IF IT LOOKS SO EASY, why does it feel so difficult? That’s what I ask myself as sweat runs down my forehead. My T-shirt is stuck to my body, I am gasping for air. I tell myself these hardships won’t stop me. I am on a mission: to learn how to dance the samba…
It’s February 2019, and I had arrived in Brazil a few days prior, having picked the Carnival season for my vacation. I’m from Rhineland in Germany, and I love Carnival. Countless times during the celebrations in Cologne, I’ve partied in pubs dressed as a bear, a banana, or a cow. I have boozed, kissed, and danced my way down Zülpicher Strasse with people from France, Spain, and Colombia.
So I thought it would be great to experience Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Carnival. In Brazil the celebration has Catholic roots as an annual feast before the 40-day fasting period of Lent. It has since transformed into one of the world’s biggest festivals, with costumed dancing groups called blocos parading on the streets.
I especially wanted to join the grand finale parade at the Sambódromo stadium and do the samba with thousands of dancers, cheered on by tens of thousands of spectators. For me, that would be the crowning glory. And making that happen sounded very simple: register with one of the samba schools that is allowed into the Sambódromo, buy the proper outfit, and rehearse.
This story is from the February 2022 edition of Reader's Digest UK.
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This story is from the February 2022 edition of Reader's Digest UK.
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