Global Samba: Interview with Elisa Phillips

Post written by Laura Cococcia. You can follow Laura on Twitter.

For 13 years, I was a ballet dancer. It was many moons ago and I eventually joined a ballet company. Those were some of the most amazing years of my life, despite the tutus.

Since then, I’ve danced a lot in my lifetime – some good, some bad – but always fun. Ballet was the only formal dance instruction I ever had, but I’ve recently made an effort to learn more about the larger world of dance, especially from those who live, love and breathe the dance culture.

Elisa is one of them. I’m thrilled that I had the chance to interview Elisa – a TJCC Contributor and creator of the Global Samba project. Through her work, Elisa’s goal is to bring together the community of people who are fueling the culture, dance and energy of samba.

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Laura: Absolutely love your project! I know you’ve always loved and been involved in samba, but what prompted you to launch Global Samba?

Elisa: Brazilian dance, music and culture fascinate me, and dance has been a big part of my life for many years. When I got involved in samba about 2 and a half years ago it wasn’t as easy as I thought to find the kind of info I was looking for in one place. I love learning about new forms of dance – where dance, music and culture originated from and people are involved. I hope Global Samba will provide interesting and useful information and bring people together to share and enjoy the world of samba.

Laura: I admit that I know very little about samba. Of course, now that your site is up, I’m sure I’ll receive the best education. How did you first start learning about samba?

Elisa: When I traveled to Brazil in 2004 is when I felt a connection to the culture and dance. But I actually didn’t start dancing right after my trip, since I was very involved in salsa dancing at the time. One of the dance schools in San Francisco had a samba class, so I dropped in – and the rush I felt when I was in Brazil, came back.

Learning to samba dance is so much fun, however it did take me weeks just to get the basic step right. It may have been because I threw myself into an advanced class thinking, I know how to dance, I’ll pick it up quickly.

If you are a natural dancer and understand movement and choreography you will be fantastic.

If you think you have two left feet, take a beginner class and just have fun. It’s really about enjoying the music and the energy.

Laura: Even though I will probably trip over my feet, where can I find out more about classes in NYC (and other places, for those who are elsewhere?)

Elisa: Laura, you have lots of rhythm! I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Quenia Ribeiro, a professional dancer and teacher of samba dance for over 20 years. She is from Rio de Janeiro but has been living in NYC for the past 8 years. She teaches samba classes at the Alvin Ailey Dance Studio on W 55th Street. I highly recommend checking out her class.

For other areas, I am trying to take on the task of putting together a global top samba school list. I do need the help of the community to accomplish this. The way I found the samba school I am currently attending in London was searching online and reading a lot. For me it was important to learn from amazing teachers who are authentic. They don’t have to be Brazilian, but they have to know how to move like one.

Laura: What’s the one thing you’d like to share about how you think samba – or even the world of dance – positively impacts our culture?

Elisa: I think dance is a way to connect to a culture and tell a story. Just as we had orators, dance is an expression of cultural history that can be told through movement. Samba dance also lends itself to creativity and the emergence of new styles as cultures change and develop.

One of the biggest impacts on Brazilian culture was the emergence of Carnaval. The Europeans established the festival of Lent to celebrate flesh and food before people had to give it up for 40 days. They incorporated the dance and music from the Afro-Brazilians and today one of the largest events in Brazil is Carnaval. Since then, Carnavals have been established all over the world, some with Brazilian roots and others from cultures who settled in new areas.

Last weekend, I participated in The Notting Hill Carnaval in London – so much fun! The bateria (drumming band) was fantastic and all of the dancers looked amazing with their feathery costumes.

One of my favorite parts was after the Carnaval when everyone gets together for a pagode, which is a party where people eat, drink, sing, play more music and dance!

There are 3 more Carnavals coming up in the U.S. for those who are interested:

NY – September 7th, Miami – Oct 7-11 and Jacksonville, FL – October 24-26.
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For more information about Elisa and Global Samba, you can visit the site and follow Global Samba on Twitter.

Tagged as: Dance, Elisa Phillips, Global Cultures, Interviews, Laura Cococcia