samba, ballroom dance of Brazilian origin, popularized in western

Europe
and the United States in the early 1940s. Characterized by simple
forward
and backward steps and tilting, rocking body movements, it is danced to music
in 4/4 time with syncopated rhythm. Couples in ballroom position dance in
place or around the floor, but partners may separate to execute variant
steps. The dance derives mainly from the maxixe, a dance fashionable in about
1870-1914.
Learn about the origin and culture of the samba de roda
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In Brazil, away from the ballrooms, an older, very African type of samba is
also danced. Sometimes called bat