Samba Reggae Workout with Quenia Ribeiro

Born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, samba reggae is an explosive, high energy blend of Brazilian samba dance and Jamaican reggae. Engaging the total body with every step, samba reggae is the perfect aerobic dance workout - a great way to shake off stress, burn calories, and wake up your senses with invigorating rhythm.

Created by renowned samba instructor Quenia Ribiero, The Samba Reggae Workout begins with an explanation of the basic samba reggae steps and rhythm. Next is a 10-minute warmup including a wide range of exercises to loosen and stretch your muscles, and engage your core.

Next, Quenia leads two workout sessions utilizing her own authentic Samba Reggae choreography:

Workout 1 (medium intensity, 45 min.) breaks down each move in a precise and easy-to-grasp manner, keeping the workout pace fast and steady.

Accompanied by performers from her New York City-based dance company Grupo Ribeiro and presenting to live music, Quenia starts every move with footwork and hipwork, then adds the upper body coordination, and offers ample repetition of every step and the entire sequence of combinations from the top.

Workout 2 (high intensity, 7 min.) employs the same vocabulary of dance steps but at a much faster pace! You ll feel the pure joy of dance and the powerful aerobic qualities of samba reggae. As a social dance, samba reggae is usually done in a follow-the-leader fashion with a few dancers initiating moves and everyone following: Workout 2 is a real samba reggae experience - you will dance with Quenia to the sounds of exotic percussion, presented live by her spectacular Grupo Ribeiro band. About Samba Reggae

Samba dance is Brazils gift to the world. Like Brazil itself, samba is a synthesis of many cultural influences., with elements from Africa, Europe as well as from the indigenous people of Brazil. Developed in Bahia by Brazilians of African descent, samba spread in its various forms throughout the country. Over the course of its evolution it has finally been embraced across Brazilian society.

There are many different styles of samba music and dance in Brazil. In this instructional DVD Quenia Ribeiro teaches Samba Reggae, a style of music and dance popularized in Salvador Bahia, Brazil by groups such as, Olodum, Ile Aiye, Ara Ketu, and Muzenza to name just a few.