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Samba
A dance and type of music from Brazil originating from African slaves.
The dance is very difficult as performed by Brazilians in comparison to formal "ballroom" dancing which is highly stylized. Men and women dance samba differently and together yet without touching. The dance for the women can be characterized as quick symmetrical feet movement with each foot twisting on the heel. This foot movement is accompanied by hip and shoulder gyrations creating a dance that agitates the entire body. Men also perform the same foot motion but not accompanied by violent hip and should gyrations. Men dance around the women incorporating hops, jumps, and spins often accompanied by slapping of the hand on the heels.
Samba music is in 2/4 time with a high bass drum beat on the first and third beats, and the lower foundation beat on the second and forth beats. The lower second and fourth beats are emphasized, while the first and third beats are de-emphasized, and sometimes nearly inaudible, or in special rare cases, eliminated entirely
Samba Enredo
The theme song for a samba parade. Each samba school writes a new samba enredo for each years carnival that fits a theme. Everyone in the school learns this song and sings it as they parade.
Samba no PĂȘ
The dancing of samba. Literally means "Samba on foot".
Samba School
A social, cultural, and club group that meets regularly and frequently with the purpose of learning and performing Brazilian samba dance, music, and costumes. It is a family organization that hands samba and Brazilian culture down from generation to generation with the main goal of performing spectacular carnival parades during carnival each year (occurring during the lent season).
A minimum a school must have (this is an informal definition for now) are: a bateria (percussion), groups of baianas, flag of the school carried by porta-bandeira and mestre-sala, children participants, and a theme song written each year for carnival performed and played by the school participants.
The term "samba school" actually comes from the fact that the first such groups met on school property in the early part of the 20th century in Brazil.
Note: the great samba parades of Rio de Janeiro are all put on and performed by samba schools.
Sambista
A person that performs either samba dance or samba drumming.
