Maybe you just moved to the city, maybe you are traveling and want to dance while you are in New York, or maybe you are a forrozeiro living here but don't know where to go to dance.
Doesn't matter what your situation is, I'm here to help you to find where to dance forró in New York City!
The most active forró scene in the US
New York has one of the best and most active forró scenes in North America, but it is still relatively small compared with many scenes in Europe and - especially - in Brazil (as anyone would expect).
There is no venue fully dedicated to forró events yet, but we have multiple venues that have done forró events through the years; some of these venues do (or did) it weekly.
Nublu - a nightclub on the Lower East Side of Manhattan - had forró on Wednesday nights for several years. But since the pandemic, they are not active anymore.
Beija-flor has hosted our open-level class and social every Tuesday this year (2023) and has a party with live music every Friday.
Miss Favela is a Brazilian bar in Williamsburg that also dedicates a day per week to forró: Sunday afternoon.
Some forrozeiros started to gather recently to practice in a studio weekly, which has been fun too!
There are also other one-time forró events produced by various venues, especially during June, known for "festas juninas" (June parties - a Brazilian tradition).
Our best forró event - the Forró New York Weekend
The highlight of our scene - as of now - is the Forró New York weekend, a 3-day festival that we produce a few times per year. It is a weekend full of forró activities: 3 nights of parties and 2 afternoons of workshops. These events tend to be the ones bringing the best crowd of forró dancers: most of the active forrozeiros in our scene participate and a number of dancers come from all over the globe to join us for this special event.
So, if you're planning on coming to New York or you want to dance here in the city, I strongly recommend you check out our website tickets and see the dates for our next event.
Other forró activities I recommend in New York
Our weekly classes are also a wonderful opportunity for you to get in contact with active forrozeiros in the city. We have classes for all levels of dancers.
If you want to be updated about events, I strongly recommend you to join our newsletter (look for the subscriber form at the bottom of the page), follow our Instagram @forronewyork (we are very active there), and join our WhatsApp group by becoming a member of our website.
About the author
Rafael Piccolotto de Lima is an experienced music and dance instructor. He is passionate about arts, a doctor of musical arts, and a Latin Grammy nominee as a composer. For him, all forms of expression are somehow related. Based on that premise, his interest and work have a wide spectrum: from a tail tux at a concert hall, to the dance shoes at a worn-out dance floor. Born in Campinas, São Paulo - Brazil, now he lives at the NYC area, teaches weekly forró classes in Manhattan and produces some of the best forró festivals in North-America.
Website: www.rafaelpl.com
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/rafaelpdelima
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rafaelpiccolottodelima/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RafaelPiccolottodeLima/