About the Dance

Kizomba is a music & dance style from Angola, Africa, that has been winning the hearts of dancers & invading Latin socials around the globe.

Kizomba was mainly derived from an upbeat & playful Angolan dance called Semba, & takes inspiration from other African music forms as well as Caribbean zouk.  The name Kizomba comes from the Angolan word for party, although the song & dance, with its close partner connection & smooth, grounded movement, is known to have a slower, more sensual feel than most of its ancestors.  It's much like an African Tango.  In Kizomba, there's not just one, but several basic steps, & these steps aren't restricted to specific counts, allowing leaders a great deal of versatility to connect with the music.

As with all dances, Kizomba has evolved into many styles as it spread, first to Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, & other Lusuphone (Portuguese-speaking) countries, then to France where both Ghetto Zouk & Urban Kiz originated.  Ghetto Zouk is a modern, sometimes electronic sub genre of Kizomba music, & Urban Kiz is an extremely popular incarnation of Kizomba dance, characterized by more linear movement, straighter legs & upright stance, as well as more frequent breaks & syncopations.  Urban Kiz dancers often incorporate moves inspired by Argentine tango, hip hop, & sensual bachata, which no doubt lend to the attraction that fuels this style's growing popularity.