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