Structure, Curriculum, and Prerequisites

We hope you are ready, because the curriculum of this course is huge! You will have 70+ videos containing over 6 hours of pure new content for you to study. 

The course has eight segments, broken into two main sections (Block 1 - foundational and Block 2 - advanced).

Foundational: We will start with foundational concepts to work on your footwork and frame; talk about close embrace principles to work on your hug, get your body relaxed, and figure out how to adjust to different partners; explore variations on the basics; and then put hips into everything we did prior.  After that, things get trickier! 

Watch Intro Video

Here is a demo with our foundational concepts

Advanced: We start with advanced footwork to reverse and change all the things; get unlocked and talk about head movement principles; put head movements into our basics and work on exits and entrances with head movement; and, lastly, do a whole bunch of fancy shit and really stretch our brains and bodies and connection to the max. 

It doesn’t hurt to say that all of the things you are going to learn are in close embrace. So, except for one movement, your body will stay connected to your partner’s the whole time!


Another important disclaimer is that everything you will see in this course - if you get it...we hope you do - follows foundations and technologies that were developed specifically to achieve comfort and fluidity in close embrace. So, we ask you to enter this experience with an openness and curiosity to discover all about what some people call the Guiness and the Kelseyness.


#B386B8Alright, enough talking, here is what you are going to learn (visualize this section better on the computer):

Block 1 (Foundations)


1. Foundational Concepts
2. Close Embrace Principles
3. Exploring the Basics
4. Hips!
1.1 Weight Transfers
2.1 Relaxing and Shaking
3.1 Basic in Place
4.1 Hips! The Foundations
1.2 8 Stages of the Step
2.2 Rolling On The Floor
3.2 The 6.5 Stage of the Step
4.2 Basic in Place with Hips
1.3 Principles for Gliding
2.3 Rolling On Each Other Exercise
3.3 The Middle
4.3 Viradinha with Hips
1.4 Malleable Frame
2.4 Upper Body Adjustments
3.4 Linear Basic Variations
4.4 Off-Axis Linear Basic
1.5 More About Frame
2.5 Lower Body Adjustments
3.5 Side Basic and Variations
4.5 Inverted Off-Axis Linear Basic
1.6 Torso to Torso Connection
2.6 Fighter Stance
3.6 Puladinho
1.7 No Arms Challenge
2.7 Kinds of Embrace
3.7 Looped Viradinha
3.6 Looped Viradinha
1.8 Lower Body Connection
2.8 Three Levels of Close Embraceness
3.8 Viradinha 90 Degrees

1.9 The Aaaaand Exercise
2.9 Surrounding the Axis
3.9 Viradinha 180 Degrees


2.10 Adjustments
3.10 Viradinha Open Forward

2.11 Seeking vs Keeping Connection
3.11 Viradinha Rewind


3.12 Viradinha Forward-Rewind Drill

Block 2 (Advanced)

5. Advanced Footwork
6. Head Movement Principles in Close Embrace
7. Head Movement Fundamentals/Putting Head Movements into the Basics
8. Fancy Shit!
5.1 Rolling Exercise
6.1 Unlocking the Head
7.1 Rotating Linear Basic with Head Movement
8.1 Notes on Reversing
5.2 Reverse Lateral
6.2 Notes on Unlocking to the Left or Back
7.2 Rotating Linear Basic with Head Movement on the Spot
8.2 Reverse Balão Apagado
5.3 Reverse Viradinha
6.3 The 8 Points of the Circle
7.3 The Figure 8 
8.3 Reverse Lateral with Head Movement
5.4 Rolling Viradinha with Changing Sides
6.4 Entering and Exiting Head Movement
 7.4 Chicote
8.4 Viradinha with Side Chicote
5.5 Reversed Viradinha in Reversed Position

7.5 More in Chicote
8.5 Reverse Viradinha into Reverse Balão Apagado
5.6 Reverse Viradinha into Reverse Lateral

7.6 Balão Apagado
8.6 Reverse Combination (Reverse Viradinha into Reverse Lateral with Chicote Exit)
5.7 Traveling Lateral

7.7 Balão Apagado Variations
8.7 Viradinha Following Chicote
5.8 Closed Embrace Bonus


8.8 Mirrored Lateral with Head Movement



8.9 Crossing Viradinha with Head Movement



8.10 Old School Viradinha Combo



8.11 Close Embrace Bonus with Head Movement



8.12 Continuous Close Embrace Bonus with Head Movement



8.13 Close Embrace Bonus with Head Movement into Reverse Pião



8.14 The Roller Coaster


Going through the classes

Because everything in the course builds on itself, the second block (advanced) is locked until you complete the first block (foundations). When we teach this course in person, we regulate the drip of information, and want to do the same here (for your own good, we promise!). We want you to fall in love with the basics and the details as much as you do the fancy patterns, and really solidifying each thing before you move onto the next.

What level do I need to be at?

In order to get the most out of this course, we recommend that you have been dancing Brazilian Zouk for at least six months to a year. You’ll want to have a basic understanding of the foundational footwork patterns, head movement concepts, timing and counts, and partner connection. We’ll work on finessing those basics, doing them in reverse, in close embrace, while traveling, and with head movement.

If you are starting from scratch or are working with a partner who is, you’ll need to spend more time on the foundational portion of the course and really take your time practicing those before moving on and be super honest and accountable with yourself and your partner.

Do I need a partner?

The foundational concepts and other earlier portions of the course have solo drills that you can do by yourself, but most of the course, especially the more advanced material, is designed to be learned and practiced with a partner. We know that not everyone can have a practice partner right now, and you can practice patterns and movements by yourself and listen to the concepts, lecture style, while solo. However, to fully learn the material, you will need to have a partner to do it with eventually.

Check out what our students have created!