When samba duo Adrian Roytberg and Anna Jgenti joined us on the Wonderama stage, we were blown away by their energy, their passion, and their talent. Anna told us that she loves samba because it lets her express herself, and Adrian made it clear that samba competitions can get pretty fierce. The pair also does cha-cha, ballroom, and rumba forms of dance, but it’s samba that captured our hearts and made us want to get up a move in the performance below.
Developed in Brazil in the 1800s, samba is a lively and celebratory dance style characteristic of Carnival processions in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. It can be done solo or in pairs, as with Anna and Adrian, and competitive forms of ballroom-style samba incorporate elements of many different South American dance styles. Quick steps, swaying movements, and upbeat rhythms are all a part of samba… but why describe it when you can see for yourself? Check out Adrian and Anna’s amazing performance and see how long you can keep from dancing along: I bet it won’t be more than a second or two!