The first time I saw Brazilian Zouk, in 2010, it left me confused. To me, Zouk was a Caribbean rhythm and dance, and what I was watching looked like something else entirely. I thought the girl was drunk(!). Once I understood it was Lambada from Brazil, danced to Caribbean zouk music to keep it alive, I got curious. I have always been a big fan of Lambada music without knowing much about it.

I started dancing with Jules Bertrand that same year and began teaching alongside him soon after. Since then, I've watched it evolve into its own art form, here and around the world. I've learned from the dancers who shaped it in the early days, and keep learning from the ones who shape it now.

“The dance's fluidity spoke to my ballet background, and its connection became my meditation.”

In Montreal, it was a real challenge to keep the Brazilian Zouk scene alive. Back then, there was only one dedicated school, Interfusion Danse, organizing everything from classes to festivals. There were years when we travelled so much that no one was left to teach in between (we had to travel to learn back then—no YouTube!). There were the waves of Kizomba, then the rise of Sensual Bachata, each drawing dancers in new directions. And then Covid emptied every dance floor in the city. Each time, the community got smaller. Each time, I was there helping it back up.

Today, things look very different. Thanks to social media, most people have seen Brazilian Zouk online. Montreal now has many schools and teachers, and I couldn't be happier to see it. A bigger scene means more dancers, more socials, and more people discovering what I fell in love with years ago.

Since late 2022, I've been running my own classes in my very own studio, supported by a wonderful team who are just as driven as I am. In 2025, I rebranded the school as Abraço Dance Montreal, as a statement of a welcoming community where we believe movement can reveal everyone's full potential.