Kona’s first-ever All Zouk Night social will be held 8-11 p.m. Sunday at Mad Marlin Sports Bar.
Taking part in “1001 All Zouk Night” is instructor from Tennessee Brad Meccia, who has been on the Big Island since the beginning of the month leading an intensive series in Holualoa. A Zouk demo will be presented by Meccia and Marie Snyder, who will share their passion for Brazilian Zouk and educate the community about the beautiful and sensual dance.
Brazilian Zouk is a partner social dance that evolved from Brazil’s Lambada with the fusion of Caribbean music roots from Guadalupe and Martinique. Zouk means “to party” in Creole, and the dance is fun, sensual and energetic. What distinguishes Zouk is the sensual connection in the partnering work, as it combines modern dance contact improvisation techniques as well as a close relationship to the musicality of the song played. Coming from Lambada, which means “wave,” the movement of the dance is undulating, flowing and care-free, like ocean waves. Zouk can be danced to many different kinds of music inlcuding R&B, pop, country, techno and Jawaiian.
Snyder has been dancing Zouk since 2011 and was trained by Jeremey Adam Rey, of Raw Zouk, Kim Rottier, of ZoukNY, and master teachers Larissa Thayene, Evelyn Magyari and Solange Diaz, as well as many other Brazilian visiting guest teachers. She is a professional modern dancer, choreographer, educator and scholar, with a doctorate in art education from Columbia University and is the artistic director of Tangerine Dance Collective.
She has been dancing professionally for more than 32 years and published the first book on Zouk in the U.S., “The Art and Sensuality of Brazilian Zouk Dancing.”
Meccia found Brazilian Zouk by chance in October 2010 and quickly fell in love withthe freedom and flow of the dance and started intensive training. He has served as an assistant instructor at ZoukEra dance company, spent four years traveling to train with as many artists as possible, and in 2014, founded his own company, Armada Zouk, which now hosts weekly classes, socials, and choreography training. In addition to dance, he has earned a doctorate in biomedical engineering with a focus in biomechanics that gives him a unique background in understanding how the body is designed to move and function.
A $5 entrance fee applies and no partner is required for Sunday’s event.
Info: Marie Snyder (609) 57-2349, www.alohazoukhi.weebly.com.