Join us in bringing the joy of forró to Cornwall and growing a community of dancers.
Barefoot Forró isn’t a dress code — it’s an approach: dancing with ease, connection, and openness. Everyone is encouraged to try both leading and following, whatever their gender.
Finances should never get in the way — we just need to cover costs, so practices are by donation and workshops with visiting teachers are flexibly priced.
What is Forro
Forró is both a music genre and a social partner dance that comes from the Northeast of Brazil.
Music: Rooted in rural traditions, it blends accordion, zabumba (a type of bass drum), and triangle to create a rhythmic, driving sound. Styles like xote, baião, and arrasta-pé shape the mood, from slow and romantic to fast and festive.
Dance: Typically danced in pairs, it moves between close embrace—echoing tango with playful, syncopated footwork and spins and turns like Salsa. It’s quickly accessible to beginners and allows for rich improvisation which is why the dance continues to develop as it is influenced by other styles.
Culture: More than entertainment, Forró is tied to community life and regional identity in Brazil. It’s danced in village squares, and urban clubs, bringing together people across generations.
Its inclusive, joyful spirit has helped it spread worldwide, with forró communities growing across Europe and beyond.
ANd now Barefoot Forro is inviting you to make it happen in Cornwal
Some examples of forro
Mardio Costa & Igor Santo
Joyful, full of surprise — improvising steps, and digging the rhythm. A great example of Forro playfulness
Felipe Abreu & Brenda Atunes
Feel the heat 🌞 Imagine Cornish coves with dancing like ❤️ Filipe will be teaching the first Forro workshop in Cornwall.
Joice Soare & Ellen Caroline
A beautiful example of listening to the essential connection. A reason why some people who like contact improvisation enjoy Forro
Joice Soare & Ellen Caroline
Love this mixing of delicate grooves & tricksy moves. sweet ending too. From instagram comments this was at 7 am after a full night’s dancing
Barefoot Forro 