Time for a Break

Oi Gente,

Now that the San Francisco Carnaval Ball is over, I have decided to take a much needed break. Yes, I love dancing and performing, but at times I just want a whole lot of nothing!

   Ideas for my next costume!

Of course, this feeling does not last long and almost immediately the idea of working on a costume or getting ready for the San Francisco Carnaval parade pops into my head. To cope with my dilemma, I have decided to take a little break during March and start up again in mid-April.                 

Aside from grading papers, I plan on finish The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte. This is SO not the book for me, but I am captivated by the protagonist's actions and thoughts. Not only do I picture a James Bond looking character (Pierce Brosnan of course), but I am also fascinated by all the testosterone that oozes from the book. What I mean is that this is a GUY book and I love it!

Once my break is over, I will work on a parade costume and prep for my World Cup vacation!. World Cup 2014, here I come!!!

San Francisco Carnaval Ball 2014

Carnaval Ball 2014

Oi Gente,

I love Carnaval!!! The energy of the crowd, the intoxicating music, and the Speedy Gonzales' footwork always puts a smile on my face. This year's Carnaval was not exception.

The San Francisco Carnaval Ball was great and a testament that hard word does pay off. For four hours, Aquarela dancers danced, paraded, and entertained a lively and energetic crowd. No kidding, we danced non-stop the whole night and I loved every minute of it! Click here for a fun video of the night.

Twice a week for the past 2 months, we have rehearsed and danced to some of my new favorite songs. They are cute, sexy, lively, and I below you will find YouTube videos of the songs:
* Ai Se Eu Te Pego by Michael Telo
* Cavalinho Filhos do Sol
* So Vai de Camarote by Groupo Revelacao. By far my favorite! Below, you can see a photo of our outfits.
* Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha by Joao Lucas and Marcelo
* Piradinha by Gariel Valim
* Show das Poderosas by Anitta

 Of course the night was not complete without samba performances. The above songs are great, but nothing compares to the energy and beauty of samba. During the night, we danced (Aquarela video) to amazing samba de enredo and batucada songs and wore various and fabulous bikini costumes. I even painted my nails red to help set off the sambista look!

Beijos and enjoy your week!

If you like my post, please leave a comment below or click on Follow. I love to hear what you think and appreciate your support. 

New Red Back Piece

Oi Gente


I have been dying to show off my new back piece, but things have been crazy with Carnaval related shows, Carnaval Ball preparations, and my awful cold. We have been rehearsing twice a week and workshopping costume and dance ideas for each show, which leaves me little time for other samba things. Regardless, I am still dying to show off the latest addition to my samba costume collection!

One of the first back pieces I have ever made was a large, lotus-leaf, gold and red pack piece. It was beautiful and impressive but the size was cumbersome and the style, after a while, became outdated. After  brainstorming for weeks, I decided to take apart the back piece and use the materials to make a new and elaborate piece.


I started off with metal frames I bought in Rio de Janeiro. The carnaval frame goes on like a backpack and can be molded to fit just right.

Once I had the frame molded to fit my needs, I wrapped it with foam and a thin nylon fabric. The foam serves to cushion and protect the frame against my skin and the fabric helps hold the foam in place. I followed by wrapping the frame with a bright-red strap and secured the ends with hot blue.

To the center of the frame, I added red ostrich feathers and a few pheasant feathers for an extra pop. I then embellished the shoulder straps with swarovski crystals and was done.

The whole process took me four night and now I have a gorgeous back piece to go along with my new bikini. Love it!

Beijos and enjoy your day!

If you like my post, please leave a comment below or click on Follow. I love to hear what you think and appreciate your support.