I grew up dancing ballet for 14 years. I always loved dance, but it never quite felt like it was mine.
In college, I rediscovered dance on my own terms. I found salsa and bachata, and fell in love. I took my first zouk class while studying abroad in Valencia, then decided to take a leap and bought a ticket to a festival in Lisbon. Then I was hooked…
Zouk is like a drug. Once you feel the freedom and euphoria of it, nothing else compares. Dance has become a sort of reset for me. A way to come back to myself.
What makes zouk special is that it’s truly for everyone, and every different lead and follow brings something unique because the dance reveals what is already inside of them.
I’m so excited to be a part of the zoukphoria revival and help co-create a community that makes zouk accessible to people from all walks of life and welcome people into a world that has brought me so much joy ❣️
#brazilianzouk #thingstodonyc #nycdance #nyczouk #zoukphoria
reflecting on this beautiful dance and how deeply grateful I am for:
- all the laughter and sparks of joy 🤩
- the privilege of exploring play, connection, trust, flow, and comfort in a space that makes me feel so held and so human 🥰
- every dance partner, friend, teacher, and student with whom I’ve learned and grown — both on the dance floor and in life. Thank you for the lessons and the love ❤️
i found Brazilian Zouk when i was trying to feel anything other than heartbreak.
i didn’t know what i was doing. i didn’t know anyone in the room.
but something in the way people moved—soft, connected, unforced—felt like a language my body had been waiting to remember.
so I showed up, quietly at first,
and somewhere along the way, it became everything to me.
Zouk, to me, has never been about being the best.
it’s about that moment when you stop performing and start listening—
to yourself, to your partner, to something deeper than both.
i’ve spent the past few years learning, growing, trying to understand what makes this dance feel the way it does when it’s honest.
and now, I feel ready to give something back.
i’m working on building spaces that feel less like stages and more like experiences—
where connection matters more than perfection,
where the music carries you even if you don’t know the steps,
where you can remember why you fell in love with this dance in the first place.
this isn’t about being the best dancer in the room.
It’s about remembering who you are.
tickets for april event in zoukphoria bio 💫
Brazilian Zouk on Iranian music, danced by New Yorkers ❤️ @arjunhrao and Hanna dancing ‘Red Rose’ by @saaren_music 💚 Filmed at the end of ‘Zouk Loves Tango’ dance social by @partyclassical , on 2026-2-27, venue @stmarksyoganyc - @zouknewyork #nyczouk #zouknyc #nycdance
THANK YOU FOR A LIT ZOUK HEAT 2025…….
……….We are elated & excited to share the media from this year’s festival. We’ve got lots of pics & lots more of social dance vids we’ll be sharing here & on our official FB page (link in bio). BE SURE TO FOLLOW!
Lit Day Party vibes…..yes: DAY PARTIES ARE A THING AT ZOUK HEAT! ☀️
🔥 We’ll see you at ZOUK HEAT 2026: APRIL 9-13, 2026 🔥
————— ZOUK HEAT 2026 TICKETS ARE LIVE! —————
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📸: @media_rebel
💃🏼: @arjunhrao & @tinawang320
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#socialdancetv #brazilianzouk #dancefestival #zoukheat #dayparty
Back in July, the lovely @tinaliu225 and I danced to this song for the first time. We had some movements in mind, but didn’t choreograph anything. I wanted it to feel and look like a social dance, because improvising and constantly listening and adjusting to your partner’s suggestions and reactions is part of the magic of zouk for me. 🥰
Thanks to @irene.mou for inviting us 🥳 to perform at @friday_night_fever_nyc , a ballroom social I used to frequent back in the day.
Thanks to Tina for practicing and playing with me, the contact improv really paid off 😆❤️
1 - I was nervous and just needed a hug
2 - whee counterbalance
3 - the end
4 - Irene kindly gave us roses, I gave mine to my grandma later 🙂
