Move Back
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In this Aug. 10, 2013 photo, Marcelly de Mello da Silva, 15, practices her "passinho," or "little step," moves at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho is a free-form style of dance that is catching on with young people all over the city. The dance borrows from various influences, including samba movements, break dance handstands, and is set to pounding beats on top of soulful hooks. Although Passinho has been around for years, it only recently gained momentum after the baile funk, preferred by drug traffickers, started disappearing during the pacification of the slums. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_10]()
In this Aug. 17, 2013 photo, beads of sweat form on teenage dancer Hilton Santos da Cruz Jr., after a âpassinho,â or âlittle step,â practice session at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho has been around for years, but it recently began spreading through social media, with dancers posting videos of their moves on YouTube and Facebook, sometimes drawing thousands of followers. The danceâs popularity has benefited from a police crackdown on another late night activity, more raucous âbaile funkâ parties often organized by criminal gangs and marred by drug use, violence and incidents of young girls being exploited. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_9]()
In this Aug. 17, 2013 photo, sixteen-year-old Hilton Santos da Cruz Jr., shows off his âpassinho,â or âlittle step,â moves in front of friends in a small plaza in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho has been around for years, but it recently began spreading through social media, with dancers posting videos of their moves on YouTube and Facebook, sometimes drawing thousands of followers. The danceâs new superstars include Cruz, known as âHiltinho Fantasticoâ or Fantastic Little Hilton. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_6]()
In this Aug. 17, 2013 photo, Hilton Santos da Cruz Jr. practices during a âpassinho,â or âlittle step,â session at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The danceâs popularity has benefited from a police crackdown on another late night activity, more raucous âbaile funkâ parties often organized by criminal gangs. In passinho gatherings, participants watch as performers square off against each other in choreographed duels. The danceâs new superstars include Cruz, known as âHiltinho Fantasticoâ or Fantastic Little Hilton. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_7]()
In this Aug. 17, 2013 photo, Marcelly de Mello da Silva, 15, shows off her "passinho," or "little step," moves to a young audience gathered in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho is a free-form style of dance that is catching on with young people all over the city. The dance borrows from various influences, including samba movements, break dance handstands, and is set to pounding beats on top of soulful hooks. Although Passinho has been around for years, it only recently gained momentum after the baile funk, preferred by drug traffickers, started disappearing during the pacification of the slums. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_2]()
In this Aug. 3, 2013 photo, a boy jumps in the air and grabs his foot while practicing a step from a dance form called "passinho," or "little step," at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho is a mix of sambaesque footwork, breakdance handstands, free spins and athletic acrobatics, all set to a music heavy on funk hooks laid over snare beats. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_4]()
In this Aug. 17, 2013 photo, Marcelly de Mello da Silva, 15, watches others pratice "passinho," or "little step," moves at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho is a free-form style of dance that is catching on with young people all over the city. The dance borrows from various influences, including samba movements, break dance handstands, and is set to pounding beats on top of soulful hooks. Although Passinho has been around for years, it only recently gained momentum after the baile funk, preferred by drug traffickers, started disappearing during the pacification of the slums. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_8]()
In this Aug. 10, 2013 photo, Hilton Santos da Cruz Jr, left, practices his hand movements while a friend springs off a wall during a âpassinho,â or âlittle step,â session at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The danceâs popularity has benefited from a police crackdown on another late night activity, âbaile funkâ parties often organized by criminal gangs. In passinho gatherings, participants watch as performers square off against each other in choreographed duels, while the baile funk parties tend to attract hundreds of revelers dancing in close contact. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_1]()
In this Aug. 10, 2013 photo, a young man balances his cap on his nose, a common "passinho," or "little step" move in front of friends at a makeshift dance studio in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho is a free-form style of dance that is catching on with young people all over the city. The dance borrows from various influences, including samba movements, break dance handstands, and is set to pounding beats on top of soulful hooks. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)![Brazil_Little_3]()
In this Aug. 17, 2013, a cell phone is plugged into a speaker at a makeshift dance studio during a âpassinho,â or âlittle step,â session in the Borel favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passinho is a mix of sambaesque footwork, breakdance handstands, free spins and athletic acrobatics, all set to a music heavy on funk hooks laid over snare beats. Music is provided by mostly low-fi sound equipment, sometimes just a smartphone in a dancerâs hand. Itâs a portable dance, with passinho âbattlesâ popping up anywhere thereâs enough space to do a handstand. (AP Photo/Nicolas Tanner)Dance Transforming Brazil’s Slums
The dance craze known as Passinho, a mix of sambaesque footwork, breakdance handstands, free spins and athletic acrobatics, all set to a music, is spreading like wildfire in Brazil’s slums.
Move Forward
- Dance Transforming Brazil’s Slums
