after the class.
In 2026, the program included two full hours of social dancing following the workshop.
These moments are not simply additions at the end of a class. They allow participants to test ideas, dance with different people, ask questions, and experience how guided material changes when it enters a real social setting.
For a community that is still developing, this shared time also creates opportunities for people to meet one another and recognize that they are part of a local network with a common interest in forró.
EDUCATION FOR A DEVELOPING COMMUNITY
Because the Philadelphia forró community remains relatively small, these workshops have generally been offered as open-level experiences rather than divided into separate tracks.
An open-level format does not mean teaching the same material in the same way to everyone. It requires building a clear entry point for newer dancers while offering additional layers of attention, technique, and interpretation to participants who already have experience.
The 2026 workshop made this progression particularly clear. It began with foundations and basic technique before moving into a broader repertoire of movements. This allowed the group to establish shared principles before exploring how those ideas could be developed inside partner dancing.
The collaborations with Fiona Ladybird and Alice Rodrigues brought additional perspectives into this educational structure. Each teacher contributed her own movement experience and way of communicating the dance, while the size of the gatherings allowed for close interaction with participants.
Across the three visits, the goal has remained consistent: to offer material that can be understood during the workshop, practiced socially, and carried forward after the event has ended.
DOCUMENTATION, RECORDINGS, AND EDUCATIONAL ARCHIVE
The Philadelphia collaborations have also been documented through photographs, workshop recordings, demonstrations, and short educational videos.
One of the most meaningful records emerged after the 2025 workshop with Alice Rodrigues. What began as an informal demonstration for a small group became a video about the relationship between fundamentals and social dancing. The recording later supported written reflections about forró universitário, partner communication, and the creative participation of the follower.
Other materials from the Philadelphia visits are part of the broader archive being developed through Forró New York. Together, these records preserve not only individual movements, but also the atmosphere of the workshops and the gradual development of the relationship between the two cities.
FREE WORKSHOP RECAPS FOR WEBSITE MEMBERS
Selected Philadelphia workshops have also generated short recap videos organizing movements, exercises, and ideas explored during class. These recordings give participants a practical reference they can revisit after the in-person event.
A selection of these workshop recaps is available free of charge to registered members of the Forró New York website. Membership is free and also provides access to other member-only pages, videos, and educational resources across the site.
If you are already signed in, the link below will take you directly to the workshop recaps. Otherwise, you will be invited to log in or create a free account before continuing.
Free membership is separate from the paid online courses. Members who later want a more structured and in-depth learning experience can use the same account to explore the complete online programs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - FAQ
DOES FORRÓ NEW YORK OFFER WEEKLY CLASSES IN PHILADELPHIA?
No. Forró New York is based in New York City and does not operate a permanent or weekly program in Philadelphia.
Because the two cities are relatively close, occasional workshops and collaborations are possible when there is sufficient local interest and an appropriate opportunity to organize the visit.
WHO TEACHES THE PHILADELPHIA WORKSHOPS?
Rafael develops and teaches the educational program through Forró New York. Depending on the project, he may teach independently or in collaboration with a guest educator.
Previous Philadelphia workshops have included collaborations with Fiona Ladybird and Alice Rodrigues, as well as a standalone program taught by Rafael.
CAN BEGINNERS JOIN A FUTURE FORRÓ WORKSHOP IN PHILADELPHIA?
Most previous Philadelphia workshops have been designed as open-level experiences, with material accessible to beginners and additional possibilities for participants with more experience.
The format may change depending on the event, so each future listing will explain the level, focus, and whether any previous experience is recommended.
DO I NEED TO BRING A PARTNER?
Participation requirements may vary from one event to another. Each future workshop listing will explain whether a partner is needed and how partner practice will be organized during the class.
HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHEN RAFAEL RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA?
Join the newsletter at the bottom of this page. Updates will be shared when a future Philadelphia workshop or local collaboration is confirmed.
CONTINUING THE EXCHANGE
Philadelphia’s proximity to New York makes continued collaboration possible, but the relationship between the two cities has developed through more than geography.
Philadelphia dancers have traveled to New York for festivals and educational activities. Visiting teachers have made it possible to connect both cities through short East Coast routes. Local community members and university-based collaborators have helped create spaces where those exchanges could take place.
The standalone visit in 2026 opened another possibility: Philadelphia activities that do not depend on a larger tour, but can be developed when local interest and the right conditions come together.
Forró New York remains based in New York City. These Philadelphia workshops do not represent a local branch or permanent weekly program. They form an ongoing educational relationship built through occasional visits, shared participation, and collaboration between communities.
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