Traveling to Dance Forró
- Rafael Piccolotto de Lima
- Mar 8, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: May 18
Editorial note (2026):
I originally wrote this text in 2019, during a period when I was beginning to travel more actively through different forró scenes in North America as an instructor and organizer.
Looking back today, this text captures an interesting transitional moment - both personally and within the broader development of the forró scene in the United States and Canada.
Since then, many of the projects, festivals, and communities mentioned here have evolved significantly, including the development of the Forró New York Weekend and the growth of the New York forró scene itself.
Rather than rewriting the text entirely, I decided to preserve much of its original perspective as a document of that period.
Transition periods make us think.
At least that is what happens with me.
About 3 years ago, when I was about to conclude my Doctoral studies in Miami, I was thinking hard about the next steps in my career.
I would also think about all the other things that I wanted to experience but were never a priority for me.
Traveling to dance forró was one of those things, especially to participate in festivals.
Ever since I started to dance, people would talk about the Itaúnas festivals (Espirito Santo - Brazil) and since the early 2010's I also started to hear about European events.
But I hadn't attended any of them.
My forró experience was limited to the parties in my hometown - Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil - both during my college years while I still lived there, and also during the summer vacations when I would come back home from pursuing my Masters and Doctorate studies.
I cannot complain.
Campinas was the host of one of the very best forró venues in the 2000's in the countryside of São Paulo, called Cooperativa Brasil.
Many of the most important bands would perform there to crowded audiences full of good dancers.
Both very traditional trios, like Trio Xamego or Trio Nordestino, and also famous "forró universitário" bands, like Falamansa, Circuladô de Fulô and Rastapé used to perform there regularly.
My forró experiences out of town were limited to some São Paulo venues, like Canto da Ema and Remelexo, some small parties in the coast of São Paulo, one show in Natal (Northeast of Brazil) and another in Curitiba (South of Brazil).
But at that time I never participated in a festival.
This was about to change!
Soon I would be having very different experiences, from a very unique position: as a dance instructor.
My debut as an instructor at a forró festival happened at Forró Fest USA 2017 in Boston, an important early forró event in the United States.
Since then, I have been part of many other events. I was an instructor at the Boston Brazil Dance Festival 2017, NY Forró Fest 2018 - in which I was also a pedagogical coordinator - Forró Fest USA 2018 and more recently the Forrobodó NY Festival, which I conceptualized and produced.
All these events were culturally enriching experiences. They were great chances to meet, dance, and create friendships with some of the main forró dancers and instructors active today, such as Valmir and Milena from Belo Horizonte, Juruna from Itaúnas, Camila Alves from Lisbon, Erika Magno from Santos, Anax Caracol from London, Evandro Paz from São Paulo, among many others.
It was also the chance to meet many people, who, like myself, are passionate enough about this culture to be traveling just to dance.
I feel that all these experiences are making me reinvent myself as a dancer.
I've danced forró for 12 years with an 'accent' very typical of my hometown, using a repertoire of moves and a body language that is very typical of the countryside of São Paulo.
A few of these moves even seem like a 'trademark' from that region, rarely seen on other dance floors.
Now I realize that there are so many other charming 'accents' to forró dancing, so many ways of dancing that I want to learn and enjoy.
I love putting myself back in the position of a student at these festivals and learning from my fellow instructors.
It is my chance to discover other moves and delve deeper into various styles of dancing forró.
As I conclude this post I also started to take the dust off of my luggage, looking forward to many events and trips to come and encourage you all to participate in this kind of artistic celebration.
It is an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and reconnect through dance and music.
Looking back today, many of the scenes and festivals mentioned in this text have continued to evolve in different ways. Some became more structured, others disappeared, and new communities emerged across North America.
What still remains constant is the role these travels played in shaping my understanding of forró - not only as a dance, but as a network of communities, artistic exchanges, and cultural encounters spread across different cities and countries.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rafael Piccolotto de Lima is the Founder and Educational Director of Forró New York, as well as a Latin Grammy-nominated composer, arranger, and music director.
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