In this class recap, instructors Iago and Ninna guide a group of Zouk dancers through a series of technical concepts focused on movement direction, body preparation, and arm energy. They begin by outlining the four possible "boom" directions—forward, side, backward, or staying in place—originating from the launch position. Emphasis is placed on leaders using leg placement and chest rotation, rather than arm or hand, to signal direction, and on followers coordinating weight transfer with leg steps. The instructors stress the importance of simultaneous preparation: leaders must begin preparing the next move while completing a weight transfer, and followers should maintain balance before advancing. Ninna introduces nuanced arm work, contrasting relaxed, spacious arm shapes with more toned, directional arms that can create subtle cues or resistance. Footwork for followers is “flattened,” involving a forward step, a half‑turn, and a return, while leaders are reminded to visually locate their partner’s future position to reduce latency. The class also touches on axis choices, maintaining space, and using pauses to modulate energy before leading turns. Throughout, the tone is instructional and supportive, encouraging dancers to integrate these cues fluidly.
Chapters
Let's start with the class, guys. Can we start? Yes or yes?
Yes, yes!
Okay, we start the class talking about the directions of the boom and the possibilities that we have. Okay, so whenever I go to the boom, I have the possibility to choose if I go forward, if I go to the side, if I go backwards, or if I stay in place. Okay, and we apply this coming from the launch position. So we did lateral.
I'm directing my step to my follower's direction, and we try to keep matching the transfer together here. Yes.
And in the lunge position, we have the possibility to choose. We work today in the class to the side like we normally do, side and turn and basics, and/or now we're working with the possibility to go backwards for the leaders, forward for the followers. Okay, so with this possibility, we're in this position here. Leaders, think about the preparation. So it's important to think that your leg You're gonna give the direction, and especially your chest. You're gonna rotate to indicate that you're gonna go to this direction, and then we go for the forward one step forward, one half turn on top of my base leg. I will turn and find my partner.
Okay, balance again to go for base. Yes, just one thing here, leaders and followers actually. My preparation is connected with my weight transfer. So when I transfer. I'm transferring, preparing. Yes, so I don't wait, I don't wait to finish the transfer to then prepare and go. I lose time. So I need to go already preparing to be able to continue. And leaders, when we prepare, and actually followers, you get to don't already going a little bit away in the attack. Try to just stay here, find this balance. You finish your turn, find this balance, and then you go forward. Yeah, so everything repeated here. 1, 2, Change three, four, and five, six, and then we did that you were preparing to this side to turn to the left. Now I prepare to the other side already. So see that I'm right again. Trust me, I'm already preparing to go to those foot in to return. I prepare, but now I change instead of go back. I change my direction to the side, opening space for the follower to return and base.
Leaders, remember that is not your. It's not your arm, it's not your hand that is bringing it forward, okay? You can do this without arms and hands. It's the rotation of the chest that is making it go. And followers, remember that you can go with your leg, and if you have space and time, you can transfer and step, okay?
Okay. Second thing we did about the energy in the arms, to change a little bit between the more relaxed and more available, to change the shape of the arms. And the second one is to create a little bit more tone, to use maybe some direction, Changes some direction of the chest or of the body. Okay, so it's kind of changing the shape of the hands. So sometimes I'm here and the only thing I want is just to play with the arms, or to play with the arms, but they sometimes create a new direction. If you're resisting, maybe I'm gonna feel some direction that you're not supposed to be. Then we did this from this position, preparing with my arms to go around when I arrive here. Needs to be relaxed. If I engage, feels like we lose space. I relax to have more space. Then we go 1, I offer my hands, 2, return.
Leaders, in this preparation here, remember, first thing, try to already see your follower in this other side, okay? If you still see the follower here in this side, it's gonna take too long. So you already see the follower in this side, and then you go. Here for the followers, what are we doing on footwork? We're gonna flatten our footwork. So it will go first step, direction forward, changing my direction, half turn, and I return, okay? Give some space, some limit with the head.
I go
there, touch, touch.
And then the second option is right now I go to the boom. I kind of do some moment, some pause to also change the energy of my arms, change the tone. And from here we can lead the turn and return. Yes, it's not about energy, it's not about position. So I'm here, I create a little bit more tone to return and go.
Remember that when you choose to do this on the axis, we will go Here until the next ball to go out. Okay, so everything was nothing.
Now and three, we go to right, change position, boom, ta, um, um. I will go there, change position there, and here, and here, and return back. Yes, guys.
