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I spent five years going non-stop, and somewhere in there I stopped training my own Brazilian Zouk. Be honest, you've done it too. Gui said it best, back from six months away: "Bro, it goes by so fast. I didn't take one single solo class. The whole six months." So Gui Prada, Adayl Iost and I get specific about how three pros actually train across a whole year, the real plan, not...

Hot take: if you're bored social dancing your Brazilian Zouk, the problem is you, not your partner. For years I chased the next advanced move, thinking that's what made you an advanced dancer. I was wrong. The real advanced dancers I know can have a fun, exciting dance with anybody, beginner or pro, and never look bored. So in this episode Gui Prada and I redefine what "advanced"...

For years I ran my Brazilian Zouk team like the school I grew up in back home, where everyone does everything. You teach, you DJ, you set up the party, you pack it down, you chase the students, you do the admin. So when people joined my community to build something with me, that's exactly what I handed them. It did not work. I lost good people because they felt overwhelmed, when all they wante...

Brazilian Zouk was survival for me. The day my partner and I got our Australian visa, we sat in the car and cried. Years of training like a machine, four world titles, all of it to earn the right to stay. And the moment we had it, we looked at each other and felt nothing. So I quit, completely, for over a year. Got an office admin job. Couldn't even walk near a dance floor. That's where th...

When I started Brazilian Zouk, I didn't even want to be there. My best friend's mom drove to my house and dragged me out the door to class. Two months later I fell in love, not with the dance, with finally being part of a family. That's where this Brazilian Zouk conversation started for me and Gui: what actually makes us train so hard? And when does that "why" quietly turn in...

"We need more socials. We need more classes. We need more weekenders." In Brazilian Zouk I heard that in DC for years, so we listened, and now people are starting socials and classes and having to cancel them. That's the problem nobody wants to name: too many events, not enough dancers. In this ZoukNerds episode, me and Gui Prada get into who keeps a local scene alive. I've helpe...

How do you say no to a dance in Brazilian Zouk without being rude? Someone asks me, and I feel it in my body before my brain catches up: not yet. I'm coming straight off teaching, still in my teacher persona, and I can't flip into social mode on the spot. So I say, "not yet, give me a moment." That's not rude. That's a skill, and in this ZoukNerds episode, me and Gui Prad...

"I don't like this music." Every Brazilian Zouk social dancer has said it, me included. And most of the time, it's not actually true. Most of the time, "I don't like this music" really means "I can't dance to this yet." That one swap changes everything about your night out. Gui brought the story that cracked it open for me. His first Zouk congress abro...

I ask followers one thing in class and the whole room looks at me like I lost it: don't follow the leader, please follow your body. The traditional Brazilian Zouk order is technique first, and one day, as a reward, you get the feeling. I did it backwards for years, and flipping it changed everything. Gui came back from a retreat in Bali where they reversed it: three days freeing the body and f...

"Oh, but I've done everything. There's nothing left to learn." I hear this from intermediate Brazilian Zouk dancers all the time, and it's exactly why they're stuck in what my students named the Intermediate Purgatory. In this ZoukNerds episode, me and Gui Prada talk about why dancers plateau, and what "advanced" actually means. Most people stuck here don't...

For years I watched people learn a Brazilian Zouk move off one video and just do it, and I'd think, what is wrong with me? I'm a slow learner. Always have been. That's the dance FOMO I want to get into today, because I think it's quietly slowing you down. Gui Prada brought a story that stuck with me. One of his students stopped taking classes for a while, just went social dancing....

I woke up at 4:40 in the morning over money I couldn't find and a flight I hadn't packed for. That's me, supposedly the guy with good boundaries. This is dance burnout in Brazilian Zouk, me and Gui Prada falling apart in real time. Gui recorded from Taiwan at, his words, 30% capacity. "If I sit down after this class, I'm not coming up again." Then he laughed: "I don&...

Why do students quit a Brazilian Zouk class that's actually working? A student told Gui she learned nothing in his lead-and-follow course, then listed all the classes she loved. Same student, opposite signals, and it happens more than teachers admit. Gui and I break down the gap between what students say they want and what they really want. The reframe that stuck with me: she said she wanted a...

How do you become a full-time Brazilian Zouk teacher, and actually survive on it? When I moved to Australia I had five jobs. McDonald's, cleaning, security, surveys, housekeeping. I dropped them one at a time as the dance income grew, and it still took me three years to go full-time, nine or ten more before I had savings instead of just survival. Gui Prada, Adayl Iost and I tell the real money...

Marathon vs festival: which Brazilian Zouk event actually fits you right now? Gui went to his first full marathon and danced ten hours, and he was less tired than after a normal event day. When I heard that, it matched something I'd felt for years but never said out loud. So Gui, Adayl Iost and I finish our event map, educational events, holiday events, and dance marathons, so you can pick wha...

What's the best Brazilian Zouk event for you right now, an expo, a weekender, or a retreat? Gui Prada, Adayl Iost and I will be honest about what each one is actually for. An expo is a taste of the whole world: you get a taste of everything, but not enough time with a teacher to understand their methodology. Gui calls the big expo a franchise fair. His example is Interfusion in DC: more than a...

Is your Jack and Jill placement actually telling you how good you are at Brazilian Zouk? I don't think it is. And I judge these competitions. Gui Prada, Adayl Iost and I pull apart two things people treat as one dance: social dancing on the floor, and dancing in a Jack and Jill. They are not the same. I'll put my hands up here. For my first six or seven years of Jack and Jill, I competed l...

Brazilian Zouk has a problem nobody says out loud: people are social dancing like they're doing a demo, and it's quietly killing the thing that made us fall in love with this dance. I used to go to socials and not get a single dance. Not one. I was too busy watching, and Gui Prada, Adayl Iost and I landed on what that makes us: social dance stalkers. Back before YouTube, the only way to ge...

In this episode, the hosts of ZoukNerds conclude their season four recap by delving into the significant topic of 'bolsistas' in Brazilian dance, discussing its past and present relevance. Alisson Sandi, Gui Prada, and Adayl Iost explore the merits and challenges of the scholarship system, specifically its application in current dance schools. They also dive deep into different teaching me...

In this episode of ZoukNerds, Alisson Sandi and his co-hosts recap Season 4, discussing key interviews and topics, focusing on the differences between being a local and traveling teacher. Joined by Gui Prada in São Paulo and Adayl Iost in Portland, they delve into issues like local teacher recognition, cultural influences on teaching, the importance of local dance communities, and challenges faced...

In this engaging episode of ZoukNerds, host Alisson Sandi together with co-hosts Gui Prada and Adayl Iost continues the conversation with renowned Brazilian Zouk dancers Pedro and Ana from Rio de Janeiro who now reside in Toronto. The discussion delves into balancing professional partnerships, social dancing, and personal life challenges, including being far from family and their journey within th...

In this episode of ZoukNerds, hosts Alisson Sandi, Gui Prada, and Adayl Iost interview Pedro and Ana, talented dancers from Rio de Janeiro now residing in Toronto, Canada. They discuss the challenges and joys of building a successful dance partnership, their journey from starting in Brazilian Zouk to becoming established teachers, and their transition to life in Canada. They also share insights on...

In this episode of ZoukNerds, hosts Alisson Sandi, Gui Prada, and Adayl Iost continue their interview with Leandro and Nayara. They delve into the unique, inclusive teaching methodology developed by Leandro and Nayara, exploring how it caters to students of different skill levels and interests. The discussion includes how this approach was adapted post-pandemic and its implementation in their trav...