FORRÓ IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS
Since 2019, Rafael from Forró New York has developed and led workshops, parties, and educational collaborations with members of Washington, D.C.'s forró community.
A RELATIONSHIP BUILT THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
My connection with Washington, D.C. began in 2019, when I organized a series of activities with guest teacher Camila Alves as part of a tour across the United States and Canada. The program combined indoor and outdoor workshops with parties and opportunities for local dancers to meet, learn, and spend time together beyond the formal class setting.
That first visit became the beginning of an ongoing relationship. Since then, I have returned to Washington for new workshops and community events developed through Forró New York, working with invited teachers, local collaborators, volunteers, musicians, and members of the city's forró community.
The format has changed from one visit to another. Some activities have taken place in studios or cultural venues; others have happened outdoors, in clubs, or in more informal community spaces. What connects them is a shared educational direction: creating meaningful ways for people to encounter forró through movement, music, social dancing, and collaboration.
Although Forró New York is based in New York City, these Washington events are not isolated stops. Together, they form a continuing exchange between communities along the East Coast.
WASHINGTON, D.C. COLLABORATION ARCHIVE
2019 - THE FIRST WASHINGTON COLLABORATION WITH CAMILA ALVES
The first Washington project began in 2019 and was organized by Rafael through Forró New York in collaboration with guest teacher Camila Alves and members of the local community. It formed part of a wider United States and Canada tour and included indoor and outdoor workshops, parties, and shared community activities.
This combination of teaching and social participation established the model that would return in later visits: a focused educational program accompanied by time for dancers, teachers, volunteers, and organizers to connect beyond the workshop itself.
2025 - WORKSHOP WITH FIONA LADYBIRD AND LIVE FORRÓ AT BOSSA
In June 2025, Rafael returned to Washington with guest teacher Fiona Ladybird for a two-hour workshop at Bossa Bistro & Lounge. The workshop welcomed dancers with different levels of experience and focused on expanding expression, movement, and connection.
The class was followed by an extended social dance with live music by Forró Trio. Bringing the workshop and the party into the same program allowed participants to move directly from guided study into social practice, one of the recurring ideas behind these collaborations.
2025 - A COLLABORATIVE WEEKEND CONCEIVED AND PLANNED BY YASMINE
Yasmine is an American forró teacher currently based in Barcelona, where she is actively involved in the European forró scene. Drawing on her connection to the United States, she conceived and planned this Washington collaboration, inviting Rafael from Forró New York to participate as a teaching partner and co-producer.
Held in July 2025, the weekend brought together two days of workshops and social dance activities. The collaboration combined Yasmine’s international experience and connection to the United States with Rafael’s educational work through Forró New York, supported by members of the local Washington community.
2025 - ALICE RODRIGUES’ FIRST U.S. TEACHING TOUR
Alice Rodrigues is a Brazilian forró teacher and examiner with Pé Descalço, one of the largest forró schools in the world. Her work regularly takes her to festivals, workshops, and educational events in Brazil and abroad.
Her 2025 collaboration with Rafael and Forró New York marked her first visit to the United States as a teacher. The project developed as a short East Coast teaching tour connecting New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, making the visit particularly meaningful for everyone involved.
The Washington program unfolded across two very different settings. On Saturday, Alice and Rafael led an intimate workshop at the home of a community member who has played an active and important role in Washington’s forró scene. The workshop continued naturally into a lively and welcoming house party, allowing participants to spend time together in a more informal setting.
On Sunday, the collaboration moved to Bossa Bistro & Lounge. Alice and Rafael led a larger, more structured workshop on the venue’s second floor. After the class, participants joined a public party downstairs, where the restaurant and club space opened the experience to a broader local audience. The evening also featured live music by Trio Odara with Rose Moraes, performing on Bossa’s stage.
Together, the two days combined focused study, close community interaction, live music, and social dancing. The weekend also created space for conversations between Alice and Rafael about teaching, partnership, and the active role of followers in forró, reflections that later contributed to an article and recorded conversation developed through Forró New York.
2026 - FORRÓ WORKSHOPS DURING FIESTA DC WEEKEND
In September 2026, Rafael returned to Washington during Fiesta DC weekend, when Brazil was the festival’s Country of Honor. Members of the Forró DC community took part in the Parade of Nations with a vehicle representing the local forró community, bringing forró into a much larger multicultural celebration in the center of Washington.
Alongside the weekend's broader cultural activities, Rafael led a three-part educational series for local dancers. The classes moved from fundamentals to turns and musicality, creating different entry points for beginners and more experienced participants. Activities took place outdoors at Malcolm X Park and Freedom Plaza.
The weekend reflected several dimensions that have shaped the Washington collaborations since 2019: education, public space, Brazilian culture, volunteer participation, community visibility, and social connection.
WORKSHOPS, LIVE MUSIC, AND TIME TOGETHER
The Washington events have often extended beyond the scheduled class. Workshops have been followed by live music, social dancing, outdoor gatherings, house parties, and time shared with members of the community.
Bossa Bistro & Lounge has hosted workshops and evenings with live forró, including events with local and visiting musicians. Other moments have depended on the generosity of community members who opened their homes, volunteered, helped welcome participants, or supported the practical work around a visit.
These informal moments matter. They allow an educational event to become part of a wider relationship, rather than ending when the workshop finishes.
EDUCATION AT THE CENTER OF EACH VISIT
Each Washington collaboration has had its own partners, locations, and atmosphere. Rafael has played a central role in the educational work developed through Forró New York, sometimes teaching independently and sometimes creating the program in dialogue with invited educators and local collaborators.
Invited teachers have brought their own experience into that structure, while local collaborators and volunteers have helped each event respond to the reality of the community hosting it. This combination makes the workshops more than traveling versions of a class created somewhere else. The program takes shape through dialogue between a clear educational direction and the people who make the local gathering possible.
Across different visits, the work has included foundational movement, partner communication, turns, musical listening, and ways of bringing more awareness and expression into social dancing. The exact focus changes with each project, teacher, and group.
For Rafael, the goal is not simply to teach a sequence of movements. It is to help dancers understand how movement, music, partnership, and individual choice interact inside forró.
DOCUMENTATION, RECORDINGS, AND EDUCATIONAL ARCHIVE
Part of these workshops, collaborations, and exchanges has also been documented through videos, photographs, recorded classes, demonstrations, interviews, and educational materials developed over the years.
Some of these recordings later became integrated into the broader online educational ecosystem connected to Forró New York, including workshop archives, online courses, musicality materials, interviews, and community documentation.
FREE WORKSHOP RECAPS FOR WEBSITE MEMBERS
Selected workshops have also included short recap videos recorded at the end of the class. These videos organize movements, exercises, and ideas explored during the workshop, giving participants a practical reference they can revisit afterward.
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 WASHINGTON, D.C.?
No. Forró New York is based in New York City. Rafael visits Washington for occasional workshops, community events, and educational collaborations developed with local partners.
WHO TEACHES THESE WORKSHOPS?
Rafael develops and teaches the educational program through Forró New York. Depending on the project, he may teach independently or collaborate with guest teachers, local educators, musicians, volunteers, and community organizers.
CAN BEGINNERS JOIN A FUTURE FORRÓ WORKSHOP OR CLASS IN WASHINGTON?
It depends on the event. Some Washington workshops have been designed for beginners or open to different levels, while others may focus on a specific topic. Each future event listing will describe the level and whether previous experience is needed.
HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHEN RAFAEL RETURNS TO WASHINGTON?
Join the newsletter at the bottom of this page. Updates will be sent when a future visit or local collaboration is confirmed.
CONTINUING THE EXCHANGE
The international growth of forró continues to create new possibilities for collaboration, artistic dialogue, and educational exchange between communities across different countries and cultural contexts.
Forró New York remains part of that ongoing movement - not only by organizing activities inside New York City, but also by participating in the broader network of relationships that continues shaping the evolution of the dance around the world.
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