Brazil in Motion
8 days / 7 nights
Discover History, Culture, and Community Through the Power of Dance
Embrace a world where history is told through rhythm, and culture is experienced with every movement! This immersive Brazilian expedition invites high school students to explore the deep traditions of South American heritage through the expressive power of dance. Shifting away from standard sightseeing, this specialized itinerary frames the regional evolution of Rio, Paraty, and São Paulo entirely through their foundational dance styles.
Destinations can be booked separately or combined. Just ask us and we can customize a trip for your class.Sample Itinerary✈️ Day 1 – Flight Departure & Arrival in Rio de Janeiro
Meet your group at the airport.
Check in for your flight to Rio de Janeiro and begin your journey to Brazil.
Overnight flight.
Meals and entertainment are provided on board as you cross the Atlantic
🗓️ Day 2 – Samba Roots & Historic Rio
Morning: Fuel up with breakfast at the hotel. Dive straight into a high-energy, foundational Samba dance class held at a local samba school rehearsal venue. This masterclass is followed by an exclusive backstage tour of a Carnival warehouse, allowing students to study how costuming, rhythm, and large-scale pageantry dictating human kinetic movement come together.
Afternoon: Enjoy a group lunch at restaurant Cais do Oriente. Spend the afternoon exploring downtown Rio to analyze how the city's historical evolution and public layout influence its local street arts, visiting architectural landmarks like the Museum of Tomorrow, the historic Municipal Theater, and the iconic, mosaic-covered Selarón Steps.
Evening: Regroup for a relaxed dinner served directly at the hotel restaurant, allowing students to document their first day of choreographic observations.
Overnight: Rio de Janeiro
🗓️ Day 3 – Iconic Vistas & Open-Air Forró
Morning: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before traveling up Corcovado Mountain to visit the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, observing how Rio's dramatic geography inspires its local artistic identity.
Afternoon: Head to the open-air plaza near the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), a beloved cultural hotspot where local residents regularly practice outdoor arts, skating, and dance. Here, students will participate in an interactive Forró dance workshop, learning the distinct syncopated footwork, partner connection, and social-cultural roots of this high-energy dance originating from Northeastern Brazil. Afterward, enjoy lunch before riding the Fast Pass cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain.
Evening: Experience a spectacular night of cultural immersion with a dinner and live performance at Rio Scenarium. Here, students will observe professional dancers in a historic venue, analyzing the key stylistic differences between the high-stepping choreography of Carnival Samba and the social, everyday Samba enjoyed in Brazilian dance halls.
Overnight: Rio de Janeiro
🗓️ Day 4 – Beachside Rhythms & Urban Movement Labs
Morning: Eat breakfast at the hotel, followed by a free morning for safe, supervised relaxation at the world-famous Copacabana Beach, observing the natural somatic rhythm and active lifestyle of local Rio beach culture.
Afternoon: Walk to a local restaurant for a traditional Brazilian barbecue lunch. Then take part in the Vidigal Impact Experience inside the community to learn about social entrepreneurship and local arts initiatives. The visit culminates in two physically active cultural workshops led by local community artists: an introduction to the rhythmic defense-dance of Capoeira, followed by a fast-paced tutorial in Passinho, Rio's famous urban street dance style born out of the local funk scene.
Evening: Return to the hotel restaurant for a late group dinner to wind down, reflect on urban dance trends, and compare standard studio choreography to raw street-dance expression.
Overnight: Rio de Janeiro
🗓️ Day 5 – Coastal Exploration to Paraty
Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, check out and board your motor coach to journey down the scenic Costa Verde toward Angra dos Reis.
Afternoon: Board a boat to Vila do Abraão on Ilha Grande for a brief historical walking tour, followed by a scenic boat cruise around the island's lagoons. Students will step off the dance floor for a few hours to enjoy a lunch stop and swim, analyzing how regional environments, natural geography, and local music shape the relaxed pacing of coastal Brazilian culture.
Evening: Dock back on the mainland and transfer to the historic colonial town of Paraty. Walk from the accommodations to a local neighborhood restaurant for a quiet group dinner to rest up for upcoming historical dance studies.
Overnight: Paraty
🗓️ Day 6 – Afro-Brazilian Jongo Traditions
Morning: Enjoy breakfast at the pousada before traveling to a traditional Quilombola community to learn about the deep-rooted heritage of Afro-Brazilian history and historical preservation.
Afternoon: Enjoy a traditional local lunch prepared directly within the community. After eating, students will participate in an immersive Jongo dance and drum workshop. This expressive, circular dance created by enslaved peoples combines deep drumming, calling-and-responding vocals, and rich spiritual storytelling. Because Jongo is widely recognized as one of the direct ancestral roots of modern Samba, this session provides students with profound historical and physical context for their dance studies.
Evening: Head back to the historic center of Paraty for a dinner at a local restaurant, featuring live musicians and a chance to witness how traditional sounds flow into regional nightlife.
Overnight: Paraty
🗓️ Day 7 – Colonial History to São Paulo
Morning: Eat breakfast at the pousada before checking out and embarking on a guided historical walking tour through Paraty's cobblestone downtown core, examining how colonial spaces dictate public gatherings and performance history.
Afternoon: Board the motor coach for the cross-state transfer to São Paulo, pausing along the route for a casual lunch at a local restaurant.
Evening: Arrive in São Paulo and check into the hotel. Gather tonight for a group dinner at a local restaurant to discuss the shift from Rio's coastal styles to São Paulo's urban arts landscape.
Overnight: São Paulo
🗓️ Day 8 – Urban Expression & Return Flight
Morning: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Head into the heart of the metropolis to experience São Paulo's urban art movement at the famous Beco do Batman. Here, students will explore colorful graffiti murals and participate in a collaborative street-art painting workshop, drawing connections between visual street art and urban dance subcultures.
Afternoon: Take a panoramic drive along the iconic Paulista Avenue and through the elegant Jardins district before eating lunch at the Municipal Market. Spend the remaining part of the afternoon discovering the historic city center, including the Sé Cathedral and the stunning Municipal Theatre—the historical home of São Paulo’s classical opera and ballet movements.
Evening: Transfer to Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). The group will have an overnight return flight, giving students time to begin organizing their performance notes!