The Samba Dance Academy Presents:
Rhythm, Art & Sensuality!
Hip Brazil Samba for Solstice Parade 2019
In-Studio Samba Dance Workshop for the SB Summer Solstice Parade!
JOIN & PERFORM WITH US!
Experience the Sensuality, the Joy and the Rhythm of SAMBA
This is the official home for the Hip Brazil Samba Group, In-Studio Workshop for the SB Solstice Parade with Vanessa Isaac, OPEN for all levels of dancers in Santa Barbara or close by!
(Photo Above by Dave Donaldson)
PLEASE BE SURE TO READ ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE BEFORE JOINING!
ALL REHEARSALS AND MEETINGS ARE MANDATORY!
General Information
Information in a Nutshell
Mandatory Orientation: Friday, April 26 at Brasil Arts Cafe at 6:30 to 9:30pm. All dancers must be there. Address: 1230 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA
Rehearsals Begin: Monday, April 29 at 7:30 to 9:30 pm, at Santa Barbara Dance Arts. Address: 531 E Cota St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Mandatory Workshop & Rehearsal Dates:
Mondays, 7:30-9:30pm April 29, May 6, 13 (first three rehearsals)
Mondays: 7-9pm May 20, 27 & June 3, 10, 17.
Wednesdays, 7-9pm, May 22, 29 & June 5, 12, 19.
* All Mondays and Wednesday rehearsal are at Santa Barbara Dance Arts. Address: 531 E Cota St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
PLUS:
- June 15, Saturday (Mandatory and very IMPORTANT): 11:00 to 5pm. Location TBD. This will be an outdoor rehearsal.
- June 21, Friday - NOTE: Afternoon to early evening with live drummers. After 2pm, exact time and place TBD. Not a physically demanding rehearsal that Friday, but we must get together with all musicians. Many musicians are coming from out of town with the drummers as well as our music director and arranger and this will be our ONLY chance to run the entire piece with them (ask for your afternoon off from work ahead of time and please be FLEXIBLE about the exact time of rehearsal times that day).
The Solstice Parade is Saturday, June 22, at noon. All performers need to be ready at 10am and ready to perform.
Important NOTE: ALL REHEARSALS ARE MANDATORY. Once joined, there will be no refunds.
Please don't join if you a) cannot commit to ALL rehearsals, b) you can't commit to learn the parts and c) if you have a hard time accepting ANY specific placement during performance.
More Information: Out of town dancers, Virtual Samba Dance Academy students and guest artists WILL join the Parade.
Vanessa reserves the right to bring any dancer and artist onboard at any time at her own discretion to make the vision come alive.
SHINE BRIGHT!
BRING YOUR BEAUTY, TALENTS AND JOY TO THE SHOW!
For more than 16 years you saw the group dancing up State Street every year: a beautiful mass of dazzling sequins and feathers sweeping up a sunlit street. Hypnotic Brazilian beats created by a large group of drummers followed, filling the air with magic. It has always been a crowd favorite and became a Santa Barbara institution like Solstice itself.
Hip Brazil Ensemble (by the Samba Dance Academy) went on a hiatus in 2013 and was extremely happy to be back in 2018 and now again in 2019.
Last year show was amazing with more than 120 performers together including drummers who come from all over to join this beautiful Samba group.
Award-winning dancer and choreographer Vanessa Isaac - together with a beautiful team of dancers, musicians, guest artists and supporters, will bring Samba and Brazilian Dance to the parade this 2019 in true Hip Brazil style: joyful and passionate – with a multitude of mesmerizing moves, beautiful costumes and relentless rhythms.
Seasoned and beginning dancers and drummers alike will once again come together in one of the best community events the year has to offer.
YOU are invited and encouraged to join, as many of Hip Brazil’s dancers were inspired to join by first seeing this performance from the sidelines. All will attest it’s an experience like none other.
It's YOUR time to Shine bright and join the show.
*Photo: Hip Brazil Samba Dancer Shelby Anneliese Albrecht by Ciro Coelho
" I love this festival and its parade. Love. Because of a moment that happens each time. For me and for what seems the majority of the parade-goers the highlight of the procession is a group of dancers who are there every year, mostly girls and women, who move along in Brazilian dance....The shock is sudden and the passion that rises in the crowd is the same stuff you see in riots, but this is the sweet kind. The Female kind. You want to throw your heart out a window. Something's building and the crowd knows it and the dancers give everything they have. Their faces are bright and beckoning and take in the sun like honey....The drums seek out my heartbeat and my heartbeat seeks them back. I can't help but pull away from the curb and move into that snaking line of followers along the sidewalk... pressing through the throng to be alongside them... And take a bath in the sudden unbidden burst of bubbling booming cheers."
K. CATER
Writer/ Journalist
Samba Spirit
Dance is an art that expresses team work: collaboration, community, support and beauty!
Samba is about shinning from inside.
We are here to sparkle together!
Q & A
Q: Can beginner dancers join? A. Yes. This group is open to dancers with all levels of experience. Beginners to professional dancers are encouraged to join. Of course, a background in dance is helpful (any dance), however this is a supportive and sweet group where everyone helps each other. All we ask of you is a total commitment to learn Samba and the choreography, and to work hard. Please give 100% to the process of creating a beautiful show to the audience.
Q: Can I miss a rehearsal A. Absolutely NOT. This year we are more strict than ever. More than a "big group", we want the "right group" of super committed dancers. Missing classes will not be tolerated. Please don't join if you intend to miss any of the rehearsals.
Q: Can I miss orientation day? A: Orientation day is mandatory. This day you will meet other dancers, ask questions and get all the paper work done so when we start rehearsals on May 1 we can dance happy & free. Please make sure you come on time so we can get all paper work done. We are excited to meet you.
Q: Why do I have to pre-register? A: Space is limited so it will be first come-first served. Thanks for your understanding.
Q: What is included in the fee I am paying today? A: The fee today will cover all the workshops. NOTE: It does NOT include your costumes or the liability that the Summer Solstice Parade charges each performer. Ready -to-wear Costumes (body part) for ladies fee is $300 and Solstice liability is $15. Both are due by April 15. Please send a check assp of $315 total (made to Hip Brazil) to Hip Brazil, P.O. Box 90645 Santa Barbara, CA 93190/ Thank you!
About Costumes: There will be choices for dancers who want to show more or less skin, so please don't worry!
Q: Are there any scholarships available? A. Every year that we have participated in Solstice, Hip Brazil has offered a few scholarships to dancers who lacked funds. This year we have donated a few spots again for dancers that are committed to Samba (year-round) but cannot pay for the costs of classes. At this time we already have ALL spaces filled for scholarship for this season. We thank you for your understanding!
Q: I would love to sponsor a dancer. How can I do it? A. We would be thankful for your sponsorship and that would help us open more "seats" to dancers who want to participate but lack the funds to do so. You can either sponsor a specific dancer that you know or donate the cost and we will pass your generosity to a dedicated dancer. Your generosity is truly appreciated. Please contact Vanessa directly for more.
Meet the Team
(Note: More names as part of the team to be announced very soon!)
Vanessa Isaac - Artistic Director & Choreographer
Hello, I am Vanessa Isaac. A born-and-raised Brazilian performer, choreographer and dance educator, who absolutely loves sharing my culture, teaching Samba Dance and inspiring a lifestyle of beauty and joy. I am so humbled to have inspired thousands of dancers and women worldwide, from whom I get daily emails. It is wonderful to see dancers improve their skills, and to see women claiming their inner and outer beauty and becoming confident with their abilities.
I have performed and taught Samba and Brazilian Dance across the U.S.A, Europe and Brazil and have been a guest choreographer for many companies and productions. I have trained dancers who went on to become professionals, who joined and founded their own Brazilian dance companies. I love training Samba dancers!
I am grateful for the recognition that I have received over the years from the media and the dance and fitness industry.
My work has been featured on CNN Headline News, Fox TV and in numerous magazines and publications such as Dance Spirit, InStyle, Shape, Fitness, Women’s Health and Fitness, Weight Watchers, Sweat Magazine, and many others. I was also nominated for the prestigious Brazilian International Press Award in the Dance category.
One of my recent highlights was being invited to be one of the dance instructors and Samba performers at the first International Samba Congress in Los Angeles, CA. was honored to be a part of the event with top Samba professionals from all over the world.
For 2019, it's an honor to have been invited to teach in Monte Carlo, Monaco as a guest of the National Ballet company "Les Ballets de Monte Carlo" as part of their for their "Fête de la Danse" in March 2019. I am also happy to announce I am part of the faculty for the legendary California Brazil Camp in August
I am the creator & host of the Sexy, Samba Soul International Show, where I interview and showcase experts and dancers sharing Samba Dance and Brazilian Culture Internationally.
Through it all, my heart is dedicated to sharing the healing powers of dance, the undeniable beauty of Samba & Brazilian lifestyle and to shine light on the gorgeousness YOU possess. Samba on!
*Photos: Vanessa Isaac and Hip Brazil by Ciro Coelho (full body on top)
Vanessa Isaac by Gary Cartzdafner (headshot)
Marcus Santos: Arranger, Composer, Musician and Music Teacher
Contemporary percussionist and educator, Marcus is a native of Brazil. He commits his life to the study, teaching and performance of his hometown's Afro-Brazilian music and heritage. Marcus performed with several world renown artists such as the Gypsy Kings (Spain), Daniela Mercury (Brazil) and the Brand New Heavies (England). He has also performed for the president of Brazil, TEDx and with the “One World Band” produced by MTV. He has been honored with the 2013 KOSA Recognition award, Outstanding Arts Performer Award by the Brazilian Immigrant Center (2008) as well as Outstanding Percussionist Award College of Music in 2004. Marcus is the author of the DVD ‘Modern Approach to Pandeiro’ and performed in the music education DVD ‘Musically Speaking II’ by BOSE. Marcus has lead workshops on Afro-Brazilian percussion and music for Social Change in festivals, universities and conventions around the world such as Fiesta Del Tambor (Cuba), Carnegie Hall (NYC), PASIC (USA) and Harvard University. He is currently the artist director of the Grooversity global drumming network project that includes twenty four drumming groups from the US, Canada, Germany, Mexico and France.
This is his third year part of the Hip Brazil Music team.
Matt Wright: Drummer's Leader Music Director
Matt Wright is a band leader, a Brazilian bateria leader, improvising composer/musician, computer music researcher, and the Technical Director of Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). He directed the Santa Barbara Samba School and founded and directed the UCSB Afro-Brazilian Ensemble, teaching and performing samba, samba afro, samba reggae, maracatu, afoxê, and many other Brazilian musical forms.
Matt was the Music Director and led drummers in the 2010-2014 Santa Barbara Solstice parades with Vanessa Isaac and Hip Brazil and came back in 2018 to successfully lead the bateria (drummers) again.
Photo: Matt Wright by Rob Roffman
Marcéu Lima, SB Drum Teacher and Leader
We are happy to have Marceu as part of our team helping Santa Barbara musicians get get read for the SB Solstice Parade. For those who would like to drum for the parade and are in the SB we highly recommend for you to start learning and rehearsing the rhythms and parts with him. You may contact Marcéu directly at [email protected] for more information.
Marcéu Lima grew up in a small town in Bahia, Brazil, where he has been influenced by his family that, for generations, has expressed their culture through rich musical manifestations. From a young age, Marcéu began practicing Capoeira and playing music with his family and his community. Marcéu is well-versed in wide range of musical styles from Reggae to Forró to traditional Afro-Brazilian Rhythms including Maracatu, Ijexá, Côco, Samba and much more. He recently moved to Santa Barbara, CA and is eager to begin a Percussion study group in order to spread his knowledge of this rich culture and to create a strong community around artistic and musical manifestations
Music Team (Percussion/Bateria)
I am so happy to have these musicians with us again: Marcus Santos & Matt Wright. Calling all drummers around the world to join this beautiful event. This year percussionist Marceu Lima is our Santa Barbara contact for classes and rehearsals in the SB area. Contact: [email protected]
* Drummers out of town please contact Marcus Santos or Matt Wright to join the group if you have their contact first. If you don't have their contact please email [email protected] to learn how to join.
Please Reserve Your Place Below with Our Payment Options!
Join today. Space limited!
NOTE: This fee does NOT include your costumes or your Solstice registration. The options below are for the workshops (plus overhead) ONLY and to reserve your space. IMPORTANT: Costumes $300 + Solstice Liability $15. Both are DUE NOW too paid by check or cash only. Please send a check of $315 made to Hip Brazil, P.O Box 90645 SB, CA 93190.
We will love to dance and create a beautiful show with you!
One Time Payment
$410
One Time Payment
Last Spots While spots are available.
Space limited. Join today!
NOTE: NO REFUNDS, for any reason. Thanks for your understanding. This fee does NOT includes your costumes and liability for Solstice (read below please).
Don't Forget Samba Queens
Important: Costumes $300 + Solstice Liability $15. Deadline to pay for Costume and Solstice Liability is April 15 (meaning we must have received your payment to be able to order your costumes). No exceptions. Thank you!
Please send a check of $315 made to Hip Brazil P.O Box 90645 SB, CA 93190.
Guest Artists and Groups
All guest artists and groups still to be announced. They will be added on this section below and I am very thankful for the collaborations and expertise, beauty and energy that each artist and group brings to this show!
Capoeira Sul Da Bahia with Contra Mestre Chin
Capoeira Sul da Bahia has been in Santa Barbara since of the year of 2000. Contra Mestre Chin has dedicated his life to capoeira and take his teachings as well as his students very seriously. Their mission is to spread the tradition and art of capoeira and its roots to everyone, children and adults alike. I am so happy to have this group back collaborating with us. They are family to me. Over our parade years Capoeira Sul da Bahia have enhanced our shows by adding the beautiful art of capoeira and Maculele to our show and now they are back.
BellyDance Land with Cris
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
Arts Mentorship Program
Allana Tillim
Brasil Arts Cafe
WHY SAMBA?
SAMBA CAN HELP YOU FEEL JOYFUL FROM THE INSIDE OUT, POWERFUL AND SENSUAL IN YOUR FEMININITY. MAKE SAMBA YOUR LIFESTYLE!
Male Samba Dancers are Welcome Too!
Calling all "Malandros" to Join our Group!
JOIN THE BEAUTY & JOY OF SAMBA
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR HIP BRAZIL FOR SOLSTICE
Above Hip Brazil Dancer Paul Christian Nguyen by Chris La Rosa
Photographers (Gratitude to you). If any credit for photos is missing contact us and we will add the credit for your work. Many thanks!
Vanessa's work has been featured in/on:
