Dance – Danse Très Xtrême

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Kizomba Dance

Kizomba refers to a musical genre and the dance that accompanies it, being part of...

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Danse Très Xtrême is an art company created by Matt Carmelo Hunter and co-founder Olenka Rallis to bring the experience of dance and dance battles to the community.

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Kizomba

Kizomba is a smooth, romantic partner dance and music genre from Angola that grew out of Semba in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Here’s the essence:

• Origin: Angola, influenced by Semba’s structure but slowed down and infused with rhythms from Caribbean zouk (brought by the band Kassav’ to Africa).

• Music: Slower tempo than Semba, deep bass, and a smooth, flowing rhythm. Lyrics often focus on love, longing, and emotion.

• Dance: Close embrace, subtle hip movements, and a strong focus on leading and following through body connection rather than flashy steps. The walk in Kizomba is as important as the turns.

• Mood: More sensual and intimate than Semba. Think of it as storytelling through gentle, connected movement.

• Global spread: It became popular worldwide in the 2000s and is now danced at festivals, socials, and classes on every continent.

If Semba feels like an upbeat conversation full of laughter, Kizomba feels like a slow, intimate whisper between two people.

Semba

Semba is a lively, traditional music and dance style from Angola that is considered one of the roots of Kizomba.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Origin: Angola, especially popular from the 1950s onward. Its name comes from the word massemba, meaning “a touch of the bellies” — a dance move where partners lightly bump hips or bellies together.

• Music: Energetic, upbeat, and often driven by drums, bass, and guitar. The lyrics frequently tell stories — sometimes humorous, sometimes socially conscious.

• Dance: Partner-based but more playful and fast-paced than Kizomba. Dancers often mix in improvisations, spins, and playful breaks, while still keeping close connection.

• Cultural role: It’s danced at parties, street gatherings, and celebrations, and it reflects joy, humor, and storytelling in Angolan culture.

If Kizomba is the slow, romantic “conversation,” Semba is the cheerful, witty “banter” — both cousins, but with different moods.

Tarraxinha

Tarraxinha is a slow, intimate style of Kizomba dancing (and music) that focuses almost entirely on body connection and subtle movement rather than traveling steps.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Origin: Angola, emerging in the 1990s as DJs and musicians began experimenting with Kizomba music — stripping away many melodic instruments and leaving a heavy, minimal beat and bass line.

• Music: Slower, more percussive, with strong emphasis on rhythm over melody. Think deep, hypnotic, and almost “loop-like” in feel.

• Dance:

• Partners dance very close, often without much travel on the floor.

• Movements are mostly in the hips, torso, and ribcage — led through micro-signals.

• The follower’s hip isolations and weight shifts are often highlighted.

• Mood: Highly sensual, introspective, and connected — but still within the cultural context of Angolan dance, so it’s not about being sexual, it’s about musicality and connection.

If Semba is playful and Kizomba is romantic, Tarraxinha is like leaning in to share a secret and just breathing with the music.