Warsaw Zouk Festival 2025 Iago & Van dimension recap

15 Feb 2025 · 3 min

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3:05

In this workshop segment from the Warsaw Zouk Festival 2025, instructors Iago (Speaker A) and Van (Speaker B) introduce and demonstrate the Zouk concept of “dimensions.” They explain that a dimension is the repositioning of the slow step within a basic step without altering its timing, distinguishing it from changing the rhythm. The instructors outline a core footwork pattern—right, cross left, open right, close—to transition between dimensions, and they illustrate how the closing step can be executed laterally. They then explore three specific dimension variations: the corner dimension, the traveling dimension (the most common), and the middle dimension, each demonstrated with count patterns (quick‑quick‑slow) and crossing sequences (once, twice, three times). A key teaching point is that returning to the embrace on the spot—described metaphorically as a “black hole”—resets the dimension, allowing dancers to restart the basic step. Additional stylistic tips are offered, such as using a “piano” (small, compact movement) and incorporating “maderos” (sharp, percussive footwork) to please the music. The overall tone is instructional and enthusiastic, aiming to give dancers practical tools to expand their Zouk vocabulary.

Chapters

Record. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're smart. All right, beautiful people. So today we're working with dimensions. The idea of dimensions is putting the slow moment in a different position, but we are not speeding up or holding any step. That's why we don't change the timing that we are dancing, okay? We're just changing the position of the slow step. That's the idea of the dimension. That is different than changing the time. And then we did one footwork to every time transit from one dimension to the other. That is this footwork right here: right, cross the left, open the right, and close.
So four steps.
Okay. This close can be the lateral. That's what we did. So we did right. Cross, and then the opening is already the lateral to do the lateral in a different dimension. Okay, so we did for one dimension basic step. Slow,
queen, queen, slow, queen, lateral, slow, queen, queen, slow.
So here we have the dimension on the corner, corner,
corner.
If I if I cross two times, I will keep the same.
One, quick, quick, slow.
Two,
quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow.
This is dimension on the traveling. That's the one we all do. And then the third dimension crossing three times.
Boom, quick, quick, slow. One, quick. Two, three. This dimension is on the middle.
Okay, remember safe place.
Koala position.
If you go for the embrace and basic step on the spot, you will always reset the. Dimension, because on the spot is like a black hole, so we don't have dimensions right there. I don't know if this correctly saying scientifically, but that's it. So every time you come back on the spot, same place, and then you restart basic step again. Easy peasy. Okay? Don't need to be here on the spot. Can be a little piano. If you do a piano, then the maderos will love it. Ah. That's
it.
Yeah, that's it. One time directly.
Boom cha cha slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow queen queen slow.
Beautiful.