Developed in Brazil during the 19th century, the Samba is considered the dance of celebration and joy at Carnival celebrations in Rio.

It’s a sexy, energetic and spectacular dance, and fantastic for developing fitness. It’s for that reason, Kokoloco Dance Studio’s Director, Becky Fleming, developed Samba Fitness, a class which incorporates Samba drills and technique, strength and fitness.

But before we start the roadtest, let’s address some basic misconceptions:

MISCONCEPTION NO 1: “ Will I have to wear a feathered headdress, jeweled bikini and not much else?

REALITY CHECK: Well, I guess you could, but you’ll be far more comfortable in some leggings and a singlet…bare feet are fine, or you could pick yourself up a nifty pair of ‘dance thongs’ from Bloch to protect the balls of your feet.

MISCONCEPTION NO 2: “But isn’t it just for dancers?”

REALITY CHECK: Nope. In my Saturday morning class, there were women of all ages (from early 20s to 50s) and abilities (from absolute beginners to experienced dancers), and even a bloke!

MISCONCEPTION NO 3: “But I’m really uncoordinated/unfit. People will laugh at me.”

REALITY CHECK: Unless you are a supremely perfect individual who is awesome at everything, chances are that you won’t get the steps 100% straight away. But, you know, that’s kinda why you take classes with expert instructors, so they can teach you the right way. As for the unfit bit, Samba Fitness peeps are all exercise levels and all shapes and sizes – and while there is often laughter, it’s never directed AT anyone – there’s a real sense of camraderie. 

If you’ve been reading HerCanberra for a while, you’ll know I’ve been a frustrated dancer all my life, finally doing something about it at the ripe old age of 38. I’ve tried salsa, reggaeton, bachata, etc and I enjoy them all…but I really LOVE Samba Fitness, and I’ll tell you why.

Firstly, it’s a ‘fitness’ class. It’s not about learning choreography or getting the steps right…it’s about using Samba moves to get a great workout. And, let me tell you, it’s a FANTASTIC workout. Three days after my class and my calves are still grumping at me. You spend a lot of time on your toes, so if you want toned legs, this is the class for you.

Secondly, it’s not intimidating. I’ll admit that, in the past, walking into a dance class comprised mostly of girls who’ve been dancing for years has made me feel a little insecure (or that could just be my Type-A-Need-To-Be-Good-At-Everything personality speaking). Samba Fitness is not like that – the emphasis is on learning basic moves, getting sweaty and getting toned…and if you love it, you can go on to Samba intro, where you’ll learn a routine for performance. Keep going, and you may just learn to love feathers and spangly next-to-nothings!

Thirdly, it works parts of your body that don’t get a lot of attention. You start the class with isolations that loosen the body up and really encourage you to focus on your muscle movement; after Samba drills, where you’ll learn variations on the Samba ‘bounce’ step, you might move on to a section which targets your calves and quadriceps; and at the end, your core and hips get a bit of punishment. It’s great, though, because it’s so rare to find an exercise that targets the outside of your legs and hips.

Fourth (and I’ll stop here, lest I write a 1000 word essay), I love that you’re not just ‘let loose’ without any attention given to technique. Becky is really good at calling out gentle corrections, or coming over to show you how your body should be moving, if you’re having trouble with the steps. I spent a lot of time watching her butt (but not in a creepy, stalker way – purely for technique), but I just couldn’t seem to get my hips to do what they were supposed to, until she came over and moved my body where it was meant to go…THEN I got it.

At the end of your class, you feel like your whole body has really worked…and, as a bonus, you’ll have learnt some moves to break out on the dance floor at Monkeybar after a tequila or two. Who says fitness can’t be fun?

the essentials

What: Samba Fitness
Where: Kokoloco Dance Studio – Level 1, 9 – 11 Dundas Court in Phillip
When: 10am Saturday mornings.
Web: Kokoloco Dance Studio