Get Sensual
There’s sensual dancing, and then there’s Kizomba. This Angolan dance form is mesmerizing to watch, and its unavoidable sensuality is helping it spread across the world.
Kizomba is both a dance and a style of music which developed in Angola in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The dance derives strongly from Zouk, which we are more familiar with here, with its quick rhythm originating in the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Zouk drifted to Angola where it mixed with traditional Angolan music and samba. The word Zouk means party or festival. If Zouk is the party, Kizomba is what’s going on in the back bedroom.
As in so many sensually driven dances, the man’s leg spends much of the dance firmly lodged between the woman’s thighs; which is the iconic move of Kizomba. But don’t get it wrong: Kizomba is not a frantic, throw-me-around-the-dance-floor type of dance. It is the opposite; its sensuality resides in its steady simmer, never boiling too hot.
The woman leans into the man, resting all of her balance in his grip; he pulls her strongly, suddenly slowing as they near. This new dance with its intense sensuality can be problematic for newbies, if they aren’t used to dancing so close with another, especially not with a stranger. But popularity of the dance is growing fast these days as it draws in outsiders with its sensuality paired with the catchiness of the music. It is the perfect dance to get to know anyone… on a more intimate level!
Kizomba is now also hitting the shores of St. Maarten. Get prepared and find some online tutorials or check out local dance schools and teachers that are giving lessons. Three workshops will be starting this Saturday, November 21, at 2:00pm at Port de Plaisance Country Club. GET SENSUAL!
