ZoukNerds • Learn | Build | Belong
by Alisson Sandi
The Brazilian Zouk podcast for dancers who overthink the dance. We overthink it with you.I'm Alisson Sandi — 3x Pro World Champion, Head Judge for the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council (BZDC), and Resident Lecturer for the MAC Project. I'll be honest: I was never a natural. I had to fight for every piece of this dance, and that fight is the reason I can explain it.Every week, Gui Prada and I — plus the occasional guest — talk about what classes don't cover: stalled progress, disappearing leaders, what connection really feels like.New episodes weekly, in audio and video.
Episodes
-
Starting a Brazilian Zouk Scene From Scratch
Community leaders tell Gui and me they can't grow their Brazilian Zouk scene because they're busy pleasing the people with power, some bosses, some mafia people. I don't think you need to. I think you need to please the dancers. This one's for anyone trying to start Brazilian Zouk in a city where...
-
What Is Frame in Brazilian Zouk, Really?
I apologised at the top of this one, because I know what the word does to people. "Fix your frame, your frame doesn't work, your frame is this, your frame is that." Nobody tells you which part of your body they mean. In Brazilian Zouk we use frame as an umbrella word for a pile of separate…
more -
How to Build a Dancer From the Floor Up
We put two people on the floor at a Brazilian Zouk teacher training and asked the room one question. These two are complete beginners, what do you fix first? Somebody said the timing, somebody said the posture, and then somebody said the torsion, so I had to stop everyone. "Hold on, slow down,...
-
Great Technique Won't Get You More Dances
I danced with someone I'd followed online for years, walked off the floor, and went to a dark corner to question every decision I'd ever made in my life. They're one of the best Brazilian Zouk dancers in the world, the dance was terrible, and like most of us do, I blamed myself. If you've ever…
more -
Stop Blaming Your Dance Students!
"I don't know what to do. My students don't wanna learn the foundations. Please help me." An organizer said that to me years ago, and it is the most common thing I hear in Brazilian Zouk. This one is for teachers and organizers who have said out loud that their students do not want the basics.…
more -
Lambada vs Brazilian Zouk: Is It One Dance?
Lambada is like the sun, you know? It spreads the brightness and the energy to everyone around. And I'm sorry to say this, but sometimes, in some places, Brazilian Zouk can be like a black hole. Vanessa didn't even let me finish. "You just get in." Yeah. You get in, you get sucked in, and...
-
From Ballet and Math Class to Lambada Masters with Iago & Vanessa
"I don't believe this person, they can really follow what this guy wants. I think they are guessing." That's Vanessa on why she started Brazilian Zouk, after fifteen years of ballet, jazz and contemporary. If you have a job you like and a dance you love, and you keep running the numbers at two in...
-
Yes, Dance Teachers Plateau Too!
"Hell yes, hell yes." That's my answer every time someone in the group asks whether teachers hit plateaus too, and I teach Brazilian Zouk for a living. Ours just hides better. I can teach all week, feel completely fulfilled, and then meet Christina after three months apart and find that the…
more -
The Pickiness Curve Every Dancer Climbs
For years the DJ would put on traditional old school Brazilian Zouk and I'd walk off the floor. "Ah, I don't like that type of music, I'm gonna take a break." That was a lie. I didn't have the skills to enjoy it yet, and the day I learned them I loved it. So when Gui tells me he got so picky only...
-
Are You Wasting Your Private Dance Lessons?
"I know, I've done this already." Every Brazilian Zouk teacher hears that in privates, and I ask the same thing back. "Okay, you've done it. But do you know it?" "Oh no, yeah, I know." "Do you know? Because if you knew, we wouldn't be correcting this." Then Gui told me the one that stuck. Hours…
more -
Why Do You Dance Like You're Competing? (S06 Ep16)
Why do you dance like you're competing? Because Brazilian Zouk is one dance living as five: the social dance, the performance, the competition, the after-class demo, and the teaching dance. In this ZoukNerds episode, Gui Prada and I name all five, and what happens when you train one while wanting...
-
Most Dance Teachers Are on Autopilot (S06 Ep15)
Why did you leave that amazing Brazilian Zouk class confused? Because the teacher was serving three meals at once. Every dance class teaches one of three things: mechanics, concepts, or feeling. When nobody names the main one, you learn a nice move and walk out not knowing what the class was…
more -
How Dance Becomes Your Safe Space (S06 Ep14)
How does a dance school become your safe space? Before Brazilian Zouk, before teaching, Gui Prada and I were two shy kids who found one safe room. In this ZoukNerds episode, we thank the first teachers who built us, and I tell a story nobody has ever heard. Not even my family. Brazil, 1999. I was...
-
Zouk Retreat vs Festival: Two Opposite Worlds (S06 Ep13)
What's the difference between a Brazilian Zouk retreat and a Zouk festival? In this ZoukNerds episode, Gui Prada and I go down memory lane to the events that marked us, and they could not be more opposite. Gui's first Brazilian Zouk event ever was Xandy Liberato's first retreat, in Valencia…
more -
Is Brazilian Zouk a Spiritual Dance? (S06 Ep12)
Is Brazilian Zouk a spiritual dance? Do you have to be spiritual to dance it? In this ZoukNerds episode, Gui Prada and I take the "too hippie" stereotype apart. The complaint: too spiritual, too much eye contact, whale music. So I asked the Buddha himself, Gui Prada, to define it. His definition:...
-
The Fear Behind Every Brazilian Zouk Festival (S06 Ep11)
Why is the festival you bought never the event you get? Because most Brazilian Zouk festivals are designed from the fear of not being able to pay for them. Gui Prada and I open the organizer's books. I'll put my hands up first. I've lost money on BraZouky Festivals. Some years we didn't pay the...
-
Is Brazilian Zouk an Addiction? (S06 Ep10)
Is Brazilian Zouk an addiction? I think for a lot of us it is — and I say that as someone it nearly broke. In this ZoukNerds episode my co-host Gui Prada and I talk about the body of the dancer. The strapped knee, the strapped shoulder, the wrist, the people massaging each other at every…
more -
Brazilian Zouk Musicality: Beyond the Beat (S06 Ep09)
I'll put my hands up here. A lot of the time, dancing Brazilian Zouk, I'm just listening to the tum, ta, chick and going for it. "Oh, good BPM, I can dance to this." That's autopilot, dancing to the sound of the machine, and it's most of what we call musicality: hitting the structure, the ones…
more -
Where Are the Brazilians in Brazilian Zouk? (S06 Ep08)
Where are the Brazilians in Brazilian Zouk? Gui Prada went looking in Sydney and found them at the Forró social, not at our Zouk Social. Gui was three weeks in Sydney, dancing Zouk every Friday, missing what he calls the squeeze, not a hug, a squeeze. Then somebody took him to the Forró social…
more -
Why Do You Pick Who to Dance With? (S06 Ep07)
I'll be honest. I walk into a social and I pick who to dance with in about three seconds, and most of the time I don't even decide it. My body decides for me. In this episode of Brazilian Zouk podcast ZoukNerds, Gui Prada and I pull apart that decision nobody talks about: the hidden social...
-
What Brazilian Zouk Actually Costs You (S06 Ep06)
Brazilian Zouk costs me sleep. I'm in Taiwan right now and I've finally built a schedule that lets me rest. The rest of the year? Time zones, late socials, weekends that bleed into the next week. 23 years in and I still pay for it every Monday. In this Q&A episode, Gui Prada and I read Veronique...
-
Why Brazilian Zouk Has a Leader Shortage Problem (S06 Ep05)
Brazilian Zouk has a leader shortage problem at every social — and no organizer has solved it, including me. I've run BraZouky with strict ratio control for years. Some years we hit 1.1 to 1 at sign-up. The social still tilts the same way every night. In this Q&A episode, Gui Prada and I read…
more -
Most Zouk Scenes Don't Need More Socials! (S06 Ep04)
Most Brazilian Zouk scenes don't need more socials. They need more Practicas. And the reason most Practicas fail comes down to the DJ: songs that don't end. In this Q&A episode, Gui Prada and I read a question from Star Bolton in our ZoukNerds Facebook Group. Her school changed their practice…
more -
Style vs Technique: Finding What Fits Your Body (S06 Ep03)
What If Your Teacher’s Style Isn't For You? Ever taken a class and thought, "Man, this technique just doesn't feel right for my body"? Gui and I are hanging out in Taiwan to tackle an awesome question from Emily in our Facebook group! Emily asks: "How would you feel if a student said, 'I know you...
-
Why Dance Reveals Your Deepest Insecurities (S06 Ep02)
Does Dance Reveal Your Inner World? Do you feel like the way you interact with your dance partner reflects your inner world? In this episode, Gui Prada and I are together in Taiwan to tackle a deep question from our Facebook Group! Our listener, Victor, asks if Zouk reveals what you need to work…
more -
Is Social Dancing Storytelling? (S06 Ep01)
A leader once told my co-host Gui, "I'm not off time, I'm just being musical." I've been that guy. So when Amit asked if Brazilian Zouk social dancing is really storytelling, I knew where it goes wrong. Amit's from India, came up through Bollywood, and connects to the instruments more than the...
-
How DJs Can Make or Break a Party (S05 Ep84)
‘The Music That Moves Us’ What music makes you sprint to the dance floor? In this episode, Gui Prada and I geek out over our favorite styles—from high-energy Moombahton to nostalgia-filled Ghetto Zouk. We also get real about our biggest DJ pet peeves and why a single song can change the entire...
-
Zouk Social Etiquette: The DJ Booth Dilemma (S05 Ep83)
'The DJ Booth Dilemma—Why Artists Stick Together' Ever wonder why the pros and "cool kids" always huddle right by the DJ booth? Is it an exclusive secret club, or is there more to the story? In this episode, Gui Prada and I pull back the curtain on why artists gravitate to that specific corner of...
-
Paloma Alves on How to Make Dances Unforgettable (S05 Ep82)
‘What Followers Actually Want?’ Leaders, are you stressing out trying to pull off the flashiest moves? In this episode, Gui Prada, Paloma Alves, and I talk about what really makes a dance feel "unforgettable." Spoiler alert: It’s almost never that crazy 20-step pattern you just learned. Ditch the...
-
Us vs Them: Bridging the Community Divide with Paloma Alves (S05 Ep81)
‘Beyond the Divide’ Why is there so much "us vs. them" in the dance world lately? In this episode, Gui Prada, Paloma Alves, and I dive into the growing gaps in our community. From "traditional vs. modern" to "retreats vs. congresses," we explore why we judge different paths and how to stay...
-
Stop the Plateau: How to Know You’re Improving (S05 Ep80)
‘Finding Happiness in Your Progress’ Are you improving or just repeating the same mistakes? In this episode, Gui Prada and I dig into the "stuck" feeling every dancer faces. We explore how to measure progress, the trap of external validation, and the power of asking "Why." Tracking Your Growth We...
-
Do You Belong? Finding Your Place in Zouk (S05 Ep79)
Is Brazilian Zouk for You? Ever feel like you don’t quite fit into the Zouk world? In this episode, Gui Prada and I get real about the deep doubt so many of us feel: "Is this actually for me?" If you don’t dress, party, or dance like the "cool kids" on social media, don't worry—neither did we....
-
Stop Overthinking: Finding Freedom on the Floor (S05 Ep78)
'Freedom in the Bubble—Respecting Boundaries' How do you express yourself freely on the dance floor without worrying about who is watching? In this episode, Gui Prada and I discuss finding a "deep bubble" with your partner while staying respectful to the community. Staying in the Moment Observe,...
-
How We’d Teach if Time Didn’t Matter (S05 Ep77)
'Zouk Nerds: The Dream World—Learning Without Pressure' What if you could learn to dance without the rush to the social floor? Gui Prada and I design our Zouk Dream Scenario: a world where students have unlimited time and zero fear of failure. Phase 1: Solo Before Partnering In our lab, we…
more -
Traditional vs Modern: Preserving the Roots of the Dance (S05 Ep76)
What Are We Truly Preserving? Is Brazilian Zouk just a list of steps, or is it a culture of belonging? In this episode, Gui Prada and I dig into the soul of the dance. We move beyond history lessons to ask: What is the real spirit of Zouk? The Identity Crisis: What’s in a Name? Gui explains the...
-
Double Standards: What Are We Actually Protecting? (S05 Ep75)
'Double Standards—Art vs. Oversexualization' Ever wondered where the line is between an artistic dance and something that feels a bit over-the-top? In this episode, Gui Prada and I dig into the double standards we see in the Zouk world. Why is it that we cheer for "sexy" moves on a stage, but...
-
The Dancer’s Guide to Self Worth (S05 Ep74)
'Reclaiming Your Self-Worth in Dance' How much of your happiness as a dancer depends on your partner’s approval? In this episode, Gui Prada and I tackle the psychological traps of seeking external validation and how to stay grounded when faced with criticism. The Power Imbalance Trap We often...
-
The Chameleon Mindset: Connecting to Any Partner or Style (S05 Ep73)
'Misaligned Stars—Handling Difficult Social Dances' What do you do when the connection with your partner or the music just isn't there? In this episode, Gui Prada and I explore the philosophy of "misaligned" dances. We discuss why faking joy is never the answer and how to use technical curiosity…
more -
Trust the Process: Training Teams vs Study Groups (S05 Ep72)
'The Study Group Transformation—Fast-Track Your Growth' Are you stuck in a loop of repetitive classes? In this episode, Gui Prada and I explore the Study Group and alternative training modes that bridge the gap between basic patterns and true dance mastery. What is a Study Group? We break down…
more -
The Missing Link: Turning Studio Time into Mastery (S05 Ep71)
'Mastering the "Práctica"—The Bridge to True Integration' Why do so many dancers plateau despite taking classes? In this episode, Gui Prada and I explore the missing link to mastery: the Práctica. We share our formula for turning studio time into a transformative integration session. The Práctica...
-
The Topics We Were Excited or Afraid to Publish (S05 Ep70)
'2025 Review—What You Loved & What's Next' In this retrospective, Gui Prada and I dive into our 2025 data to reveal what the Zouk community truly craves. We explore why our "vulnerable" episodes went viral and how we’re evolving for 2026. The Top 5 Hits of 2025 Intimacy & Sensuality: Our episode...
-
Beard to Beard: Breaking the Taboo of Male Intimacy (S05 Ep69)
'Redefining Masculinity through Movement and Vulnerability' In this deeply personal episode, Gui Prada and I explore the male experience in the dance community. We discuss how surrendering control on the dance floor can redefine masculinity, healing "touch starvation," and the transformative…
more -
How Slow is Too Slow? Mastering the Pace of Learning (S05 Ep68)
'The Pace of Progress: Balancing Patterns and Soft Skills' Are you worried you’re falling behind, or is your community moving so fast that the "feel" is getting lost? In this episode, Gui Prada and I tackle the core anxiety for every teacher and student: The Pacing of Dance. We explore why there…
more -
The Anxiety Trap: Why You’re "Dancing in Your Head" (S05 Ep67)
'Mastering Body Connection—Internal Feeling vs. External Expectation' Stop trying to please your partner. Discover how getting out of your head and into your 'texture' is the secret to a magical social dance connection. In this episode, Gui Prada and I explore the anxiety of expectation versus…
more -
"Good Intentions" Aren't a Substitute for Consent! with Paloma Alves (S05 Ep66)
'Uninvited Touch and the Myth of Assumption' In this episode, Gui and I, joined by Paloma Alves, tackle the controversial topic of uninvited massage, stretching, and intimate touch on the dance floor. We discuss why assuming consent for therapeutic contact is a boundary violation and how to...
-
Silence is Not Consent: Setting Boundaries in Dance, with Paloma Alves (S05 Ep65)
Intimacy, Boundaries, and the Power of "No" In this critical episode, Gui and I, joined by Paloma Alves, dive into intimacy, boundaries, and physical comfort in close-hold social dancing. We confront the unspoken discomfort that can arise and provide actionable advice. Practicalities & Awareness...
-
Are You Dancing for Validation or for Joy? (S05 Ep64)
'The Social Dancing Paradox—Beyond the Obligation' This episode tackles the highly requested and emotionally charged topic of social dancing expectations and duties. Gui and I, joined by Paloma Alves, dive into why it's so hard to "just be yourself" on the dance floor and how the pressure to...
-
How to Turn Comparison into Powerful, Aligned Inspiration (S05 Ep63)
'Comparison vs. Inspiration — The Path to Authentic Growth' In this deep dive, Gui and I, along with Paloma Alves, explore the thin, often-crossed line between negative comparison and powerful inspiration in the dance world. We discuss how focusing on what we lack can sabotage our personal and...
-
From Anxiety to Flow: Embracing Self-Awareness with Paloma Alves (S05 Ep62)
'Dance as a Mirror—Movement, Mental Health, and Self-Care' In this vulnerable episode, Gui and I, joined by the radiant Paloma Alves, explore the unexpected ways dance acts as a mirror to our emotional and mental health. We discuss how movement is a profound tool for personal growth and…
more -
Longevity vs. Tradition: Why Dance Changes (S05 Ep61)
Why your "Old Technique" is now "Wrong" In this episode, Gui and I take a deep dive into the constantly evolving journey of Zouk and dance techniques. We address the common confusion students feel when teachers tell them to abandon moves or concepts they previously learned. The Evolution: Comfort...
About this show
The Brazilian Zouk podcast for dancers who overthink the dance. We overthink it with you.I'm Alisson Sandi — 3x Pro World Champion, Head Judge for the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council (BZDC), and Resident Lecturer for the MAC Project. I'll be honest: I was never a natural. I had to fight for every piece of this dance, and that fight is the reason I can explain it.Every week, Gui Prada and I — plus the occasional guest — talk about what classes don't cover: stalled progress, disappearing leaders, what connection really feels like.New episodes weekly, in audio and video.
Hosted by
Alisson Sandi
Categories