In December of 2014, Brunno and Paula hosted their first Zouk classes in San Diego. They bring new energy and spirit into helping to grow Zouk in San Diego! There had been classes in San Diego before but this time was different because Ruana and Igor from the Zouk LA/OC scene came through to support them and brought some of their students with them. Jefferson Dadinho was also in town and came to support. It was a great way to bring LA and SD together! We were lucky enough to have had the opportunity to catch up with them and interview them. Brunno and Paula explained to us that they are planning monthly events, so LA can continue to join the SD scene for months to come.  San Diego has welcomed them into their community with open arms and wishes them the best of luck in helping grow the Zouk scene there! Their class featured many new faces to Zouk with a majority coming from the West Coast Swing community. Special thanks to San Diego Zouk teacher Kelly Rice for supporting!

1) Why did you pick San Diego as your new home?

We were in San Diego in 2013 to compete in Swing Diego (West Coast Swing event) and we fell in love with the city!  During this time we met Michael Kiehm and he offered us to come and teach classes at his studio (Starlight Dance Studio).

2) How long have you been dancing Zouk?

Paula started in 2004 and I had my first contact with her in 2005, where she showed me some her choreography steps.  I started to learn myself in 2006.

3) How did you meet Paula and how long have you been dancing together?

We have a long history together, but in summary, we were going to the same places to dance in Londrina (Paraná, Brazil) and had many friends in common.  We’ve been together since 2005 and married since 2008!  Our partnership began in 2007, where we ended up participating at our first festival together that same year.

4) I see that you are very involved in WCS (West Coast Swing), how has that influenced your Zouk?

We’ve noticed that our Zouk connection feels different because of the influence of WCS.  This has given us new forms of movement that brings a richer dialogue between us.

You can find out more about Brunno and Paula on their website: http://brunnopaula.wix.com/dancers