Braz Dos Santos and Romina Hidalgo in the brand new Brazilian dance show, Brazouka.

The best Brazilian dancers the world has seen are in South Africa about to set the stage alight. That’s according to the producers of Brazouka, “the sensational dance story from the toughest streets of Brazil”, which is about to launch its world tour at Joburg Theatre from 3 to 19 October 2014, following its world premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

This high profile dance-drama is performed by Brazil’s most thrilling new dance company led by Braz Dos Santos, widely known as the very best freestyle Lambazouk dancer in the world. What is Lambazouk? We’ll get to that in a moment, but still on the topic of ‘high profile’, the producers themselves seem to fit that title too.

Best-selling author, comedian and star of BBC TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, Pamela Stephenson-Connolly, worked with TV star and West End musical choreographer Arlene Phillips and Australian producer Harley Medcalf, founder of the hit production Burn the Floor, to stage this extraordinary high-energy Brazilian dance show – Brazouka.

Commenting on his excitement to bring Brazouka to South Africa, producer Harley Medcalf says, “I have been to the greatest heights as the producer of Burn the Floor. I did not ever think I could better that feeling of high emotion. With Brazouka I definitely have!  It will move you, excite you and simply astound you. The talent and production is breathtaking. I wanted to share it with you, live on stage!”

See the dance style of ‘Lambazouk’

The show introduces the sensational dance language of Lambazouk and other authentic Afro-Brazilian dances. Lambazouk or Zouk-Lambada is a dance style based on and evolving from the original Lambada style, typically danced to zouk music or music with a zouk beat.

And for our ballet readers, of course, whether it’s lambazouk or ballroom, ballet is still an important part of any professional dancers’ training, as you can see in this making-of video from behind-the-scenes rehearsals and more sneak-peak previews…

As a pioneer in this dance style, it was Braz Dos Santos’ own personal story of his struggle from humble beginnings as a fisherman’s son to dance his way onto the world’s stage that has inspired Brazouka.

When not out on perilous fishing trips to earn a living on a makeshift boat, the young Dos Santos and his brother Didi watched the birth of the lambada dance form by peeking through the door of the local bordello/brothel.

After being discovered dancing in his flip flops in a beach bar, Dos Santos and his brother were asked to travel to Paris (a place they had never heard of) to dance the lambada, which had become known as the ‘Forbidden Dance’. The boys’ father, a shaman in the Candomblé religion, forbade them to go. But for Braz the choice was clear: with precarious fishing being the only option if he stayed, it was a case of ‘dance or die’.

Joining Dos Santos on stage, the cast of gorgeous dancers are: Adriana Coutinho, Anderson Mendes, Bebé, Brenda Oliviera de Carvalho, Carlos de Silva, Fernanda de Silva, Gilson Damasco, Josta Ruby, Josy Borges, Natasha Terekhina, Rodrigo Oliviera, Romina Hidalgo, Sarita Piotrowski, Wellington Santos, and Zulu.

Booking details:

Dates: 3 – 19 October 2014
Venue: The Mandela at Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Tickets: from R180 via www.joburgtheatre.com or by calling 0861 670 670.