What is Forró Roots Style?
- Rafael Piccolotto de Lima
- Jul 3, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Forró Roots is a relatively recent dance approach within the forró scene that has become increasingly influential among forrozeiros worldwide; a specific niche of forró dancers.
But why do people call it Roots if it is a new style? You might ask. If you’d like to zoom out and understand where this style fits within the broader history of the dance, this overview helps connect the dots: → What is forró? Origins, music, and cultural evolution
The beginnings of a new dance style
The title (Roots) relates to the origins of the style. It developed in Brazil in the 2010s in parties and events that favored traditional (older style) songs, the musical “roots” of forró.
The exact origins of the style are hard to pinpoint, but many forrozeiros agree that the Itaúnas Forró Festival and the Rootstock Forró Festival played a big part in its natural evolution.
Because this movement is still relatively recent and continues to evolve, many aspects of its history and identity remain open to interpretation. Different dancers, teachers, and communities may describe its development in different ways depending on their experiences and connection to the scene. The perspectives shared in this article are based on observations, conversations, and experiences gathered over the years rather than a definitive historical account.
The name “Roots” likely came from people referring to dancers who preferred these traditional forró songs and would attend Rootstock festivals and similar events.
Precursors of the style
Years before anyone started referring to this way of dancing as “Roots Style,” many dancers were already dancing in ways that could be considered indirect precursors of this new style.
I remember going to forró parties in my hometown of Campinas in the mid and late 2000s and seeing some people dancing a little differently than most. Most people there were dancing what we call Forró Universitário, but a small number of experienced dancers would use fewer open turns and include small kicks and walks as part of their repertoire. If you’re not familiar with what defines Universitário style, this breakdown gives a clear reference point for comparison: → What is Forró Universitário Style?
These forrozeiros would go to a dance venue in São Paulo called Remelexo, where a different way of dancing was emerging. We used to refer to these dancers as “Paulistinha.”
One of the prominent figures of this movement was Evandro Paz, a dance instructor at Remelexo. In conversations with him, he referred to his style as “Forró Balada” or “Forró Urbano,” a style suited for crowded forró parties in São Paulo.
His style is different from what we consider Roots today, but it pointed to another way of dancing compared to the Pé-de-Serra/Universitário style.
As with this example, we can imagine a similar phenomenon happening in other cities and forró venues. The constant exchange of experiences at parties and festivals creates the ideal environment for the natural development of new ways of dancing.
Forró Roots Style dance characteristics
The style uses a different repertoire of movements and body language compared to the Universitário style developed in prior decades (the 1990s and 2000s).
While Forró Universitário was influenced by social dances that favor open-position turns, such as Salsa and Samba-Rock, Forró Roots favors movements in close position, influenced by styles such as Samba de Gafieira and Tango, often involving walks and intricate partner footwork.
Roots is a style that continues to evolve and has a natural crossover with Forró Pé-de-Serra (Universitário). Because of that, it is difficult to isolate it as a completely separate dance, especially considering the variety you see on the dance floor at forró parties.
That being said, these are some common characteristics among Roots dancers:
Focus on close-position movements
An embrace that varies in angle and proximity, allowing different types of body contact and space for footwork
Movements focused mostly on the lower body (especially legs and feet)
Less activity in the upper body and arms (compared to Universitário style)
Use of sacadas de perna (leg lifts)
Use of walks, interrupted walks, and turns in close position
Use of contratempos (upbeats) and footwork ornaments
Preference for mid-tempo songs that support the energy of the footwork. Very slow xotes and extremely fast forrós, xaxados, or baiões are usually avoided
Additionally, Roots dancers often favor the inverted turn (also called “Giro Paulista”). This turn was widespread in São Paulo during the Forró Universitário movement in the 2000s but lost popularity with the rise of 5-step turns used by schools like Pé Descalço. With Roots, it regains popularity and is now considered an emblematic movement of the style. If you want to see how these elements actually look in practice across different dancers and styles, I’ve analyzed many of these examples in detail: → Watch the Forró Dance React Series on YouTube
Higher entry point
This can be a sensitive and sometimes controversial topic.
While Forró Pé-de-Serra (Universitário) is known for being very welcoming, with a low entry barrier, Roots can feel quite different.
Forró Universitário tends to be forgiving technically; many movements can work even without refined technique. With just a few basic steps, beginners can already participate in social dancing. The overall attitude of dancers also tends to be very welcoming.
Forró Roots, on the other hand, often requires a higher level of technical control and more precise body language to execute its characteristic movements. This can make it less beginner-friendly than Universitário. The environment can also feel more demanding for complete beginners.
That being said, Universitário style can also become highly complex depending on the level and vocabulary explored. The main difference lies in the entry point, which is significantly lower. This shift in technical expectations and aesthetics is not accidental. It connects to broader changes in how forró has been taught and structured over time.
How about the music? Is there such a thing as Forró Roots music?
No.
Roots dancers tend to prefer certain types of forró music, as mentioned earlier, but those same songs can also be used to dance Forró Universitário or the traditional rural version of the dance - “dois pra cá, dois pra lá.”
There is no such thing as Forró Roots music.
That said, several forró DJs, especially those who play vinyl, curate their sets around music that fits well with Roots movement vocabulary, usually mid-tempo, rhythmically strong, “old school” tracks.
Roots variety
It is interesting to observe that dancers identified with Roots can still have very different styles.
Two contrasting examples - both guest teachers at recent Forró New York Weekend editions - are Daniel Marinho and Juruna.
While Marinho has a smooth, almost ballroom-like quality, Juruna brings a more groovy and rhythmically playful approach. Some people even refer to Juruna’s style as Itaúnas Style.
See videos below as examples:
Forró: a dance in constant evolution
It is increasingly common to see dancers blending elements from both Universitário and Roots within the same dance. Depending on the music and on the partner, dancers naturally shift between approaches.
I am one of these hybrid dancers, incorporating some Roots elements into a foundation that comes from the Pé-de-Serra (Universitário) style of the countryside of São Paulo, where I learned in the 2000s.
Other well-known dancers who navigate this crossover effectively include Milena Morais, Mardio Costa, Ícaro Abreu, Pamela Barrón, Victinho Maia, and Camila Alves, just to name a few.
Watching their dancing is one of the clearest ways to understand how these styles intersect in practice. If you want to see how these elements actually look in practice across different dancers and styles, I’ve analyzed many of these examples in detail.
If you’d like to understand how these characteristics relate to the broader mechanics of forró as a dance - including rhythm, connection, and movement structure - I’ve written a more general breakdown here:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rafael Piccolotto de Lima is the Founder and Educational Director of Forró New York, as well as a Latin Grammy-nominated composer, arranger, and music director.
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