Last night, I dropped in on an Afro-Brazilian dance class in my neighborhood, and what a trip! The room was hot, dark and the music—intoxicating. At home, reinvigorated by the samba beats, I couldn’t help thinking, “wouldn’t it be great to travel to Brazil to study dance?”
Dance travel programs often offer great deals, lodging, cultural excursions and multi-day, extensive dance classes. Some even include indigenous music classes. Here are a couple I found after a quick online search:
Discover Brazil’s six-night cultural vacation package in Salvador, Bahia includes accommodations, breakfast, two Afro-Brazilian classes, two Capoeira (a blend of acrobatics, martial arts and dance) classes and one Berimbau (a single-stringed, bow-like instrument) class, plus additional excursions. Prices start at $786 based on double occupancy.
The San Francisco-based dance company, Aguas de Bahia, is offering a two-week dance trip to Bahia from Aug. 4-19, 2008, where students can study either dance or percussion. Airfare is included; packages start at $2,800.
What are some of your experiences with dance or cultural education vacations? Can you recommend a good dance travel program to check out?
Samba a Good Dance travel program