Samba Batucada
Samba Batucadas
(Man and Lady's steps are the same.)
Batucadas consists of 3 backward steps. (Example below starts with weight on LF, RF in front. R arm straight to the side, L arm bent vertical in front.)
Step 1: RF crosses in the back, R heel down (kissing the floor). Do not dance Batucada all on balls of feet.
Maximum crossing action, travel less, do not step far back. R toe is behind L heel. Focus on twisting, not traveling back.
(RF is very turned out, if moving backward along floor boards, RF is almost perpendicular to floor board)
LF is on ball of the foot, IE of big toe, turned out. L knee bent. R hip is high.
R hip is very rotated. From the front, one only sees one hip and shouldn't see the other hip.
R leg is straight but R knee is soft, not very locked.
Step 2: put partial weight onto front foot (LF in this example), now 2 heels up, collect thighs and knees and they lock.
hip pendulum diagonal to front, pelvic tilt (contract tummy using core), push on LF and roll L hip in semi-circle and keep L hip high up (crunching/shortening L side) and prepare to do a small ronde action
create the action through RF and standing R leg, not just through hips, to create bigger, fuller, soft and smooth movement.
"belly button winking": keeping head at same height, not popping up, think more lower muscle pushing up (or "in") and then around, free and relaxed movement.
Step 3: weight onto RF (can keep R heel up, or slightly down) while doing the small ronde with LF , RF is swiveling a bit and end in a pressed position.
When doing the ronde, the arms are changing to the other side.
Repeat steps 1-3 on the other side (Step 4: LF crosses behind RF and repeat)
Keep shoulder very flat, quiet, always facing front/your partner. Shoulder twists in opposition of the hip, e.g. when rotate R hip to R, shoulder is twisting L, R shoulder feels very forward while R hip is going back. The focus of Batucada is on the hips.
Arms do circle under the shoulders, natural and not exaggerated. (Arm is different from Rumba cucaracha where arm is straight on the side with straight leg.)
Timing
Slow Batucadas
Back step happens on count 1 3 5 7.
Steps rhythm: 1 2& 3 4& 5 6& 7 8& (1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 )
Quick Batucadas
Back step happens on all whole count: 1 2 3 4
Steps rhythm: 1 &a 2 &a 3 &a 4 &a ( 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/4)
Slow and quick batucadas are often danced/combined together: 1 2& 3 4& 5 &a 6 &a 7 &a 8 &a