Instructor Rome David dances Kizomba with a student during class. | Photo by Anna-Cat Brigida
The sound of pulsing music and Portuguese lyrics blares out to the sidewalk outside Vanessa’s Positive Dance Studio on Monday nights in South L.A. Couples press close together, attempting to move as one unit, as they review new steps, with leaders signaling their partners to move forward or backward with just the slightest movement of the chest.
The students are learning Kizomba, a partner dance that originated in Angola, spread to Europe and has now taken hold in Los Angeles. The dance combines African rhythms with the sensual passion of Semba, a dance that originated in Angola and gave birth to Argentine Tango and Brazilian Samba.
“It’s a very sensual dance and really allows you to connect with your partner,” said Felicia Mello, who started learning Kizomba about a year ago. “It has an elegance to it that is different than some of the faster dances. That’s the beauty of it.”
Manual Arts High School journalism students created audio slideshows that showcased their dancing skills through photography and personal commentary. Select students danced to traditional Latin music, while others documented the activity with their cameras. After choosing the best photos, the class split up into teams to record their thoughts.
