Dance and Travel

Is Paris still impressionist? Yes, despite time passing by, it has somehow conserved the allure of Impressionism which still attracts a lot of tourists all around the world coming to visit Paris, and Montmartre neighbourhood, in particular. Antoine Blanchard - Le Moulin Rouge, Place Blanche a Montmartre Recently, I have spent 2 months working in Paris, and living in Montmartre. One of my favourite hobbies was wandering among Montmartre neighborhood streets, got lost in them, discovering ancient building, restaurants or cafes, and learning their history. Impressionism has always been my favourite artistic movement, and Montmartre is its birthplace. What a perfect combination for me! However, what is “Impressionism”? According to the Collins dictionary Impressionism is a style of painting developed in France between 1870 and 1900 chiefly by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley, which concentrated on showing the effects of light on things rather than on clear and exact deta...

“Quem dança é muito mais feliz” (The one who dances is much more happier) People dancing forro in the Streets of Amsterdam This is actually the biggest truth I have ever experienced in my life. However, I am not referring to any kind of dance, I am referring to a couple dance called Forró , which is intimately link to idea of happiness, good vibes and joy of sharing moments with others. What is forró? It is a Brazilian dance typical of the North-West Region of Brazil.  It is associated to various types of popular North-Western music such as baião, quadrilha, xaxado, which have Portuguese influences.  It is played traditionally by three people a "Sanfoneiro" (the person who plays the "sanfona" which is the accordion), a zabumbeiro (the person who plays “zabumba”, a type of bass drum).  The player wears the drum while standing up and uses both hands while playing) and a musician who plays a metallic triangle (triangulo). The three instruments o...