Move · Videos · Dance · 17 min

Brazilian Samba for Beginners: Warm-Up, Posture and Basic Step

Video by Sambaliscious on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Mishel, an Australian samba teacher who has performed as a muse at Rio Carnival, leads a head-to-toe warm-up, then teaches samba posture, the basic hip action in singles, doubles and triples, the basic and triple steps, and a short practice routine.

  • 17 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • No equipment
  • Latin

Good forDancing for fun

Step by step 10

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Warm-up: roll the shoulders back and forward, together and one at a time. 0:27
  2. Chest isolations: open and close the arms, then move the chest in, out and side to side. 1:50
  3. Move the whole body side, forward and back in a box, then circle it around. 3:03
  4. Stretch: reach and bend through the legs and open the hips. 4:00
  5. Hip isolations: knees bent, tilt the pelvis forward and back, side to side, then circle. 5:33
  6. Samba posture: shoulders back, ribs and belly drawn in, pelvis neutral and knees bent. 7:06
  7. Basic hip action: squeeze right and left glutes in singles, then doubles and triples. 8:45
  8. Basic step: a double bounce stepping back, keeping your weight on the back leg. 10:03
  9. Triple step: step, step, up, counted one-two-three, on the spot and travelling back. 12:30
  10. Practice routine: single, double and triple hips, then the steps going back. 13:45

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Roll the shoulders back, draw the ribs and belly in and keep the knees bent
  • Let the hip action come from bending the knees, not from pushing the hips out
  • Keep your weight on the back leg as you step back

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 1 take load

  • Knees takes loadbent-knee samba bounce, basic and triple steps
  • Shoulders movesshoulder rolls and arm openings
  • Upper back moveschest isolations, shoulder blades squeezed
  • Lower back movespelvic tilts and hip circles
  • Hips moveship isolations, glute squeezes, hip stretch
  • Ankles & feet movesstepping back onto the balls of the feet

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Sambaliscious; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety