If you already did your first Zouk class, and want to review a few things or understand better. Or maybe you want to get ready for your first class ever... This article may be useful for you!
One of the biggest reasons, why some struggle so much at the beginning of learning this dance, is the lack of understanding the rhythm, and rules of body weight transfer that follows.
Let's try to break down a few things!
All the explanation here will be for the steps when we are dancing as a leader. For the follower, steps will be exactly the same but starting from a different phase. Follower does the reflection of leaders steps, which means, if leader starts going backward with his left foot, the follower will step forward with her right foot (when we are standing in a basic position facing each other).
The most important rule to remember is that we don't do 'empty steps', with every step we transfer body weight!!! So if you are standing straight with legs together, to be prepared for basic step (to go into first Slow - 1, backward with your left foot) you need to shift your body weight on the right foot/leg/hip. It's like resting on your one leg when you are waiting for the bus ;)
Before you even start any step, remember about your posture! Stay straight, in an elegant, proudly open chest, with engaged stomach and back muscles. Put all weight on left leg, feet slightly apart, and knees soft. Your arms should be held naturally by your side, elbows slightly lifted in basic Latin position.
1. The first step, SLOW, is a step with our left leg backward. It's a long, smooth step, where at the end we need to be standing fully on this leg. It means with the first step our body weight is transferred from the Right Leg to the Left Leg.
2. The second step, first QUICK, we are going back with our right leg, you want to reach the level of your other foot, or be slightly behind. With this step, our body weight is transferred again to the right.
3. The third step, second QUICK, it's only change of the body weight from right to the left, without any additional step! It's just a rocking motion when we push our body weight from back to the front. This last step is to set free our back leg, so we are ready to perform the next step starting from the right leg.
The second part of the basic step for leaders is the first part for followers! When we are dancing in front of each other, the follower will start their basic with the right leg forward!
4. Fourth step, SLOW, is the step with our right leg forward. It's again 'long step' after which our body weight is transferred from L to the R. Left leg is free of body weight.
5. Fifth step, QUICK, we are going forward with the left leg, to reach the level of your right foot or slightly further in front. Body weight is transferred on the left leg, right is free of body weight.
6. Sixth step, QUICK, is the end of the basic step, without any step we just shift our body weight from front to the back, the same analogy as with the second Quick. This step sets free our Left Leg, so we can repeat the cycle from the beginning.
But where is Slow and where is Quick in the music??? - Music & Rhythm
Why do we love to dance Zouk so much? Because of the amazingly wide range of music you can dance to!
You can dance it to any music with a 4/4 beat, like hip hop, rap, trap, electronic, lyrical, indie, rock, pop - and of course, Kizomba and Zouk music.
Check my Spotify Zouk playlist here to see some music examples!
Below you can hear very clear Zouk beat. Try first to listen to it.
Usually, the tempo of the Zouk music is in a rage of 80-120 beats per minute. Rather slow music. Listen to a few different songs to hear the similarities in beat and try to analyze differences. After you can ask yourself the question: where is the 'SLOW', first step to go? A long step, 'slow' is performed on 1, first strong beat & pause, and 'quick quick' is performed on the next two following beats.
1,_,3,4
The 1 in the 8 count feels always like a huge, low drop in the music. It's usually the first strong bass beat in the count. If you struggle to find 1 in the count, there are different exercises. The easiest thing you can do is to practice counting out loud 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 in the song. Here you can find some good example of counting beat in the song and finding 1, here another nice video from Rumba dance.
One of the great examples of Brazilian Zouk music, where you can hear the difference in 3&4 is a song Tempastade by Well. Check it in the link below!
Did you notice the structure of Tempastade song beat?
Zouk vs Kizomba music
Kizomba is in 4/4 time - which means that there are four beats to every measure. The larger cycle in the music revolves around 4 measure cycles, each measure has four beats.
Most of Kizomba songs have a beat that hits each count 1, 2, 3, 4. It makes it sound much stronger, and more constant then Zouk.
Listen to the music examples below and try to count the beat.
It is possible to dance Zouk to Kizomba music, however, it will be slightly rushed tempo to dance to.
Kizomba has a faster beat than Zouk, so it pushes us to do basic step faster also.
Slower Kizomba, more Zoukable it is. You can find songs which are perfect for both, like the one below of Dj Kakah.
Music evolves, just the same as the dance, it becomes more complex to point out all the details and characteristics. In the examples above I focused on the main beat only. It's just a simple guide, to understand basic differences.
Brazilian Zouk History
I hope this small introduction was helpful and we will see each other on the dance-floor!
1. Pictures: Shaun Spiteri Photography
3. Here you can read a very essential post about Brazilian Zouk history, written by 'Zouk Father' - Adilio Porto.
4. Brazilian Zouk Dance Council - identifying brazilian zouk rhythm.